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 > Mary's Profile
Mary's family
Mary
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
45
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53010 KES ($377 USD)
access_time 10 months ago
check
 
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
If I can pay all of my children's school fees for the coming year, I will have accomplished everything I could have hoped for them. I would also like to harvest the most this year so that I can focus solely on paying school fees and venturing into business for the burden of buying food will be lifted from me. One of my hopes is to watch my children develop into excellent and respectable people with decent employment opportunities, and I will live to see this happen.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I'd like to express my gratitude to GiveDirectly for the transfers they've made to our community. I am now able to complete the errands that I was previously unable to complete due to a lack of finances and an inability to maneuver around in order to have everything in order. I would only ask that you continue to place a high priority on individuals living below the poverty line, helping them to have a sense of belonging after being oppressed by the rising economy for far too long.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Since receiving the transfers from GiveDirectly, my life has become much easier; now, I can fetch water from within my compound, which was before impossible, and I am overjoyed. I bought water pipes and had them installed at my door for $250, which spared us from having to trek great distances to get water from streams if we didn't have enough money to buy from our neighbors who had already piped theirs. Another issue I was having was the bad state of the mattresses we were sleeping on, so this offered me the opportunity to get two mattresses for $50 each, and trust me, we are having a pleasant night. On the other hand, food is a need, and without it, nothing can be done in our everyday lives. I have been doing small farming around so that I can ensure that we have something in store for each and every year, but the last two years have not been easy, we had consumed all that was in store until we were surviving on a daily basis, but fortunately, I had food worth $100 bought and we are now free from daily questions of what we are going to eat, at least for now as I ensure that the farms are well taken care of so that we can harvest better for this year seem promising.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($440 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was washing clothing for my nine children when I got a message tone on my phone as the sun was almost setting. I used the message as an opportunity to take a quick nap while checking my phone because I was exhausted. The information was comforting once I internalized. When I noticed the first transfer from GiveDirectly had been transferred into my account, I leaped up and down with joy. At Thanksgiving, I sobbed because I had never since birth received such a large sum of money all at once.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The main difference, which I can attest to, was that going to bed hungry before the transfer was essentially the norm. I used to skip meals even three days a week, but after the transfer, I am singing a different tune. I appreciate GiveDirectly helping me out. Since the first transfer, I have not gone as long without eating. Being able to send my kids to school is another important accomplishment that neither my husband, a night watchman, nor I, who only worked occasional jobs, could afford. None of these things would have been soon feasible if GiveDirectly did not exist.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a mother of nine and out of them, five children are still in primary school. Before getting the transfer, they were sent home from school for fees. I went to the school to lobby with the administration for my children to be allowed in school as I struggle to source for the fees. Luckily enough the head teacher of the school understood. Upon getting the first transfer, I went back to the school and cleared all the fee arrears amounting to $110 and also paid the current fee required for them which was $80. The total was $190. Currently, I am very happy because my children are settled in school. Their settling in school means good performance to me. I also did some shopping for one of them who was joining secondary school. The shopping cost was $100 and I managed to take him to the school he was called where I paid a starting annual fee of $100. I also paid a foodstuff bill at a shop where we used to take some items on a credit basis which amounted to $80. Thereafter, I opted to save the remaining amount for the family's upkeep after doing some shopping for foodstuff for a whole month.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 1 year ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Education for my children is basically what receiving this money means to me. Currently, I have 2 children who have completed their primary education and are about to join high school. With this money, I will be able to clear all the fee arrears which had accumulated to $200. The remaining amount will help me to prepare them by doing shopping for them and also to pay their first term fees. This will guarantee me a peaceful mind since they will have ample time in school to produce good results. What a happy life!.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Despite the financial challenges that I am currently facing, my husband has been a great source of support to the family. In November, I had been taking foodstuff on credit, and the bill accumulated to $80. Surprisingly, my husband sent me $40 and I was able to pay half of it. This enabled me to have the opportunity to get more credit from the shop. Thus, I consider this as what has brought me joy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being a subsistence farmer in an area where drought can persist for a whole year means a lot of stress. I am currently depending on my husband who is a security guard and his monthly income is $80, an income that can not fully cater to all our basic needs like food and school fees. This means we sometimes survive on one meal a day and my children have frequently missed classes, a situation that has directly affected their performances. Therefore, I consider the financial crisis as my biggest challenge.