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 > David's Profile
David's family
David
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
47
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($467 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The new goal that I did not had was planting. I expected to plant much later. This is because I didn't had the money to buy a seeds and fertilizers. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I decided meet all that. I am so happy because I planted at the right season and I expect to get a good harvest this season.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better house and to buy dairy cows. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well .
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 15,000 to pay school fees for my two children in secondary school. This was my main concern because they used to be sent home to collect the school fees and this was affecting their performance in school. I am so grateful for the support because they are now studying well without being disturbed. I hope to see them performing much better compared to previous results. I used KES 10,000 to plough my farm ready for planting. Later I bought seeds and fertilizers and did the planting. I hope to get good harvest this season because I planted at the right time. They rest of the money I spent on food, clothes and other household items. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly changed our living standards.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($496 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was out to my neighbor's house when I received a notification and on reading to confirm its content I realized that it was the transfer I had been anticipating from GiveDirectly. My wife wasn't home too as she had moved out to the farm to check on the growth progress of our crops. I had to call her and share the good news as we had been expecting it together. We both agreed to meet at home where we celebrated, thanked God, and affirmed the initial plans we had.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Complete construction of a new house is the biggest difference in my daily life. I had been struggling to figure out how this could have been possible amidst the huge payment of school fees for my six children - three in primary school and also three in secondary school and could not see it happening before. The old hut that we had been living in was already small, and with the new one, we are enjoying an extra space enough for my whole family.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving my first transfer, I was excited that I would finally be able to complete all the projects I had in mind. I had been living in an old house that was the main house acting both as a living room and a kitchen. I had to demolish it and put up a new and spacious one that I spent approximately KES30000 after buying 24 iron sheets, building poles, nails, and also paying the labor charges. With the remaining amount. I obtained foodstuff for the household worth KES2400, clothing for my children who needed a new pair each and had to spend a total of KES3000, and finally obtained new utensils since I needed to get rid of the old ones in my kitchen. I am glad to have managed all these changes within a very short period, and I thank God for this.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
For the past 3 years my family has not lived or slept soundly due to the poor roofing in our house. It's small and we all have to share sleeping space including our 6 children. The hut is grass thutched and it pours inside whenever there's rain. When we have guests it's not easy to entertain them inside because the grass falls on them. Receiving this money will mean better shelter for my family and we'll build a bigger house worth KES 35,000. Since all our children are in school, the remaining amount will aid in paying school fees for them, buy food and a dairy cow.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning, I get to wake up healthy, go to work and look for jobs to provide my family with food and take my children to school.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I face is food security. I work as a casual labourer doing odd jobs from farm work to working in schools as a volunteer. Each month I barely put food on the table because the income I get amounts to KES 4,000. I can't sustain my family's needs such as buying food, better shelter or paying school fees.