GDLive Newsfeed
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 > Furaha's Profile
Furaha's family
Furaha
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Other
workCampaign
Kenya Basic Income
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Furaha's next check-in.
 
29th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 16 days ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
As I mentioned before, our family goal has been to get my husband a brand new motorcycle so he can become self-employed. I’m thrilled to share that we have finally gathered the necessary funds, and he will be getting his motorcycle very soon, which will help increase our income. In addition to this, we currently live in a dilapidated house and are in the process of building a new three-room home for our family. My plan for this year is to complete the construction of the house. To achieve this, I intend to use a portion of my transfers along with the income my husband generates from his motorcycle hustle to ensure we finish building our new home. I am also enrolled in a tailoring college, and once I complete my studies, I aspire to own my own store where I can run my own tailoring business. After the house is finished, I plan to continue saving a portion of my transfers to buy my own sewing machine. This will allow me to create clothes for people and earn a living, enabling me to support my husband in taking care of our family.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Not long ago, a powerful storm blew the roof off our small house, leaving us with a dilapidated structure and in need of improved living conditions. My husband and I decided it was time to build a better three-room house for our family. To make this dream a reality, I have been using a portion of my transfers to gradually purchase building materials. Recently, I spent $80 of my transfers on some essential supplies, and I’m excited that the building process has finally begun. I am hopeful that we will soon be able to move into our new home. In addition to this, I saved another $15 of my transfers in a merry-go-round group. When it’s my turn to receive the pooled funds, I plan to use that money to buy a metal grilled door and enhance the foundation of the house we are building, ensuring it lasts longer. With the remaining transfers, I spent $3 on food to keep my family nourished, $2 on soap for our hygiene, and $2 on a pair of shoes for my daughter, because hers were worn out and needed a new pair. Seeing her happy with her new shoes as she goes to school brings me so much joy.
 
26th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 3 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My husband is a motorcycle rider. He is employed by someone to run their motorcycle taxi business. He has said on countless occasions how good the business is and after deliberations we decided we shall save for him to get one. we have have saved $300 so far and are less $200 which we plan to save for the next year till we can afford to buy one for him. This will increase his income by 50% as he gives %50 of his earnings to his employer which will be cit out when he buys and operates his own motorcycle.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am so grateful to Givedirectly as they have have provided a lifeline for me. I am asthmatic and I used to get so many attacks and would not have the proper medication to handle it. now, thanks to my transfers I can afford an Inhaler monthly which goes for $5. My house was also affected by the heavy winds and our roof was taken off, we out it back but we knew we needed a new house. I pooled finances with my husband to buy material for a new house. I spent $40 on buying building poles, and I spent $10 from my transfers on the iron sheet. I am also saving in a local savings group and I was able to save $35 We also rely on charging our phones at our neighbours who owns a solar lighting system. They charge 20 cents per charing session to which this transfers have come in handy at $4.
 
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($24 USD)
access_time 8 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I aim to establish my own tailoring shop where I can make and sell clothes, specializing in African wears such as vitenge and diras. While currently running a vegetable stand along the road, I aim to save from both my current business and my contribution to the merry-go-round to kickstart my dream shop.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Since last year, I have been participating in a merry-go-round where we save $20 monthly. With the recent transfer, I allocated the entire $20 to my merry-go-round savings. My ultimate goal is to save enough to launch my own tailoring shop and transform my family's life. I also recently acquired another chicken, bringing my total to two, which I purchased for $9. As a mother of two children, with one currently in school, I set aside $2 for my child's school fees to ensure he was not sent home because of school fees. The remaining $3 was used to buy food for my entire family for the week.
 
17th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
One of my primary goals for this year is to acquire my own sewing machine, a significant achievement on my journey toward realizing my dream of establishing my own business. I plan to fund this purchase with the savings I have diligently accumulated in my savings club. Owning a sewing machine will mark a crucial milestone in my aspirations, allowing me to generate income by sewing and selling clothes. The prospect of contributing to my family's well-being through this endeavor fills me with immense joy and motivation.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a trained tailor, but due to lack of equipment, I have not been able to practice my craft and earn a living from it. To make ends meet, I turned to farming and selling sardines, which has proven to be a more viable option compared to my previous work of selling charcoal. Despite the challenges I've faced, I am deeply grateful for the achievements I have made this far. With the transfers I received, I managed to save $70 in a savings club, which I plan to use to purchase a sewing machine in the near future. Additionally, I allocated $14 to buy food and essential household items as we had run out. The remaining $18 went towards purchasing clothes and shoes for my children, as their previous attire was in tatters and in poor condition. This shift in my livelihood has brought about some positive changes in our lives, and I am hopeful for a brighter future where I can fully utilize my tailoring skills to provide for my family.
 
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($25 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My main goal is to own a sewing machine. I trained in tailoring and I felt like I wanted to put my skills to use, but I had never gotten the money to buy a machine. My plan is, therefore, to continue saving part of my monthly transfers to buy a sewing machine and rent a shop within the neighborhood so that by December, I shall have started the tailoring business t boost the income that I would be getting from the livestock project.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have been in the project of livestock keeping; chicken goats and I plan to have cows as well. I previously started off with chicken rearing and later sold them to buy goats and I am currently happy that my project is expanding. With my recent transfers, I decided to spend some amount of $10 on adding more chicken to increase the population as I plan to continue with the cycle of buying and selling to acquire other livestock. With the remaining amount, I remitted an amount of $20.70 to my savings group to help me buy a sewing machine in the near future for my tailoring work as $4 was spent on buying clothes for my newborn baby.
 
