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?
When the money finally arrived that, it was actually in the evening and I had zero expectations of receiving any funds at that time so it was definitely a pleasant surprise. My husband confirmed that the transfers had finally been sent and we were both speechless and felt quite lucky to have finally received the money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I finally got the finances to build a better home for me and my family which is quite spacious as compared to the one that we lived in before. Apart from that,I was finally able to send my children back to school and not forgetting that I was able to purchase a cow which I had wanted to for the longest time but failed since they are costly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For the longest time, I wanted to build a house for myself and my family. Not that I did not have a house, but the house we lived in was quite small and our children were growing up. So I went ahead and bought twenty four pieces of iron sheets which cost me KES 20,000. Afterwards I went ahead and bought a cow worth KES 19,000 because I wanted to grow my farm and also so that it could help me during farming. My children had also been put of school for three days because I had failed to pay school fees so I ended up paying KES 3,000 for four of them. As for what remained I ensure that my family and I always had a meal especially since at times putting a meal in the table was a challenge.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I had earlier started a shop business within our village but due to inadequate capital, it closed down. I have for a long time admired restarting it but since I lack money, this has never been possible. Receiving this money, therefore, will enable me to invest again in the business to have a reliable source of income. To ensure this comes to reality, I intend to spend utmost 30000 KES on this. On the other hand, the remaining amount will help me to buy some livestock and also to finish up the roofing of my house. By doing this, I will live a very comfortable life, a change that I have wished for a long time.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The source of happiness as a responsible mother is to see her children get their basic needs. This is something that I have consistently achieved especially over the last 6 months where I have ensured to fully engage in doing my casual work to get food. This makes me feel proud as a mother and thus, I consider this as what has brought joy to my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Having a family of 7 members, I have faced the challenge of sustaining all our needs because I lack a reliable source of income. This has forced me to engage in charcoal work, a job that earns me 1200 KES only per 2 weeks. The income goes to paying all my bills leaving me with nothing to save, something that has robbed away my joy.
