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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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Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Richard's Profile
Richard's family
Richard
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
59
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($526 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different in a big way because I have a business. Before GiveDirectly, I always dreamed of starting a money lending business. From this business, I make money that I save in a large merry go round group. I also use part of it providing food and other essential items for my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDIrectly did well in treating all the villages equally. I am glad that GiveDirectly gave all households equal amounts of money. I believe it brought more love and peace since no one feels anyone was favored. Their openness and transparency are what proved further how genuine they were. I, therefore, don't see any way in way Give Directly did not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent the money I received from Give Directly on buying a cow. I bought a dairy cow at KES 30000. I decided to buy a dairy cow because milk was on high demand in this village yet there was not enough supply. I knew this could be an opportunity to change my life. I then started a small business to work as a microfinance lender. I am yet to register for the company. Once these two businesses work out I believe my living standards will improve.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($531 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
I majorly depend on casual jobs to earn a living to support my family. I struggle each day to find a casual job since it's not always found thus I strain to cater for the days without a job. My daily household needs have been too overwhelming for me to settle with my little wages. I never had a cow in my homestead thus I had to always spend on milk. This had been costly to me because I had been forced to divert my income to it together with other daily basic needs. Thinking of other developments had just been a dream. The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have bought a dairy cow. I had thought of buying a cow but could not due to limited resources. I decided on this so that I can cut off the cost of buying milk and be able to save this money. Also, we now get milk for our consumption and with this, I am hopeful that our health will improve.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I realized that GiveDirectly had sent us the promised money early in that morning after waking up. I became so happy and I immediately called their number to thank them but unfortunately, it was not yet their working hours. I felt my long-time dream of owning a dairy cow as other people had come.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
Buying milk had been my routine and it was always costly. My family used to take tea without milk at times when I did not have money to use in buying milk. When I received my first transfer, I bought a dairy cow worth KES 40000. I am now glad since I no longer buy milk anymore, rather I sell some to my neighbors to earn an income. Also, I spent the remaining amount on my family's basic needs. I used KES10000 to pay school fees for my son who had been sent back home and the other to buy maize flour and other foodstuffs.
 
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will be able to buy a dairy cow.I used to have so many cows but when all my children joined secondary school,I was forced to sell them in order to pay their fees.Since then, I have not been able to buy any and therefore there has always been a challenge in terms of getting milk for the family considering the fact that our only source of income is farming.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day maily entails working in the farm and other times harvesting honey for sale.All these activities are tiresome and I often long for the time I will finally rest.In the evening,I get time to rest and catch up with my family on the happenings of the day over our evening meal.This therefore makes evening the happiest part of my day
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced is raising school fees for my children.I have one daughter in college and another in secondary school and since I do not have any source of income except my farm,it has remained to be a struggle every now and then.Farming has become unreliable due to changing weather patterns as well as crop diseases.This has made my struggle to raise fees even more difficult