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.
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Newsfeed > Richard's Profile
Richard's family
Richard
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
47
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
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Follow to be updated on Richard's next check-in.
 
23rd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I don't have any new goal at the moment since I want to concentrate more on improving my tomato farming. I have a feeling that once I deviate my attention I might end up not maximizing the profits from my tomato investment. I might even end up losing all the money since tomatoes are very delicate and require full attention
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months is that I have been able to invest more in my farm. Since I am a tomato farmer, I decided to increase the acreage of land under this crop. I also increased the inputs that are necessary for this plant to do well. I have also improved my farming techniques and I believe I will get better returns this season. I attribute all this to Give Directly because I couldn't afford to achieve all that without their help
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectation is that my living standards will improve. I believe my income sources will have increased especially from my tomato farming. From the sale of the tomatoes, I can expand and invest in other potential income-generating activities. It is always safe to face life with more than one source of income. I know this is where am headed and within six months I will have made progressive moves
 
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal for my life for the next four months is to plant other crops such as vegetables to boost income. I normally focus on the main cash crops such as maize. I thought of doing something different this time round by adding a few kale and onions to my farm. I realized that they are also on high demand and few people plant them on a large scale. I already found a market for my vegetables in the nearby school. This will add me more income which will help complete a few projects I had started a few months ago
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer is that I was able to earn good money from my potato farm. This has given me peace of mind because finally, I could now realize my long term goal of purchasing a dairy cow. I only had one. I thought by adding another one, I will be able to earn more from the sale of milk. Apart from that, cows are the best investment, adding more cows means increasing my assets which is an added advantage altogether
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in the next six months in that I will have more milk from the additional cow both for household consumption as well as sell the surplus. Apart from that, I will also get more income from the additional crops and vegetables that I planted this season. I already have a plan of what to do with the additional income I will get from these projects. With all these plans definitely my life will not be the same.
 
15th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is different from how it was before I started receiving the transfers in that I am more optimistic and happy in life. I now have a tea nursery with tea seedlings ready for planting. This has been my dream for a very long time because of its numerous benefits. Since I always had limited resources, I kept postponing this dream. Give Directly helped me achieve this dream and I can't thank them enough. I feel like I was stuck and now I am progressing in life.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal as of now is to add more tea seedlings by preparing a tea nursery. I have an Idle piece of land that I plan to clear and prepare it for the tea nursery. I want to add more tea plantation because of the long term benefits. With the profits from this project, I can achieve my long term goals such as building a house and schooling my children without taking loans or selling any of my assets.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have been able to improve my farm produce. I was able to save my monthly transfers for a while which enabled me to buy farm inputs that I could not have bought initially due to my meager earnings. I learned that with farming, however hard you work and don't protect your crops with the necessary herbicides and pesticides, one may end up reaping nothing. I was careful to regularly spray the vegetables to reduce the risk of loss from worms. I want to thank Give Directly for enabling me to achieve all these. I have to confess that life will never be the same after that bountiful harvest. I will grow and achieve all my other goals through the produce I got from the last harvest.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectation in the near future is to have an improved financially status so that I can be able to meet most of my family's needs. I always feel bad when my family lacks something because I can't provide probably due to my financial instability. I am the provider and failing my family makes me a loser. It is not fun to be one, therefore my next goal will be to invest deeply to ensure I am financially stable.
 
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, I am a happy farmer because after receiving transfers I have managed to increase my farm produces. This came into reality because before I could not afford pesticides due to lack of money. But GiveDirectly transfer enables me to buy all the required pesticides for my farming. I am currently getting better harvest that fetches a good price at the market because they are of good quality.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I have a plan of buying a dairy cow in the next four months. Through the savings, I have from table banking and some of my income from the subsistence farming I will be able to save enough money to purchase it. This will assist me to pay school fees for my children and meet family needs.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my life since I started receiving these transfers is that now I am able to purchase pesticides. I am a farmer planting tomatoes and cabbages for sale. Before the transfers, I used to grow half an acre tomatoes but I lacked enough money to buy pesticides thus my yields were very low. This was because they were severely affected by diseases or insects. Now, I am a happy farmer because I can afford the pesticides and my yields have increased from that time onwards
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect to increase my farming land to a hectare. Savings from the current farm produce and the transfers will enable me to achieve my plans. Because of the good income that I will be getting from the increased farming activities, I will be able to cater for my family easily.
 
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life currently is different since I have been able to buy a cow.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The new goals I now have is to plant tea in a seed nursery.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is happiness since my farming practices have improved.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in that I will have planted some tea seeds in a nursery.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 6 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 buy a heifer from sale of cabbages in three months time of which I will buy the seeds with these first transfer so that milk production is sustainable.I also intend to pay school fees on time with these transfers. In case of hunger these transfer will help reduce hunger.I will also to acquire new clothes which will improve overall cleanliness with these transfers.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different because I do not struggle anymore to get funds for buying seeds and fertilizer for my farm and pay school fees.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my family's clothing and general cleanliness to have improved in the next six months. I also expect to have cleared school fees and bought a heifer by the end of six months.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I will never be broke because I have started to budget my finances with the coming of these transfers and am certain that I will rise from zero to a hero.These transfer also has helped reduced stress and increased happiness in my family and community as a whole.
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I ever faced in my life is when two of my children were joining secondary school, I didn't have enough money for their school fees. I had to sell only dairy cow to pay for them. From then we've never had milk in our family
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon when I am done with my farming and I am able to relax. This is the only free time I have to take bath and take a Nap
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to use my transfer to expand my cabbage farm and start farming tomatoes, I am also planning to start business-open a small shop within my compound.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
There a season in 2015 when I had planted cabbages and coincidentally we experienced a long drought in our village which made my cabbages highly demanded, people were coming form far to come and buy it. I got enough money to build my house and feed my family for the whole year