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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 > Charles's Profile
Charles's family
Charles
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labour
faceAge:
64
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($521 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?
The biggest difference in my life if I could not have received the transfer is that I could still be hiring people's cow to till my land or even using my own hand, since I could not have managed to buy the cows that I bought using give directly's money. My house also could still be in a very bad state because of lack of money.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
My opinion give directly did very well by using empesa as a way of sending the transfer directly to us, instead of using other people to deliver the money to us, since it could have really involved corruption. They also did very well by training people before doing enrolment to make people understand what they were doing. I did not see what give directly did not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent most of the transfer to buy two cows for cultivating my farm. I thought of buying cows because I have been having difficulty when it comes to plough season because I have to wait for other people to complete tilling there land before I could hire them to till my land and sometimes getting money to pay for hiring their cows also becomes a big challenge. This normally leads to late caltivation resulting to poor harvest. Since I bought my cow I am able to till my farm in time and get enough produce. I also no longer spend money to hire people's cow to work on my farm as I used to do before. This has also becomes my source of income because I do plough for people their farm using my ox plough and get money for my up keep. I also spent the transfer to buy cushions since I bought furniture but I did not buy cushions being that I do not have money to spend. The seat was not comfortable at all so that I could not wish my visitors to sit on I am glad I managed to buy cushions and now have a very comfortable furniture to sit on.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($547 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
There is a big difference in my life compared to the past. I am now able to be in possession of properties that no body could think of. My dignity and self worth which was eroded in the society was redeemed, and now I have livestock to rear and this will help me in future.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I felt good and happy because of my poverty state which has been reduced through the fund given. I am the kind of individual whom the villagers knew that could own nothing in life, and I thank GiveDirectly because it rescued my worth and dignity in the society. People only knew me as the person who could think of drinking alcohol with any single cent landed in my hand and now they have been surprised after witnessed how I spent my transfer wisely.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my first transfer on buying two bullocks, building materials for renovation of my house mattress, four plastic chairs and a blanket. I have been spending a lot of money on farming, and sometimes I failed to plant my crops very late due to late ploughing, this could result to poor harvest hence food insecurity in the family. My house was in pathetic condition for human living.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 6 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will be able to build a new home. My wife left me because I was not having any money to build her a descent house. I will therefore use the transfer to buy cows and take her parents for dowry and initiate the process of building my own home. Staying in my brothers homestead is seen in our culture as failure and members of society look at me as cultural failure. I am very happy that at long last I am going to be able to repair unite with my wife and build a new home.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of they is usually late morning because I spend most of the nights sleeping in the cold on old rags and my walls have openings that makes the cold weather outside to penetrate. It is the morning sun that brings me warmth and I am able to talk to neighbors at times even able to find a friendly neighbor accepting to share their morning tea with me.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced is that I work very long hours to meet the target in the farms because I am old and my work rate is slow. Sometimes I spend two days working on a job that would take young strong men just few hours. I end up many times going without meals because of lack of money either because I did not meet the target of the farm owners or promised pay for the following day.