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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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Completed
Newsfeed > Florence's Profile
Florence's family
Florence
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
42
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($538 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?
Being a widow who depended on casual jobs that earned me a meager income to raise my four children by myself was a struggle without any assistance from my in-laws who claimed to lack money whenever I asked for assistance. With all this, I didn't manage to give my children a quality education and the eldest among them decided to work in a nearby tailoring shop so as to sew for commissions. My life is now different because I have managed to purchase a sewing machine for my daughter. Today, she enjoys all the profits she gets from her tailoring business that she recently started. Therefore, she can comfortably chip in to assist in catering for our family's needs. I am so grateful because if it were not for the GiveDirectly to come to our village I would not have bought it anytime soon.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Before the coming of GiveDirectly, we were facing both economic and financial hardships due to the extreme poverty that we were living in. When GiveDirectly promised us that their role is to alleviate poverty by offering us the unconditional transfers, we were brightened up. We can attest to the good performance and positive impact that the transfer has brought into our lives. First, most of us have cows both dairy and oxen. With the oxen, we are assured of consuming less time in ploughing our farms and also getting good harvests. To add on that, the majority of us now have good permanent houses which are iron roofed. The previous ones were small huts that were ever leaking whenever it could rain. Lastly, our children are now studying without any difficulties. According to me, I do not see any sector that GiveDirectly failed us.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
Previously, we used to have a single meal or go without thus our health status was compromised which was evident when one could look at the skinny and stunted growth that was presented physically. Therefore, I spent part of my second transfer on purchasing food for my family that would take us for the next harvesting season. With the remaining amount, I decided to boost my daughter's tailoring business by purchasing some pieces of materials so that she can sell and boost her income onto the ones she is getting from sewing.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($543 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that my daughter's business has expanded. My spouse passed on around 9 year ago and I could not take care of the family all alone. My daughter had to drop out of school so that we join hands to help feed the younger ones. Her tailoring business was not doing so well though, this means we still had to struggle to make ends meet. After the expansion of the business using GiveDirectly's transfers, we are now able to meet most of our basic and tertiary needs as she now makes more profits. I do not worry where the next meal will come from. Thanks to GiveDirectly.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
When I received this transfer I was in the house. I heard a message alert from my phone and as usual, I checked what the message was all about. I saw that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I was very happy because I was not expecting to have such an amount of money. The transfer was God sent because I was expecting to take my child to school the next day. I went out of my house and saw the whole village had erupted in joy.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
On receiving the first part of my transfer, I spent it on buying textile for my daughter who is a tailor. In addition to this, I paid for my son's school fees while the rest I used to buy food in the house. My daughter's business was not doing very well because she did not have enough textile to undertake the tailoring activities smoothly, so as to earn sufficient income to sustain our family. She has been of great help because she is the sole breadwinner in our family. I also settled my son's school fees, who is in a boarding school for this term, and did enough shopping for him as the schools reopened for another academic year. As for me, receiving the transfer was timely as it coincided with the opening of schools and I was in the process of planning on how I would raise some cash for my children. The remaining balance I will spend on buying food.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I could not educate my only daughter out of the three children I have beyond primary school. Having completed primary education in 2014,I took her for a two years course in tailoring which she completed but I could not afford to start up a tailoring business for her.Receiving this money means I will buy sewing machines and tailoring materials for her to start up a business in Bamba.She will then be in a position to support me because being a widow and sole breadwinner,I face so much financial constraints.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My normal day starts at six in the morning with the first activity being weeding in the farms until midday.After midday,I prepare lunch and embark on cleaning utensils and clothes until four in the evening. From four,I take a rest as I plan for the following day's activities. My happiest part of the day is normally in the evening when I take a rest.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in life is being unable to educate my children due to lack of a stable source of income.As a widow and a subsistence farmer,meeting the basic needs of my children such as food,clothing and education has been so difficult making my bright children to drop out at class eight and this means we will remain chained to the vicious cycle of poverty as a family.