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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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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The money from GiveDirectly came at an unexpected time. I recall being on my way home from the stream where I had gone to fetch water. when I heard my phone start to ring. When I checked to see what the message was about, I discovered that I had received $550 from GiveDirectly. I was overcome with joy and excitement. I am so grateful for the help that has brought so much joy into our lives.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I was able to build a decent house thanks to the financial assistance I received. Due to financial constraints, this was not previously possible. I'll be eternally grateful for the gift that completely transformed my life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My main priority was to build a decent house. This is because I live in a small house that we used to live in. I had previously been unable to construct one due to unreliable sources of income. My husband is a Boda Boda taxi driver, and I sell charcoal. We have three children. As a result, when I received my transfer, I spent at least $500 on house construction. Finally, I spent $20 on school fees. I am overjoyed that my children and I now have a decent place to live. I am grateful for the assistance that has improved my standard of living.
Enrolled
access_time 4 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I currently live in a single room with a flat roof that was just built as per the resources that we had back them. With my three children and a husband, it's really hard to fit in when it's bed time. Some of us have to spread a mat and sleep on the floor so that we fit given that I do not even have an external kitchen as traditionally expected. Again there's also no privacy at all because it's just a single room. Therefore when I get this money, I would like to first build a two roomed house to serve as our bed rooms while we turn the old one into a kitchen-cum-sitting room. This will cost me around $500. Suppose I'll remain with some money after that, I would also like to keep some goats that I can always sell when there's a need like when for a reason we're not able to raise school fees.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have a lot of challenges with family income which is always hardly enough to take care of our needs like I have explained to you. But I can remember in the month of July I managed to burn charcoal and got six sacs that my husband took and sold for me in Kilifi town where they could attract better prices. Here in the village at the moment a sac goes for $2 while over there it's $5. So I got a total of $30 that really boosted that month's budget. I was genuinely happy because I could comfortably feed my children throughout the month.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I do not have any reliable sources of income at the moment. My husband is a motorcycle taxi rider at Kilifi town while I take care of our three children who're attending a local grade school right here in the village. I pay school fees totaling to $60 each academic term. Alongside that I also need around $50 monthly to be able to get family supplies like cooking oil, sugar, soaps among other things. My husband sends me around $10 weekly which isn't enough according to the needs of this family. I sometimes have to burn charcoal and sell to be able to supplement.