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.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 8 Am when I heard my phone ringing so loudly alerting me of an incoming message. I decided to check what the message was all about, I could not believe what I saw because it was an Mpesa message from GD. I felt so happy knowing that I will achieve a lot.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the fact that I now own a second-hand motorbike. Previously I used to survive on casual jobs and subsistence farming to sustain the family which was not enough. Sometimes getting the basic needs like clothing, food, and paying school fees has never been easy. This is now history because having have started the motorbike business my living standard has changed. My family now gets enough food, good clothing, and many more changes. I am extremely grateful for this organization for financial support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent a larger portion of my first transfer on buying a second-hand motorbike. This is what I have been yearning to own for years but I could not afford it because of the poverty that had stricken my household. The money that had remained I used it in buying sufficient foodstuffs for my family and some other household items.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My source of livelihood 5 years ago was a shop business that I used to run in my village. This business was doing well and I could earn up to 8 thousand shillings a month besides my daily expenses. Sometimes I could take loans from our village Sacco and I was able to pay them comfortably. However, life has its own way of taking turns and I lost this business after my shop was damaged by heavy rains. I couldn't revive it since I had used all my savings to build a house. This situation reduced me to a casual labourer and my ambition since then has been to reopen this business. I will therefore use this transfer for this purpose and this enable me to provide for my family without much hustle.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is at night when I am retiring to bed. Sleeping relieves me of stress because I spend my entire day thinking of how difficult my life is.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
After losing my business, financial instability has been my biggest hardship. This is because my casual jobs are hard to come by and I live from hand to mouth. It is very tough to provide for my family right now and they don't get enough basic needs.
