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.
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Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
329680 RWF ($301 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
attach_money
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had a house whose roof was very old and I was not safe from the rain anywhere in my house whenever it rained. When I received the first tranfer, I reconstructed the roof and it cost me 120 $, I bought a pig worth 60 $, clothes worth 40 $, a mattress for 40 $ and utensils for 50 $. My house's roof was my biggest concern and thanks to GD, I was able to have a proper roof.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before receiving my GD transfer, I was desperate and lived in indigence. My children and I had no clothes and I was ashamed of hanging around other people. My life changed when I received my first GD transfer. I was able to buy clothes for all of us and school uniform for my kids while also thinking of other things I can do for my family. I am so thankful to everyone in GiveDirectly.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I have a small plot of land that I usually rely on to give me food and crops to sell. The harvest had not been good lately and I was living in extreme poverty the last couple of months. I was home when I received the transfer. I was very happy and felt like all my prayers were being answered in that very moment. It took me around 20 minutes to get to the nearest mobili money agent and I withdrew the entirety of the first transfer.
Enrolled
access_time over 1 year ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I lost my parents when I was 15 years that is when I started living alone as an orphan. The life was very harsh to me because I was scared staying in a house as a teenager of that age. I remember I could beg for neighbours to give me one of their kids to stay with me during the night but they could refuse sometimes. After 5 years, I got pregnant for my first born daughter and because I was not studying, I was happy that at least I have someone to live for even though the father of my child did not support me on anything to raise that child. In 2012, the father of my first child got me pregnant for the second child who is a boy. After telling him that I am pregnant, he denied the child again and left me. I struggles to raise them in poverty because I do casual jobs sometimes to make a living. Now my first daughter is now 20 years old but she dropped out of school too. Currently, would say that I do not see hope of life because I am poor and it is very difficult for me to raise two children and yet my first daughter is young now, she can also get pregnant at some point due to how I am not able to provide for her basic needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I have a job and get money to feed my children, I am always happy. Moreover, I would say that my life has a meaning when I see my children healthy, safe and happy. Sometimes, when your children know that you are poor, it is not easy to see them happy because they compare their life to the neighbours but many times they ignore that and accept the reality that we are poor and respect you as their mother then life moves on. This really makes me happy every day.
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
The house I live in is for my late parents because I did not have money to build my own. As a single mom who always like to be clean and neat, I am planning to work on this old house I live in using $200. I will add cement, put new roof because when it rains, the water come inside. I have a small land that I use in my daily life and to have a good harvest, I have to add fertiliser. I am planning to buy the pigs of $60. My children and I will also get some new clothes for school and the other ones, they can take to church for $50. We will buy kitchen materials like new sauce pans, plates, cups for $50. As we sleep in a place which is not comfortable, we hope to buy matress of $30. Health insurance is very important as well especially when you have children, I will pay for it $9. I am not in any saving group because did not have what to save but these time, I will make sure that I save in order to secure the future.
