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?
I had just arrived from vending water around the village using my motorbike. I heard my neighbour narrating how they had received their transfer from GiveDirectly. Immediately, I received a call from my friend with whom we were enrolled together insisting I should check my phone since he had received his transfer too. After checking, I could believe what I saw on my phone, I had received KES 55000 in my account. I was very excited about receiving my transfer since I had never received such a huge amount of money in my life.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is that I am enjoying peace of mind after paying my installment of the motorbike in advance for 2 months. This has reduced the constant threats from lenders. Moreover, I am also able to meet the basic needs of the family, especially food without much struggle.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I purchased a motorbike on hire purchase a year ago where I was required to pay the remaining amount of the money in installments of KES 10,000 per month. This was a very challenging task since my taxi business had been negatively impacted by the covid-19. The lenders were constantly giving me threats due to the unpaid installment something that ruined my happiness in life. After receiving my transfer, I used KES 20,000 to pay the installment for two months. In addition, I used KES 15,000 to purchase 15 iron sheets, I am planning to construct a house at the nearby marketplace where my kids will be living so that they may be closer to school. This is because they are walking for more than 40kilometers in the bush path to reach the nearest school. They are required to leave home at 5 am every day to school something that worries me about their safety. I also purchased some pairs of clothes for every member of my family with the remaining amount.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have a piece of land adjacent to the shopping center which I bought a month ago. My plan was to build rental houses and I am therefore glad that I can realize my dream with the money from Give Directly. I will build six rooms. I already bought some of the building materials. I will need KES 80,000 to complete the structures. This will serve as an alternative source of income from livestock farming that I solely depend on.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have a motorcycle which I bought on credit. I used to use it to supply milk from my cows before the drought hit. With the onset of the drought, my income went down drastically. The credit institution was threatening to take back the motorcycle because I could no longer pay the KES 2,400 required every month. I decided to start a small business of selling charcoal in August after selling three of my cows. I was able to get KES 20,000 from the charcoal sale which I used to reduce the loan amount. The business is doing well. I am now saving up from the business so that I can clear the remaining amount.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am a livestock farmer. My biggest challenge now is the ravaging drought which is threatening to clear my herd. Two months ago the total number of cows I had was 35. I now have 20 after losing 15 of them to the drought. I am having sleepless nights because when I think of selling the rest, the price is a throw away. Selling a cow at KES 5,000 is very heart breaking. I now have two options; waiting hopefully for the rains to come or watching the cows die day by day.