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have mentioned that I was able to Join a savings group and I am saving money in the saving group as well as on my own. I learnt how to sow clothes but I do not have a machine of my own to turn this skill into a business so I am saving so I can buy a machine. My husband is also employed as a motorcycle rider which sometimes is a hard task since he does not always get business which ends up eating into his pocket as he needs to pay his employer. So we are saving so we can afford to buy a motorcycle of our own so he can be self employed which will ease our financial state.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used to have a small business selling local dried fish but I was forced to close it as I wasn't not making enough. I had no chance of taking care of my personal finances but now it is very different. I have joined a table banking group courtesy of GD transfers. I saved $20 in December, $10 in January and $20 in February. I am also doing personal savings which have been $2, $7, $7 in January, December and February. I also have been able to buy my child and I clothes during this three months since I am expecting and most of my clothes do not fit. I bought two dresses locally known as "dera" at $600 in February and a couple of Local material known as "Leso" to use during this period. I am also now an owner of two chicken that I got at $3 each.
 
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES
access_time almost 2 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am married with one child, and they employed my husband as a motorcycle rider. Daily, my husband makes a minimum of $2, which is not enough for our daily expenditure. After being enrolled in the support program, I joined a savings group, which normally takes $20 of my monthly transfers, leaving me with $10. I was optimistic and instead of using it on food; I bought sardines and started selling them. I intend to take the advantage of the tough economic season when sardines have replaced vegetables in this area.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES
access_time over 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The organization is doing quite an amazing job in my opinion especially since through the transfers it is aiding us eliminate living in complete poverty back in the village because prior to meeting GiveDirectly our financial situation was dire and drought was leading us to the brink of starvation.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I just recently enrolled to this program by the organization and this happens to be the second time I actually received the funds. Upon the arrival of the transfers, I decided to used KES 2,000 from what I had received and purchase a goat because I hoped to would eventually assist me financial in the long run after it reproduces since I could always sell. After selling I hope to start saving some of then money so that I could eventually open up a business. Then I went on to use the balance of KES 1,000 I was left with and used KES 550 and bought some clothes then as for what was left I used it for buy myself airtime for my phone and pay fees for charging my phone since I did not have electricity in my home.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was very early in the morning and I was still in my bed when I had a message notification. I was just struggling to get out of bed though I was feeling extremely weak. However, when I reached out to my phone and checked the message, I was shocked to learn that it was my first transfer. Surprisingly, I regained strength and rose up from bed at once. Being moved with excitement, I took some time to make a thanksgiving prayer because that was indeed a lucky moment for me. Later on, in the course of the day, I opted to invest the transfer in poultry farming. Thanks to GiveDirectly for its kind support.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
From the time I received my first transfer, there has indeed been a noticeable change in my life. Throughout, my lifetime, I had never raised even a chicken. I am glad that currently, I own two chickens. In addition, I also have a new pair of shoes. The ones I previously had were very old and unpresentable hence I was always ashamed to use them. As a result of the transfer, my life is made better.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My main source of livelihood is charcoal burning. This is laborious that drains my energy yet its proceeds are very low to comfortably support my growing family. As a result, I more often struggle even to buy my own dress due to low proceeds from the charcoal sales. With the first transfer, I opted to spend KES 800 on buying two chickens. It is delighting to me that what I had just been dreaming and hoping to start has finally begun Fro the chicken, I am looking forward to venturing into poultry farming. From this venture, I shall be able to raise some money when urgently in need without necessarily relying on charcoal burning. Since chicken always has an open market, with the expansion of my poultry farming, raising fees for my children will be seasoned.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a tailor but I have never put into practice my skills because I do not a sewing machine. The lack of money to facilitate the purchase of the machine has demoralized me and this has forced me to remain jobless despite spending a lot on college fees. With the arrival of GiveDirectly to our village, my hope is now reawakened and I am so positive about realizing my dream. The much I need to offset my plan is utmost 30000 KES which will help me to acquire the machine as well as to buy some materials for the start. To raise this amount I will save my first 10 months' transfers. This will enable me to have a reliable source of income to depend on as a proud mother. The remaining transfers will help me to buy some goats also this is to ensure I have a long-term investment project for my family. Thus, this is generally what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Over the last 6 months, one thing that I am so grateful for is the good health that I have enjoyed. Since August last year, I have never suffered from my asthmatic condition and this is something that has brought a lot of joy to my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Imagine at the age of 21 years, I am already acting as a housewife because I do not have a reliable source of income to depend on! My hope is on my husband who is doing motorbike taxi work, a job which he performs on an occasional basis. His income, once he does this work, is of utmost 1000 KES per week, which we normally spend on food leaving us with nothing to save. Therefore, I consider the lack of a reliable source of income as my biggest challenge at the moment.