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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Enrollment
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Completed
Newsfeed > Benjamin's Profile
Benjamin's family
Benjamin
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Motorcycle or bicycle taxi
faceAge:
30
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Benjamin's next check-in.
 
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal in the next four months is to buy a goat as an investment for my family. My ultimate goal is to buy a cow but it may take a while to raise the amount needed to buy a cow hence I prefer to start by buying a goat and sell it when it will have reproduced so that I can buy the cow.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference since I started receiving these transfers is that I was able to fully pay back a loan I took to buy a motorcycle. Before the transfers, I used to rely on a small income from the same motorcycle business but I was employed and used to share my daily income with the owner of the motorcycle. The income was not much since my whole family was depending on my income. I would struggle financially and ended up having so many debts which I could not pay on my own. When I started receiving these transfers, I decided to take a loan to a motorcycle so that I could have my own. Right now, I have fully paid back the loan and the motorcycle is mine fully because of GD transfers. My income has increased because I no longer share my daily income with anyone except my family.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My life will be different in the next six months in that I will be having my own cow. It has been my desire to own a cow but due to low income from the motorcycle business, I was not able to buy one. I have seen so many of my agemates own cows yet I did not have one. I usually feel left behind in the society and I would not want to have the same feeling after GD has given me this life-changing opportunity. I know by the time the transfers will be coming to an end, I will have herds of cattle and I won't be as poor as I am now.
 
19th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal is to buy a cow. I will be using the transfers and that money I will be making in the motorcycle taxi business . I will be saved proceeds for acquiring a heifer.
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 completing a loan with the help of the transfers. When I started receiving the transfer. I went to purchase a motorbike at a hire-purchase plan. I used the money that I received every month, together with some savings from operating the same motorcycle, towards clearing the monthly installments. My last transfer was the last payment and now the motorbike is now mini. To make a daily income has become a reality. Menial jobs are no longer my job as I operate the taxi business. Power is in my hands.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect that my life will have improved in the next six months. I will have two sources of income, both from a dairy cow and a motorcycle taxi business. The two are now a reality since I have already completed the [aymnets town the motor bicycle.
 
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
4560 KES ($44 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 differently in that I am able to take care of my family well. Even though most of the income I get from running a motorcycle taxi go to the repayment of the loan I have, I am glad that I am still able to take care of my family's basic needs without compromise. I am also glad that I have a new asset that will keep us going with other activities. I am so happpy because of GiveDirectly.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
Once I finish paying off the loan in two months time, I am planning to purchase a dairy cow for rearing. This will in the near future help as a source of food and reduce the expenditure that goes to purchase of milk.
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 am less worried about failing to pay off a loan I took to buy a motorbike while at the same time meeting my family's daily needs. Once I started receiving the transfer, I decided to get a newer motorcycle since I had a old. This was aimed at increasing the income hence improving our ability to take care of our family. I am happy that I am now able to meet my families needs and still manage to pay off the monthly repayment of the loan amount pending.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectation in the next six months or so is to be in a position to buy a bigger piece of land to accommodate my family comfortably and be able to run other agricultural activities such as dairy farming. Now that I am almost done paying the loan I took to buy a motorcycle, I want to save some money every day from the proceeds I make from running a motorcycle taxi and that from GiveDirectly to enable me to buy a bigger piece of land or expand the one that I am currently living in by buying a piece next to it.
 
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
 
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
When I started to receive the cash and realized that it would be coming at the same time every month, I decided to sell an old motorbike and bought a new one. The old one had been attracting high maintenance costs and was making my taxi business unprofitable. I was sure that the monthly cash would help me to manage the loan I would take to acquire the new motorcycle. I have also been using the money I get to buy foodstuffs for my family. Operating the taxi business has also become a good income generating activity.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal is to buy a dairy cow. I want to pull together tthe money form my poultry project, taxi business and the money I received to buy one
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Being able to repay a loan that I took to pay a motorbike is the biggest difference that happened over the last four months. The taxi business I run would not have been sufficient to repay the loan and provide for my family. The regular monthly cash transfer allows me to repay the loan and meet my household needs. The success is enjoying in my motorcycle taxi business is because of this aid.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have completed repaying a loan. I will also be having a dairy cow. Both of these financial successes have been made possible because of the transfers.
 
5th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
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The recipient was not asked any questions as part of this follow up.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
attach_money
 
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I have a new goal of buying a dairy cow because I have been buying milk from my neighbors and its very costly, I have started saving culture so that in the next few months I will be able to buy a dairy cow and start saving the amount that I have been using to buy milk to meet other household basic needs.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Current I have a poultry house which i didn't had before, we could stay in one house which the chicken which was not good, My neighbor also could complain that my chicken were destroying his crops, but now I'm happy because I don't receive any complain like I use to before.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life will to change positively because I'm very sure that in the next six month I could have saved enough money that I'm receiving from GD and I will be able to buy a heifer and goats which I didn't had before.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest different is that when I received the money from GD, I was able to build a good poultry house, because before we used to live in one house with the chicken which was not hygienic and also could occupied the space, but right now we have enough space because the chicken have its own house to live and I'm so happy.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 7 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have not faced a major hardship as at now and I thank God for that.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when I am back from work especially when I have had many customers.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend to spend my transfer in buying food and clothing for my family.I am also planning to save the money for some time then I will buy a cow.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement which I am produst of is that I have bought a piece of land for my family.I also have a motorbike which I ride to enable me provide for my family.