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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.
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Newsfeed > Nathan's Profile
Nathan's family
Nathan
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
22
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Nathan's next check-in.
 
26th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next four months, I plan to use the money I received on farming. I will buy bean seeds and fertilizer and then using part of the money, prepare the land to grow it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the livestock that I bought from the savings I made using the transfers. I had been taking part in a merry go round group. When I received the money, I bought the oxen. This is because it grows fast and quickly increases its value. I will then sell it and buy a heifer. This s because my aim is to raise a dairy cow.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have improved on my life when I harvest the maize crop that I have on the farm currently. I will be using the maize for food in the household. For the last two months, I have been buying maize flour and this is very expansive. Having produced it on the farm? my household expenditure will, therefore, be significantly reduced which will be easily manageable.
 
24th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal in life is to renovate our current house into a more permanent one. Its walls and floor are made of mud and I am intending to replace the mud walls with timber and also cement the floor. This will make it last longer and reduce the amount of dust circulating in the house. With this, I will not be worrying too much about my children contracting diseases associated with dust.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have been able to increase the acreage under maize cultivation. I was able to use part of the savings that I received from our merry go round group to achieve this and to also buy a heifer. Due to this, I am optimistic of a good harvest that will last us till the next harvesting season. Also, I believe that the heifer will be calving soon hence I will have enough milk for our consumption and for sale to earn an income. With this, I will be able to reduce my daily expenditure and at least have different savings plan other than our merry go round group that will enable me to meet our financial needs in times of need.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, my life will have changed in that I will have bought enough materials needed for the renovation of our house. With this, I will be planning to use my next transfers to pay for labor. Also, I believe that I will have cleared paying for the solar lamp that I bought on higher purchase terms. This will enable me to save the money I would have used to pay for it so that I will later use it to buy a heifer.
 
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
After building my house to completion, I didn't have any furniture in it. Therefore, living in this house was still uncomfortable since we did not have any chairs to sit on. I saved the monthly transfers from GiveDirectly and I bought chairs for my new house. I am glad that we now live more comfortably than before.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to increase the number of cows that I keep and buy a chaff cutter to help me improve on this. I want to do more on dairy farming and make money from this sector.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that whenever have some work on the farm to be done such weeding or harvesting, I will look for people to help me do it. This is because I can now afford to pay for labor thanks to the transfers from GiveDirectly. Before, this was sometimes impossible because I did not have money to pay for labor. This sometimes led to delay weeding hence reduced produce. I am proud that I now maximize the farm's production.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectation in the next few months is to have a good dairy project with some good breed of cows. I want to maximize milk production from this project for both household use and commercial use for an income. Once I have this project running, I want to enroll and continue with my studies. This is important for me because it will help me manage and use my resources well and improve my chances of landing a better job.
 
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
All along since I was enrolled up to the last few months, my bedroom had been the back of the shop. I have had to sleep at the back of the shop all that long since the small room which was constructed at home was supposed to be occupied by four people. The space inside was only enough to accommodate a bed and a small space which could be meant for a chair if we had one. We tried sharing but we could not sleep comfortably. This condition motivated me when I received the transfers to construct my own house. I have just completed and since then life has really changed. I am sleeping well with no more congestion. I thank GiveDirectly for making this happen.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
With the availability of oxen to till the pieces of land we own in our household, I have a new goal to ensure that I complete the land preparation so that in the next four months I would have planted all the farms. We have made this decision with other members of the household and all the money which we will be receiving from next month will be channeled into the same.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Ours is one of the blessed family when it comes to the size of land we own. We have many acres of land but we have not been able to till since we had no means. getting GiveDirectly transfers was a great boost which has brought a lot of differences within the short period we have been receiving. The biggest of all is the fact that I have been able to purchase an ox which I will be using as a source of labor together with the one I already owned. I am now set to increase the land under cultivation which would, in turn, increase the amount of food I will be producing from my farms.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
Before receiving the transfers, we were using a kerosene lamp for lighting in our household. Receiving the transfers gave us an idea to obtain a solar lighting system on loan so that we would be making a down payment of a smaller amount every month. We made this decision since the kerosene lamp that we were using was so dim and wasn't good for the students who were using it during their evening studies. along with the lighting system project, I am also hoping to complete plantation of my farms in the next six months.
 
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago in that I have improved my living standards. I recently bought couches using GD transfers which have made my house so attractive and comfortable. That has highly raised my self-esteem and given me more confidence to freely welcome my visitors home as opposed to before when I felt much ashamed with the bad appearance of my house. With an additional source of income, I am able to meet my family's needs with much ease. From the heifer that I purchased, I expect enough milk once it reproduces which a part from it's nutritive value, can be sold to locals around.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The new goal that I have in the next four months is to support my wife to join a college. With an added source of monthly income, I felt it wise to upgrade her education to help meet the family's future financial crises.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer is the heifer that I bought recently. I have always been thinking of a better way of saving for my future but the little I could earn from both my business and casual jobs could only cater for my household daily basic needs. When I started receiving my monthly transfer I began monthly which I later to buy a heifer. I am always so happy watching it grow, I see it as an added asset and a future financial security.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect my life to have improved since I shall have harvested my crops planted some months ago which will help meet the food crisis my family currently experiences. In addition to that, I will be in a position to sell any surplus production for an additional income to help in financing other projects.
 
5th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different because I now have a monthly income which is a positive change.I can now afford quality farm inputs like fertilizer.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to cultivate land and put up a cabbages nursery bed and also to buy cushions for my furniture
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have increased farming and purchase of a solar lighting system.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to start investing in merry go round contributions come August with an aim of buying a dairy cow.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
attach_money
 
The recipient was not asked any questions as part of this follow up.
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship is paying school fees for my college education. I have a family to take care of and at the same time save up for my college fee.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when I have completed most of the day's work and i get to relax with my family.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
Am planning to spend this transfer to expand shop keeping business to retail or wholesale. I will also use the future plans to improve my farming, by buying more quality input.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My biggest achievement is that i have been able to start a business(shop) which has last two years.