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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I am grateful towards the great acts of kindness that GiveDirectly has shown me and my family especially through the donations we receive occasionally. As I had mentioned prior I am widow and most times it was quite hard to provide for my family especially since we had very young kids. But through this organisation I feel like a weight has been lifted because now I get financial assistance which has helped on saw many occasions. I have nothing but praises when it comes matters concerning GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have been living with my children throughout the years but eventually my sons grew up and ended up needing there own space. Since I barely make enough money, it has been quite challenging to build another house for two of my children especially since my husband passed away. My are still in high-school so they sleep I'm some of their friends home which is bigger compared go ours. That is why I when I received my transfers I decided to use KES 850 and bought a pair of iron sheets. I want to begin buying items for the new house that I will construct for my sons. Then I used the KES 1,550 to cater for matters concerning nutrition, so I ended up buying a bag of maize flour that contained a dozen packets since having a meal was challenging from time to time. I remained with a balance of KES 600 which I put away in my savings account because the kids were about to resume to school and I needed to be prepared financially.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($10 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I woke up the morning before the transfer with a heavy heart. It was hard to watch my children suffer from hunger since they had eaten nothing from the previous night. Receiving the cash brightened up my face and washed away the stress that weighed me down. I remember clapping with excitement when I learned of the great news; I could not hide my contentment.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am happy that since I received the money, the family has never gone to bed hungry or skipped a meal. The situation was the opposite before the transfers when we starved frequently and ran out of food at least four times a month. I can confidently state this as the greatest change I have realized after the cash aid.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When my husband passed away, I was left with five children to fend for. Having no one to support me, charcoal burning was the immediate solution to curb poverty. In a month, I make almost KES 1000 from this business, which hardly provides for our needs considering the rising commodity prices. To enjoy decent meals, the household requires at least three bales of maize flour monthly. Sadly, my income can barely secure one bale. We experience the worst scenarios of starvation, persevering through the day on only a cup of black tea and consuming at most one solid meal on a good day. Therefore, this pushed me to use the entire transfer amount, KES 1,200, on food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
It pains me that my children still sleep in the neighbors' house just because of lack of money to build them a place of their own. Some of them walk quite a distance from home which makes me fear for their safety at night. Because I am always not with them I am afraid that peer pressure can make them fall into bad company. Lack of proper structure for them has always given me sleepless nights because of their security. These transfers will enable me to put up a structure for them so that they can also have a place on their own where they spend a night and also for their security.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In December my daughter came home with some shopping, she brought maize flour, rice among others things. We ended the year well because I managed to eat things that I had not eaten for a while. This bought joy for me and my children at home.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My current challenge is lack of money to buy food for my family, as a widower providing for six children has not been an easy task. I burn charcoal for survival where I make 500 KES daily but this money is however not enough to provide for all the responsibilities in the house because it is not a consistent income. I had a plan of building another house where my children can sleep but unfortunately, lack of enough resources has made it impossible for me to do so.
