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?
The moment I realised that I had received my transfer, I was at home preparing breakfast for my family. Then suddenly, I heard my phone ringing. Upon checking, I saw a text notification showing that I had received money from GiveDirectly.This was the best news that came the way that early morning, I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness because it was a financial breakthrough in my life.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer came as a big relief in life because I was able to fully pay for the parcel of land. A debt that had been pending for a while, I am no longer worried about looking for alternative ways of raising the money since I was able to clear it with my initial transfer. I am at peace now that I am debt-free. I am grateful for the support that had empowered me as a woman to strive for a brighter future.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a businesswoman and a mother of two children. I had purchased a parcel of land sometime back but I was unable to clear up all the required amounts at once due to financial constraints. Therefore I committed to paying the remaining amount in bits. The transfer came with a big relief because I used KES 25,000 in offsetting the debt, I then used KES 25,000 on purchasing a dairy cow to cut down on the cost of buying milk daily. I was unable to pay for the land in full before since I did not have enough resources. I am grateful for the support that lifted my living standards amazingly.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
For 10 years now I have been living on a piece of land that has not been completely paid for.I bought 0.7 acres of land with a deposit of KES 200000 and the whole piece of land was worth KES 420000. I have been paying the balance in installments but currently due to Covid 19 my business collapsed .This led to a period of struggle with no incomes in my household and hence I stopped paying the debt. Currently I have been worried because the owner may take back the 0.3 acre piece of land I have not paid for . Nevertheless I am glad that I will be able to settle this debt of KES 70000 using these transfers .
What is the happiest part of your day?
The presence of rainfall in the past 6 months has brought happiness into my life.I have been depending on purchased foods for the past three years but I foresee a self-sufficient period of 2 years ahead. This is because of the presence of rains in the past 4 months. These rains have facilitated the growth of crops and hence elevated yields.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am a single mother of 2 girls and I work as a business lady. There has been instability in business for the past 2 years due to the tough economic situation. Availability of capital has been a challenge to me after I spent my entire savings on medication and raising my newborn child. These financial constraints have hindered me from progressing with the business as well as providing adequate food for my two girls.
