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 biggest difference in your daily life.
I thank GiveDirectly for coming to us at this time. I have been using hoes in tilling my farm, which was tiresome and ineffective with a bigger acreage. I could not manage to utilize my whole acreage productively during the planting season. Having these two oxen to facilitate my farming is the biggest difference in my life so far because they are economical and easy to use and convenient for this purpose, thus my farming practice will be made easier. In addition, I will also be utilizing my farm effectively for better harvests.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I got the message notification on the transfer from GiveDirectly early in the morning that day. For sure I could not wait for daybreak to plan on how I was going to spend the money. I was exceedingly happy that this money was going to change my life a lot, a thing that actually came to pass. I managed to buy some valuable assets such as livestock and other assets.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I have longed to own oxen to facilitate my farming because using hoes in and out of season was tiresome and ineffective and I could only manage a smaller acreage. Due to this, when I received my first transfer, I bought the pair of oxen to curb this and enhance my farming during the planting season. In addition, I also acquired a bicycle that will help me carry water for domestic use because water shortage has forced us to travel long distances to reach the water pans. Having a bicycle will relieve us of the stress of travelling for long distance in search of water. I spent the remaining amount to pay for my children's school fees and did shopping on foodstuffs and other household needs.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Decent house, owning livestock and educating my children is what receiving this money means to me. Currently, I am just a house wife with no reliable source of income, a situation which has forced me to depend on my husband whose main job is charcoal burning. His job is very tiresome and its income cannot fully support our family needs, something that has made us to brave in our old grass thatched house and our children also have never started schooling despite they are of school age. GiveDirectly aid will reshape my life because, I plan to use the first transfer on constructing a good house for myself and to buy new beddings to replace the old ones. I will spend the second transfer to buy livestock and supporting my children's education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I mostly feel very happy in the evening because of the ample time I get to rest from my tiresome day's activities. When I wake up in the morning, I leave to go and fetch water from a water pan which is five kilometers away. When I come back home, I feel so exhausted but still I am required to work at my farm. Therefore, I consider evening as the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being a house wife, I mostly depend on my husband whose main job is charcoal burning. His income is very little owing to the fact that, it can not fully sustain our family's basic needs. This has forced us to live a miserable life that has subjected us to mockery from our neighbours. Therefore, I consider lack of reliable source of income as my biggest hardship.
