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 > Evans's Profile
Evans's family
Evans
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Other
workCampaign
Kenya Basic Income
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Evans's next check-in.
 
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 4 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Due to my epileptic condition necessitating monthly visits to the doctor for treatment, my objective is to remain dedicated to my medication process. My hope is for my health to stabilize as I continue to benefit from the program. Currently, my parents face financial challenges, compounded by the responsibilities of supporting our large family. I am grateful that obtaining treatment is no longer a struggle, thanks to the assured transfers that enable me to cover my medical expenses. My new aspiration is to pursue specialized treatment, a possibility now achievable through consistent monthly support. Despite the challenges I've faced, I am pleased to be in a position where I can manage and meet my medical needs.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Before being enrolled in the program, I was in great distress due to my inability to afford my medication, as I have struggled with epilepsy for many years. This condition prevented me from joining school because of frequent seizures and attacks. GiveDirectly has provided crucial support, enabling me to access specialized medical care and treatment through monthly transfers. As my parents are subsistence farmers and my father sometimes does menial jobs to support the family, the transfers have had a significant impact on my life. The support I have received has been instrumental in helping me manage the challenges associated with this condition, and the specialized medical care and treatment I can now access are essential for my well-being. I can now afford monthly treatment, including frequent checkups. The monthly transfers have made it possible for me to spend almost $20 on medicines. The ability to afford monthly treatment, including frequent checkups, has significantly improved the quality of life. I spent the remaining amount on buying foodstuffs, new clothes for myself, and some household items that I lacked.
 
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($24 USD)
access_time 8 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Unfortunately, I had to drop out of school when I was in grade two due to the frequent epilepsy episodes that disrupted my studies. It was only three years ago that my parents, especially my father, started purchasing consistent medication to manage my condition. However, his limited income made it challenging to provide me with daily medication. I'm grateful to GiveDirectly for bringing the cash transfers, which have ensured that I receive my medication every day. Although it might be too late for me to return to school, and I'm not confident about my ability to concentrate in a classroom setting, I have other plans to develop myself. I aim to do so through livestock rearing, and accumulating wealth that can help cover the costs of my medication and other needs even after the transfers come to an end. I already have one goat and a hen that I acquired through previous transfers, and my goal is to continue expanding my herd.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
As the primary provider for our family, my father's livelihood revolves around buying and selling beef meat. However, the weight of his responsibilities, including caring for my siblings in school, my mother, and myself, often means that his earnings barely cover our basic food costs. Additionally, my health condition, epilepsy, requires a monthly refill of medication, which could be financially challenging given my father's income. This situation changed when I started receiving the cash transfers. Recently, I used $20 to purchase a month's worth of medication. I allocated the remaining amount towards buying food, and I even treated myself to some indulgent items like fruits and milk which were luxuries I could not afford before the transfers. I must say that my health has significantly improved thanks to the cash transfers. While I used to experience epilepsy episodes every three days before, I can now go even a month without an episode. These transfers have allowed me to live and enjoy time with my family without constantly worrying about my parent's ability to afford my medication.
 
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($25 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My goal now is to seek specialised medical services that can help me overcome my epileptic condition that has persisted for years. I am even afraid of engaging myself in some beneficial activities because of this condition. My parents were unable to meet the expenses for the frequent check-ups but ever since I began receiving the money, I have been treated well and on time, and my prayer is that before the project comes to an end, I will have recovered.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have been suffering from epilepsy for years and my biggest challenge is that it's medication is expensive, I could not afford at my own cost. I had to drop out of school because it was worsening, and my parents were not in a good position financially to help me seek specialised medical services. When I began receiving the transfers, I was able to seek medication and I have been treated well since I can now pay for the medical expenses with ease. I also spent a portion of my recent transfers on buying chicken feeds for my poultry project that I am currently engaging in. This is also a source of income to me because once the chicken matures and multiply, I will be able to sell them thus getting some money. I will be in a position to take care of my needs as well as the medications. Lastly, I did some shopping on foodstuffs such as maize flour which could last for some weeks. Taking three meals a day was no longer a challenge to me and my siblings, since food is available in plenty.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($28 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Giving monthly cash transfers to every household, in my opinion, is Give Directly's best work. With the money, I can finally afford my monthly medicine. More importantly, my family eats more regularly than previously, and our well-being is improving as a result of the cash transfers. Am so profoundly grateful that nothing about the way the organization operates seems off to me.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Being the main provider of the family, my father buys and sells beef meat for a living. Due to the heavy burden of responsibility, he shoulders, sometimes what he makes hardly covers food costs. Besides, my health condition requires a monthly refill of medicine, which is hard to afford through his income. This changed when I received the transfer for I spent $4 to buy a month-worth medication. Since it was also the festive season, I spent $10 on a pair of trousers to wear on New Year's day. $9 was used to buy a hen. The idea is to let it multiply, increase the flock, and grant me a reliable source of income in the future so that I can support my father. Lastly, I saved the rest aiming to buy a pair of scandals since my current shoes are torn.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($28 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, my father, who is my helper, told me that I had received my transfer. I was taking a break from the sweltering sun under the cover of a tree. When I learned the good news about the transfer, I grinned ear to ear. I excitedly jumped up and down and gave my father a hug. I was relieved that the money would significantly assist my family during that trying time financially.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The money from the transfer has significantly improved my life by enabling me to buy medication that aids in the management of my medical condition. I was without drugs for more than two weeks, and my father was unable to get more because he lacked the funds. I'm relieved that my epileptic condition is under control thanks to the medications I purchased with the money from the transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have epilepsy, which makes my health situation very bad. I need prescription medications to keep my condition under control because without them, I would experience a series of convulsions. The biggest barrier to me working and making money is my health, so I am completely dependent on my parents for financial support. My father, who is the family's main provider of income, makes a living doing a variety of odd jobs like selling charcoal, building houses, and hawking snacks along the highway. I was overjoyed to receive my transfer so I spent $5 on medicine to manage my condition. I also spent an additional $11 on three hens and animal feed. This will allow me to engage in poultry farming, which will also serve as a revenue stream once I start selling the hens and eggs. Finally, I used the remaining $18 to purchase food. Due to his inability to secure a job for the entire week, my father was in a financial bind and struggled to feed the family. The financial assistance ensured that my family never went to bed hungry.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been surviving on anticonvulsant medication ever since I was born. This has drained my parents' money and I sometimes fail to take the medication as desired when they can not afford to purchase them. With the monthly transfers from GiveDirectly, I am so happy that I will be able to consistently get my medication and a good diet so that my condition gets stabilized.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In March, my father had a job vending meat where he was able to get money. This income directly helped me because I could get proper medication and a good diet during that month. Hence, I consider this as what has brought joy to my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Living with epilepsy is very disastrous since at any time the condition can worsen. Considering that my father is jobless and he is the only hope for me, I sometimes fail to take my anticonvulsant medication. This has made my condition not stabilizing and I am always under stress. Therefore, I consider the lack of money as the main challenge that I am currently facing.