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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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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Yvonne's Profile
Yvonne's family
Yvonne
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Street trading - food (self-employed)
faceAge:
26
workCampaign
FSD / Urban Youth
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($493 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?
Before I started receiving money from GD, I had no source of income of my own and had to join my husband at his small hotel business which did not have a lot of customers by then. On most days of the week, I would opt to stay in the house because I would be idle at the hotel anyway. So when I received money from GD, I was able to start my own second-hand clothes business where I now have an income of my own and have something to keep me busy.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
With part of the money that I recently received, I was able to start a clothing business for an extra source of income. I do not have a permanent shop for the business which is what I am aiming to get as soon as possible. Trading in illegal premises is very hectic as we are always on the lookout for the city council officers who are usually more than ready to take away our stock. Having a permanent building for my business will give my customers an easy time locating me which is also good for the business.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I gave most of the money I recently received to my husband to help him boost his hotel business. The money was to enable him buy more stock, food preservation, processing and storage equipment such as friers and a fridge and a microwave which has improved the general service at the hotel. There has been a tremendous increase in the number of customers at the hotel due to the improvement in the quality of services offered in the past few months, which we all owe to GD transfers. I used some of the money to start my own clothing business so that I could bring more to our financial table and let my husband run the hotel business on his own. The remaining bit of the money was spent on foodstuff and baby stuff for my newborn.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
36800 KES ($367 USD)
access_time 5 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 now different in that I now have a sustainable income to support my family from the clothes business that I started with my first transfers. My family is now assured of something to eat everyday, especially with the nature of the inconsistent income that my husband has to face most months.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal is to add a second stall for a second hand clothes business, alongside this one that I currently have. I hope to own two or more stalls for second hand clothes in future so I can increase my income.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my most recent transfer to purchase a cow in my rural home in Migori County. The cow cost me 30000 KES. The cow will be reared in my rural home with the hope that it can procreate and produce more cattle or even milk for sale. I spent the remaining part of my transfers to pay for transport to my home and back and also to purchase food in my house. Currently, I run a clothes business here in Kosovo village in my neighborhood in Mathare. I used to own a restaurant here in Kosovo village, until the month of September last year, 2018, when one of the common fires in Mathare struck the structure where I ran the restaurant from, and it burned down. I lost everything. I have been in the house with nothing to do and no income for my family in the month of October as I counted my losses from the fire. It is in the month of November of the same year, 2018, that I was able to secure a stall and begin a second hand clothes business in Kosovo village, from the first transfers that I received from Give Directly. My clothes business is picking up well and I am able to provide the basic needs for my family. My husband does casual jobs, mainly construction jobs which can be hard to come-by. Most months he has no income or very little income. But this business has supported my family and I am happy I can get some income everyday.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($195 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I am planning to construct a permanent stall where I can comfortably sell the clothes to avoid the monthly payments on this rental stall which is very costly to enable me maximize my profits. I will also use some of the money to construct a semi-permanent house back at home because we currently don't have one which hinders us from visiting as frequent as we would wish to due to fear of inconveniencing our relatives.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since I lost my business, I had been living in sorrow because I was unable to raise the money to either revive my business or to start another one. The fact that my husband's jobs could not sustain our family only added more agony. Now that I have started another business, I am happier because my family is almost back to normal again. I have managed to pay our rent and I believe that soon, I will also be able to clear the debts that I took during that stressful period.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had a hotel in my area which I had been operating for the last one year, unfortunately, it caught fire a month ago and that is how I lost everything. I was forced to stay at home because I had no money to restart the business as I had lost all my equipment in the fire. When I received money from GD, I decided to use most of it to start a second-hand clothes business because the money was not enough to revive the hotel business which needed quite a huge capital. I spent the remaining amount on foodstuff because it had been a while before we had any decent meals due to lack of money as my husband also depends on casual jobs which are very irregular.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
All I did every day since I lost my business was to ask God to help me get back on my feet again and the moment I received the money, I knew He had done it. I was very grateful and immediately prayed to thank God for the miracle He had done to me through GD.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
She needs security for her products and have a kind of formal way of doing business. Buying a fridge would mean prevention methods of her products whereas creating employment.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is theft and crime because the area I live is highly known for this kind of activities and I feel uneasy since I have a family as well my business in the same location... I hope I can be in a better place in future.
What are your greatest ambitions?
I would want to get away from this poverty level and go beyond my imagination of which I know it's through doing what I can do best(running my small milk business) .
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
Normally I do my house chores and have humble time with my family then go for service of which I mingle with my friend from the church. I also play games on my phone.