We check in with people at each stage of the cash transfer process to see how things are going. Take a look at some of their stories as they appear here in real-time.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Persistent drought has made food insecurity an unbearable issue for my household. So I prioritize putting meals on the table with every penny I receive. Therefore, I mostly spent my recent transfer on purchasing food worth KES 2200. Also, to maintain a source of income, I used KES 800 to obtain two chickens for rearing.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($27 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my Opinion, GiveDirectly does well in terms of educating us about the organization and how it operates. This in turn gives us the go-ahead to decide on whether to be enrolled into the program or not. For me, this is something good and I would like to commend GiveDirectly for that.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The drought situation in my area has led to serious challenges for us. Everything from the shops is sold very expensively. With nothing to harvest in the farms, it has been very hard to survive. We depend so much on food from the farm. I currently do not have a job and this makes it very hard to provide for the daily needs of my family. When I received the transfer I decided to spend it all on purchasing food for my family. I did not have any food left and this made me decide to buy food.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was grazing my livestock on the farm and at about 2 pm my son brought my phone from the phone charging shop. So when I looked into the phone I found out that I had received cash from GiveDirectly. I was very happy because I knew the money will help me a lot.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The money has made a big difference in that I was able to buy food for my family. I was able to pay off my dates. I now live a stress-free life. I am now working hard to bring back my life to a footing where I will be able to take care of my family in every way.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I received KSH 1200 from Give directly. I spent KSH 1000 on buying food for my family. My main challenge at the time I was receiving the cash was food. Times are tough within the village. I don’t have a job and I survive hand to mouth with my family. The manual job I engage in are hard to come by and it is even getting worse day by day. When I received my priority was food for my family. I also spent KSH 150 on paying back a loan I owed.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have always wanted to start a business of buying and rearing goats for resale. With the first two transfers, I will save a total of 3,000 KES and buy my first goat. I intend to keep adding a few more with time so that I have a few of them to sell in the next year. This should enable me get some money to take better care of my wife who is jobless and four children without so much struggle.
What is the happiest part of your day?
To be honest, there is nothing that has made my heart happy in the past 6 months because this drought is taking more than it's giving. Maize has dried up in the farms, our livestock keeps dying and reducing by the day, my family is almost starving as I watch, there is no hope for rain or even employment. As a family man, I am broken. All I can do is watch and be hopeful of a better tomorrow.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have four cows that I rear and this drought situation has began to bite us really hard. I barely have enough water to give to my cows and this forces me to walk really long distances in search of water. Sometimes we don't find enough and I am worried that I just might lose my cows if the drought persists.
