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?
After a long day at my casual job, I was on my way to fetch water when I suddenly heard a message notification on my phone. Curious, I checked, and to my surprise, it was an M-Pesa message confirming I had received money from GiveDirectly. Instantly, my heart filled with joy and excitement! My first thought was, "Finally, I can fence my farm with wire mesh!" The goats had been such a problem, constantly destroying my crops, and I felt stuck because I couldn't leave the farm unattended. Now, I knew I could protect it and have peace of mind.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before receiving the cash transfer, I constantly struggled with the problem of animals destroying my crops. I had always wanted to plant pawpaw and bananas but couldn't do so without proper fencing to protect the farm. The floods had already ruined my farm in a distant location, making things even more difficult. However, after receiving the transfer, I was able to buy wire mesh and finally fence my one-acre farm at home. Now, I have peace of mind knowing my crops will be safe, and I can focus on other important tasks without worrying about goats and other animals. I’m grateful that I can now move forward and plant the pawpaw and bananas I've always dreamed of.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving the cash transfer, I felt a wave of relief, knowing I could finally tackle some of the challenges my family was facing. The first thing I did was use $50 to purchase wire mesh. My farm had been vulnerable to damage from livestock, and with the wire mesh, I knew I could protect my crops. This gave me peace of mind, as I no longer had to constantly guard my farm against goats that often ruined my hard work. Next, I used another $50 to clear my child’s school fees. He had accumulated many arrears, and it had become a burden on our family. Along with clearing the fees, I bought him a tracksuit for school. Now, I no longer have to worry about the school calling me about unpaid fees, and my son can attend school without any disruptions. It feels like a weight has been lifted, knowing he can focus on his education.The remaining $80 went toward purchasing food for my family of three children. We had been struggling for a while, as I mostly rely on casual jobs, and we didn’t have enough food at home. Being the second wife in a polygamous marriage, I often manage things on my own, as my husband is a police officer and has to support another family as well. But since receiving the cash, our lives have improved. I’m no longer depending so heavily on my husband, and for that, I am truly grateful.
Enrolled
access_time 4 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
We have many plans for the cash transfers. For the first cash transfers, we intend to lease and plant a one hector maize plantation. This will be our source of food and money. This will cost us about KES 18000 of the cash transfers. For the second cash transfers, we intend to pay school fees for our four children who are in different levels of education and institutions. We intend to use about KES 20000 on this. For the remaining KES 25000 we intend to purchase 3 sheep and chicken. This will act as an investment into the future. For the third cash transfer, we intend to pay KES 25000 school fees for our children. With the remaining cash transfer, we intend to purchase household goods and also two goats at KES 5000 each.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the past 6 months our happiness and joy has always come from our wellbeing and that of our children. Despite having challenges we are happy that all of us have been well and we haven't had to look for any medical assistance within that time.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenge we are facing currently is the effect of floods. A few weeks ago our maize plantation was affected by flood water which led us to lose all our crops. This saddened us so much and we almost lost hope since that is the only farm we were depending on. This makes life difficult since the planting season has passed and we don't have enough money to replant.
