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 felt very happy when I got the money because I knew it was something that was going to help me address the challenges that we were facing as a family. I got livestock that I wanted to have for a very long time but did not have the means to get them. But, thanks to GiveDirectly, now I have some goats.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in daily life is the fact that I now have goats. Before getting enrolled into this program of GiveDirectly, I did not have any means or hope of getting them but I am now a proud owner of goats and even if the money I kept aside for food is finished I will still be seeing the money I received from GiveDirectly in my two goats. I am so happy and grateful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought two goats at a total cost of KES7000 because goats are an investment and I will be able to depend on them in the future to address the challenges that I will face since I know that they will multiply and increase in numbers. I also spent a total of KES10000 shopping for clothes and various household items that I did not have, especially mattresses because we used to sleep on the floor and it was very uncomfortable and unhealthy. I, however, kept aside some of the transfer to be regularly buying food for the family.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a young single mother of one child. Receiving this money will help me become fully independent aside from my 7 siblings. I will build another house and leave the current one to my younger siblings. I intend to build a two roomed house at a cost of Ksh. 20,000. I will also start goat rearing to help me support my daughter and cater for other needs like her education in future. I will start by buying 4 goats at a cost of 15,000 Kenya Shillings.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I begin my day by doing household chores like cleaning utensils and fetching water before embarking on my charcoal business. My jobs, especially the charcoal business one involves a lot of energy. Morning is the therefore the happiest part of my day especially when I wake up healthy and strong ready for the day's activities. Without good health it will be hard for me to get food for the day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I got pregnant at an early age of 18 . Since then, life has been tough raising up my daughter who is now one and a half years old. I depend on selling charcoal so as to earn income. This business pays very little and takes me a lot of time to prepare the charcoal. I stopped receiving support from my parents the moment I got pregnant. I was forced to drop out of college in order to raise my child. Lack of enough income to cater for basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter is what has been my biggest hardship.
