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 > Joyce's Profile
Joyce's family
Joyce
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Teaching
faceAge:
34
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($520 USD)
access_time over 4 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 different from how it was if I would have never received the transfer in that, I have accomplished some of the goals that have brought peace in my heat. I love the way my compound is fenced. Maybe I could not have managed to fence it to date. I also bought a calf that I had sold due to financial constraints. A least I have brought it back to the mother. This simply means that my investment have increased.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I like the way GiveDirectly gave out unconditional cash transfer. This gave us the power to tackle our problems well. The unique thing that I also observed was that they discriminate against an individual. There is nothing that I can point out that they did not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
Fencing my compound had been giving me a headache just because I needed my place fenced but I did not know where to get money for the project. A breakthrough came when I got my second transfer. I have already fenced my compound and wants to start a mega poultry project. Before then, I did not even think of the project because the few birds that I have sometimes go to people's farms which brought a bad relationship with a few of my neighbors. After this move, I know that things will be okay. Apart from that, I also bought a calf. This particular calf meant a lot to me. I had sold it to a close neighbor when I had no money to pay school fees for my child. Bringing it back means that it is suckling well since I sold it and detached it from the mother earlier than usual. I also kept some as savings hoping to buy another cow and fence the whole of the compound.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($530 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
I had been called to start to work the following month in a different county before receiving my transfers. My spouse and I had already started planning to take a loan to facilitate my relocation process. When I received my transfers, we had to cancel the loan we had applied so that we would not have to pay the interest. Being able to relocate to my new place of work without taking a loan is the biggest difference in my daily life. Also, my transfers enabled me to relocate with my children since they are still young as it would have been inconveniencing had I left them with their father.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was still early in the morning when I received a message notification indicating that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I could not sleep anymore as I was so happy. I knew that I would be able to settle in my new place of work without taking a loan.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
When I received my first transfer, the first thing I did was to give thanks to God for His blessings through GiveDirectly. For this reason, I gave out KES 5000 as a tithe. I depend on dairy farming to earn a living since horticultural farming has proven unprofitable due to climate changes and infestation by pests and diseases on the crops. Due to this, I bought a dairy cow worth KES 30000 as a way of expanding my dairy project. Before receiving my transfers, I had been called to start working in Transmara and it is far from my home. Due to this reason, I used the remaining amount to relocate to this place. I paid my two months house rent, bought the required items and new school uniforms for my children as I had to transfer them to a different school.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will enable me to start a small business of selling clothes.I live by the roadside and therefore I will set up a structure for this business.I will also paddock my farm to ensure that the cows will give me ample time for my business since they will now graze on their own.
What is the happiest part of your day?
After I prepare children to go to school I embark on what occupies me for the better part of the day which is looking after the cows.I milk them first in the morning before feeding them.In the afternoon I graze them then milk again later in the evening.I enjoy my evenings because it is that time when my family is back together and we can have a good time enjoying each others company.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I completed college in 2009 and since then I have not secured employment.This has been the biggest hardship since I had placed my hope on using my education to earn me income.I have a certificate in Education and so far I have gained very little from it.This is the reason that I want to start a business since satisfying the families basic needs has been a challenge.I am just a small scale farmer for now.