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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Enrollment
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Completed
Newsfeed > Jane's Profile
Jane's family
Jane
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
28
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Jane's next check-in.
 
23rd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to venture into farming in the next four months. This is because with the transfers received I am able to purchase hybrid seeds and fertilizer which will guarantee me a bumper harvest. With the harvest, I can sale and use the finances for household use.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference is that I have been able to pay back a loan that I had borrowed to build a kitchen with the transfers I received from Give directly. This kitchen acts as a bedroom for my children at night since our house is not big enough to accommodate all of us. This has seen my children enjoy freedom and privacy which they had longed for.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect to have started farming and I will have boosted my restaurant business which has been my cash cow for the longest time now. All businesses fail but it has stood the test of time. I will no longer suffer from the lack of money as I used to before the transfers that I was constantly in debt.
 
19th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
It used to live a hand to mouth type of life which was difficult because I couldn't cater to other necessities due to lack of a sustainable income. Currently, my life has improved as compared to how it was four months ago. I was able to boost my hotel business which has really boosted me financially. Through this business, I have been able to meet most of my family's needs without straining or borrowing from friends.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal for the next four months is to settle a loan that I had taken to build a kitchen with and as per now I am half done. I intend to take a bigger loan early next year that I will use on cementing my mud house into a semi-permanent one.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
When I started receiving the transfers from GiveDirectly.I joined a group of 10 members who are GiveDirectly's beneficiaries where we contribute to each other in turns in the form of table banking and borrow as well. I have made many differences but the greatest one in my daily life for the last four months is being a member of a vibrant group ready for the development. This has enabled me to build a kitchen where my elderly children can sleep in and cook as well with a lot of comforts.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectation for the next six months is to settle a loan that I had taken in a table banking to build my own kitchen because I am almost done. I have a plan to obtain a bigger loan and use it to cement my house into a semi-permanent one. When this project shall have actualized I will no longer incur expenses of smearing my house on a monthly basis.
 
15th 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 has really improved. Initially, I had a lot of loans and paying them back was becoming hectic and next to impossible. Thanks to GD, I have been able to clear my loans and the ones remaining are manageable.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next four months, once I have finished paying Mkulima loan, I am looking forward to expanding my restaurant that is my main source of income.
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 it has helped me service a loan that I borrowed from my merry-go-round group to build a kitchen.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to finish building my kitchen and even plaster both the walls and the floors. Besides that, I am looking forward to boosting my restaurant business to enhance more income.
 
12th 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?
Because GD transfers allowed me to join a local farming group,I was able to harvest much more than I ever had, meaning that I have food security even during this famine season.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal right now is to clear the loan that I have with the Farming Organization so that I can be able to enjoy all the services they offer. This will also give me the freedom to save some of these transfers so that I can boost my business by adding more stock.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
As a farmer, I am a member of a farming organization that usually provides us with farm inputs such as fertilizers and seeds on loan that we can pay over a certain period of time. Lately, I don't have to struggle to raise the money to pay the farming organization because the transfers help me in doing that. I am less stressed than I was before of how to raise the money to repay the loan.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
After clearing the loan I have with the farming organization, I would like to save some of these transfers to enable me expand my hotel business. I am currently not able to prepare enough food for my customers because of the little stock I usually buy due. This is because everyday,I take some money out of the profitss I make to to take care of loan payments and other household requirements which cannot allow my business to grow.
 
7th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is different because I now have enough food for the family in addition to being able to offset my financial debts in an easy manner.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am still planning to offset the one acre fund debts so that come next year they will give me more seedlings that I will use for the new planting season and eventually get a bumper harvest at the end of the season.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
This money has helped me in offsetting my debts that have been quite difficult to pay off in the past. It has also enabled me to farm appropriately hence being able to get enough food for the family.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I believe my life will change because I will be free from the debts and the family's food stock shall have also increased. Part of the cash will also help in increasing the stock of my small scale business.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
455 KES ($5 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My new goal is to save these transfers or to take a loan from my women group so that I can open a boutique next to my hotel. This will be a source of more income for me.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life currently different in that I am less stressed certain monetary issues because I can comfortably take a loan because I know that at the end of the month,I will receive money from Give Directly to repay. There is more peace in the house because we are all independent and no one has to depend on the other.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months I expect to have opened my boutique,plastered my house and bought a water tank. All these mean more comfort and more money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving payments from Give Directly is that I am able to buy personal items and other household items on my own without having to ask for money from my husband.I love the feeling of being independent.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in my life was the period when my husband and I were all jobless and we could hardly afford enough cash to keep us going. During that period, my husband became so ill for a period of two years.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is in the evening when I come back home knowing that I made profit from my business. The profit generated from the business helps me in buying food for my family, repaying my loans and also paying school fees for my brother
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to get a loan of around twenty five thousand shillings which I will use to construct a small kitchen. The monthly transfers from give directly is what I will be using to repay the loan.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My proudest achievement is that when I got married I managed to get a job as a house help where I worked for a period of three years. During that period I saved enough cash that enabled me to buy a piece of land where I built my own house.