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.
Stages:
 
Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Mwanapili's Profile
Mwanapili's family
Mwanapili
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
House construction
faceAge:
34
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($479 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
For a couple of years, I had been living in a single-roomed and leaky grass-thatched house. When I was enrolled in the program, I developed a goal of building a new spacious house that could accommodate my family of 8. After I had completed this goal, I came up with an additional plan of buying a new set of furniture. I had not been having both beds and mattresses thus we had been lying on sacks, a scenario that had been very uncomfortable.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does so well in supporting needy people like me in society. Its staffs are very truthful and very patient with the recipients. It also does well in creating awareness to all the community members, as a result, none of my community members has been deceived. I have not been able to observe what GiveDrectluy does not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Living under abject poverty, I had been unable for years even to buy my own bed and mattress. As a result, my entire family of 8 had resolved to use sacks as our beddings, a condition that had been unbearable for us although we had no alternative. When I received my recent transfer, I spent 12,000 KES on buying two beds and 15,500 KES on buying two mattresses. Since I have a large family of 6 children, I also spent 15,000 KES on paying their school fees. The transfer has positively impacted my life. I am so grateful to GiveDirectly for the financial support.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I can still recall vividly it was around 11:32 PM when I was washing my utensils when I heard my phone ringing extremely loudly. At first, I thought it was my spouse calling since he was not home. After checking, I realized that it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirecyly, I had at long last received my first cash transfer. I had anxiously been waiting for the and I could hardly hold my joy. I decided to share the news with all my family members and inform them of the good news. They all couldn't believe it as well since it felt like a dream.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I have been married for over fifteen years and I have been experiencing so many challenges. I used to stay at my brother-in-law's house before I owned my own temporary house. This was the worst experience ever because I did not have the freedom or privacy. A few years later we constructed our own temporary house which was relatively small and would collapse anytime. Having a family of seven some of us had to seek shelter elsewhere which was so frustrating. The idea of building a decent house was not in mind since I only depend on casual jobs with meager incomes which could not even sustain all our household needs. Therefore the fact that I now have a spacious iron roofed house has brought the biggest difference in my daily life. We no longer have to worry about our safety or even the communal harsh names. We are happily living under one roof which has been my dream.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent a part of my first transfer on buying some building materials which comprises iron sheets at KES 28600, building poles at 4800, nails at KES 1600. I had intended to build a new house because the previous one was not in good condition and I was worried that it might collapse. Also, I cleared school fees of KES 4000 for my five children who are in primary schools. As their mother, I am so glad that they are now studying peacefully with fewer disturbances. In addition, I bought new clothes for my children and enough foodstuffs. For now, we no longer starve.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have six children and we all squeeze in one tiny room because I have not had the money to construct a bigger house. Receiving this money will be a big boost because my first plan is to build a two roomed house at a cost of KES 35,000. One will be a bedroom and another one will serve as a sitting room where I can welcome visitors. I will also invest in goat farming so that I can eventually reduce the school fees burden in months to come.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My active nature and my little education helped me get a job as a community health volunteer (CHV) in our area. This happened in the month of March. Since then, I have been able to get little income from the allowances that I get in the course of my work. I use the money to buy food whenever my husband does not have enough money to send me.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Famine is currently hitting hard. The last time I got food from my farm is in the year 2019. The only way to get food is getting money to buy the food which has been quite a challenge. There are no available jobs because in the village I used to depend on agriculture related jobs. I now depend on my husband who is a mason, working away from home. The little he earns is not enough to buy food and other basic needs including education expenses.