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
attach_money
 
Transfers
check
Completed
Newsfeed > Brian's Profile
Brian's family
Brian
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Workshop/industrial (works for others)
faceAge:
24
workCampaign
FSD / Urban Youth
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($495 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
check
 
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
With the transfers that I received from GD, I was able to start my own business which has made me more stable and self-employed. This business had boosted my daily income and reduced my daily hustle of looking for casual jobs to earn an income as I did before. Without GD, I would still be struggling to take care of my daily needs and depending on unreliable jobs.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
Four years ago, I had to drop out of the university where I was taking a course on Environmental Science due to lack of school fees. Now that I have a stable source of income from my new shoe business, I plan to go back to college in the next year to take another course on business management. I never had plans of going back to school because my income before GD was too little to fund that.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had started a greengrocer business using my second transfer but it collapsed because the products I dealt with were highly perishable and would go bad very fast. I decided to try my luck in a different type of business which had nothing to with food. With my recent transfer, I started a shoe business which I sell online as well as physically in my area. I also gave part of the money to my mother for her own personal use then saved the rest of it for future business expansion plans.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
36800 KES ($368 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
attach_money
 
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different in that I am now able to meet my basic needs. In the past I used to do casual work and the money I got was not enough to meet my personal needs and help my younger siblings. At times it was a challenge to pay rent and buy food and could even go the whole day without food. I am now happy since I have a source of income to cater for my needs since I invested my transfers in a grocery business. I can also help my mother to provide for other family basic needs and pay school fees for my younger siblings.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal that I did not have before receiving the transfer is to enroll in one of the colleges to further my studies. When I completed my secondary education, I was not able to join college because my mother was struggling to pay school fees for my siblings and had not paid my school fees arrears. I will save the income from my grocery business and use it to clear my school fees arrears and enroll in one of the colleges to further my studies. I will therefore be able to be employed after graduating from college and I will be able to help my mother to provide other family needs.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend my most recent transfer to start a grocery business. I decided to venture in this business because for a long time I have been doing casual jobs so as to meet my basic needs. The casual jobs was also not constant and most of the times I could stay without food and it was also a challenge to pay rent. I am now happy since I used my transfer to start this new business and I have a constant source of income to meet my basic needs such as food. I no longer spend all my time doing casual work and I can also pay rent using the money I get from my business.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($196 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
 
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
First, I want to expand my business so that I can increase my income from the business. I will also employ one more person so that I can create a source of income for him. Secondly, I want to join college so that I can further my studies. I want to study environmental science since from my research, I have found that few people are doing this course and the job market is guaranteed.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before I received my transfers, I always had a dream of opening a business. I am now happy since I have been able to buy some stock to use in starting my business. I hope to open it in the next two weeks and this will be a dream come true.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my most recent transfer to buy items like clothes, bags, Jewelleries and shoes. I am planning to open a boutique shop at our rural home since there is no stiff competition there. I will employ my brother to run it so that he can also be getting some money to use in buying his personal needs. I have 4800 KES which I am saving them for emergencies.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
For the whole time I have been working, I had never received more than 5000 KES and receiving this money made me more happy. I even called my parents and informed them of the good news and that my dream of having my own business will become a reality.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I will first of all invest in business so that from it I will have financial assurity. Then I will enroll for part time studies since I only did secondary education level but would like to join college. I will then build a house in my rural home since a house is a basic need and I still doesn't have one.
Describe your biggest worry.
I come from a poor background that meeting my daily basic needs is a problem and the level of poverty in my family is too high. While health worries me since I don't have NHIF cover and getting treatment is quite difficult and health risk in this area due to waste and garbage proliferation is too high. Lastly political instability especially during elections here in Margaret. Friends do turn into enemies and property destroyed in those chaos.
What are your greatest ambitions?
To be successful in life and also becoming one of the prominent people in Kenya by doing different things in the society for instance through my business that may end up employing most people in the society.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
I do go for casual jobs, the juacali ones in garage then in my free time I do spend with my friends and makes visit to my relatives.