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 > Francis's Profile
Francis's family
Francis
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labour
faceAge:
39
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Francis's next check-in.
 
26th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal for the next four months is to continue to save in a merry go round group. I will receive the money I have been saving in a merry go round group. I will use it to buy a heifer. This is because I need to keep a dairy cow.
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 the farm that I leased. I am preparing the land so that I grow maize for household consumption and the surplus for sale. I have been farming on a very small and was not producing much maize for the household. I used to deplete in less than two months. I am glad that I will be having enough for my household once I harvest maize from the leased farm.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to have improved because I will be having an income from selling milk. I intend to buy a heifer so that I do away with the issue of having to buy milk for household consumption. I need a lot of milk which is expensive because I have young children. When I get the money that I have been saving in merry go round group, I will buy a mature heifer, after calving, I will have solved my household expenditure on milk and will have created a source of income.
 
24th 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 do not have a particular goal that I really look forward to accomplishing except to continue taking part in the merry go round that will help me accomplish much bigger plans in future that will benefit the family. I have my eyes set on buying a dairy cow hopefully within these four months and bring an end to the menace of having to go out each and everyday to buy milk for the family. This is an investment that will not only be helpful in providing a cheap source of protein to my family but also sell the surplus to meet other pressing family needs that may arise. Moreover, once the cow reproduces, the extra cows can be sold anytime to meet financial emergencies in case they arise.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life that has happened over the last four months is the completion of my newly built house. It was made possible through the merry go round contributions that we initiated in the village and over the last four months, I have been able to assemble the necessary resources and bring it to completion. I consider this as one of the greatest achievements made because of the transfers that we receive. I have also been able to hire a piece of land and I am in the process of putting the land under agriculture. This , I know will bring much more bigger differences in my life and that of my entire family.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect my life to change in that I shall be more empowered economically than I currently am. I expect that I shall have already bought the dairy cow that I have planned to buy as well as start a tea planting nursery with the sole aim of having a tea plantation in future. I look forward to actualizing my plans with the help of GiveDirectly transfers.
 
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different in that I now own a cow and and recently built a house. I joined a savings group immediately I started receiving transfers from Give Directly. When I had accumulated enough money I bought a cow. I was also able to buy building materials and built a bigger and decent house for my family. To me, these are very big developments that could have taken a long time if I only depended on casual jobs for a living.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal four the next four months is to lease a piece of land with an intention to extend my farming activities. I am planning to plant maize on a large scale. I currently live in a small piece of land which limits me from doing small scale farming. I know from this exercise, I will get a good harvest that if I sell will give me enough capital to start another income-generating activity.
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 no longer overwork myself as I used to do before. I had to work really hard in order to make enough money to meet my daily needs. This meant doing several casual jobs that paid very little. I am glad because I now have a backup plan. I only do casual jobs once in a while when I am pressed financially.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectation in the near future is to be self-sufficient in my farming activities. I want to reduce and finally do away with doing casual jobs in order to concentrate on my own farm. I want to ensure that I am able to comfortably meet my family's basic needs.
 
16th 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?
There is a really big difference that we have registered since we started receiving the transfers from GiveDirectly. We have done a lot with the money to improve our lifestyle. My children are now schooling well without being sent home every other time to collect school fees which have relieved us. We have also managed to purchase a heifer which we never had before. These two have seen our lives transformed from how it was and be way too better. We are still hopeful and full of plans that in the future before the end of the transfers we would have changed a lot of things in our household as far as development is a concern. There is really a big difference in that my children are now schooling well and I also have a heifer which I bought a month ago.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
Farming has always been the source of our household foods and income, the only investment we have afforded for long and which have given us a promising pay. As we go on receiving the transfer, we have decided to increase the size of our land under cultivation by leasing other new lands in the next four months. We hope to produce as much as we can to ensure sufficient food supply to our children and also to get the surplus to sell so that we may earn some income.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Give Directly has really brought a lot of changes in our daily life as a family. Some which we never imagined that they will ever come to exist in our family and some which we were sure that we would one day make them be. We have lived in a grass-thatched hut for a long time. it had reached a point when the roof was leaking profusely and we had to cover with polythene papers during rainy seasons which were also leaking since we never had anything new. Villagers at some point came to our rescue when they bought us four iron sheets. The iron sheets were enough to cover the leaking parts and we at least enjoy the long-lost warmth once again. Then it came to a problem of space since my elder children were growing older. We needed to separate them to their own sleeping room but that could not happen since we had a single house in our home. One of the elder girls had to go out at night to look for a place to sleep with the neighbor's daughters which were not safe but it was the only option. This situation changed when we received the transfers and constructed one large house with two rooms; one for the children and other for us. We have been sleeping well and we have great hopes that in the near future we will construct a separate house for our children as they grow older.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
With the plans that I have put in place, I hope to start cultivating on a wider piece of land in the next six months. This is a plan to boost our products which will help us in supplying enough foodstuff for the household and also in paying school fees with the surplus.
 
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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The recipient was not asked any questions as part of this follow up.
 
6th 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 is currently different because there is adequate food in my house and new projects like planning to built a house.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to buy a dairy cow from merry go round contributions.
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 these transfers have enabled me to buy iron sheets and ventured into poultry farming.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have added an extra piece of land and increased farming.
 
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 have a plan for building a house and move my family from the showy house in the swamp
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Right now i have plans that i know I will acheive again I am less worried in life, most of the time I am happy
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I would have bought enough Iron sheets and start building my house
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since I started receiving the transfers i have started buying materials for building my house.
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I face is that of making sure my family is well fed. Casual labour which is my main source of income is not a easy task, at times I fail to get work to do.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Morning hours is the happiest part of my day, it is at this time that I am with my family before leaving for work until late into the night.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer on paying school fees for my son and building a new house. I also intend to buy a cow after my son complete form four.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
Planting bananas on my a quarter of an acre piece of land which I have started harvesting and selling has greatly assisted me to meet my daily needs. I take this as my biggest achievement which I am proud of.