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?
Before I received my transfers, I was having sleepless nights as I was wondering how I would raise money for paying school fees for my children. When I received my first transfers I felt so happy as I knew that my worries would be over.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I spent part of the transfers which I got to add to the shop and grocery which I had started. I boosted this venture to enabled me earn more income. The money which I generate from this business has enabled me to cater to my family needs with less struggle.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The first transfers which I received from GiveDirectly, I spent KES 41000 on paying school fees for my children who are in colllege and high school. I had a huge budget for paying school fees and was wondering how I would manage to settle the fees without having my children being sent home. My first priority after I got the money, I opted to clear all the school fees for the whole year so that my children would be allowed to concentrate with their studies. The remaining portion, I spent it to expand my business which is a shop and grocery. I opted to invest part of it so that I would have more income.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Six of my children are in various levels of education; one in college, two in secondary school and three in a boarding primary school. This is going to cost a total of $350 of the first transfer. I will invest the remaining $200 towards poultry farming; I am planning to buy 30 chicken layers, improve the poultry house and buy a perimeter chain-link to fence my farm as part of the project.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am a small business owner vending vegetables and fruits in a stall in a small shopping center nearby. I love this business because it has raised my esteem, boosted my confidence and a source of independence in the sense that I do not have to bother my husband for money to attend to personal needs. I operate my business every Monday to Saturday whole day. This is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My community often faces prolonged drought of close to five months every year. Maize farming, a venture which is suppose to cushion us again hunger often deteriorate due to insufficient rainfall. Pasture gets depleted and milk production from our animals decline. Consequently, money become hard to come by and children drop out of school and families are hit by starvation and malnutrition. This is the biggest hardship in my community.
