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 > Sote's Profile
Sote's family
Sote
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Raising livestock
faceAge:
78
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
45000 KES
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?
My plan for this year and next year is to put a fence around my farm near the river that flows only during certain times of the year. When it rains, I'll plant maize so I can have plenty of food and won't have to sell my animals for food anymore. The tricky part about farming here is that we rely on rain, which can make it hard to grow crops. Goats are the only animals that do well because they can survive during dry seasons and multiply easily.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The first time I heard about Givedirectly at Koriema center, I didn't expect them to come here because we live in hilly areas with lots of rough terrain. I was really happy and thankful when they visited my home. I wanted to make them tea to show my gratitude for climbing over the hills to make sure we got the cash, but they politely declined. Thank you so much for giving me the cash without any conditions. My life has gotten better. As you keep doing your work, please advise people to use the money wisely.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I'm really happy and thankful for what Givedirectly did for me. With the money they gave me last time, I made my home safer by putting up a fence with barbed wire and metal wire. I needed this because hyenas kept coming in and attacking my goats. Before I got the money, they even killed four of them, which stressed me out because my goats are how I make money. Also, I used some of the money to pay £130 for my grandchild's school fees at Tenges secondary school. Usually, I sell my cows to pay for this. Lastly, I spent £140 on food. I used to sell goats to buy food and other things we need, but now I have 70 goats and 6 cows, so I'm keeping them and using the cash for our family of four, including me, my husband, and our two grandchildren.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
45000 KES ($295 USD)
access_time 12 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
In the coming year and beyond, my primary goal is to enhance the security and well-being of my goats by fencing their pen. To turn this aspiration into reality, I intend to allocate the funds received from my anticipated third transfer. I believe that achieving this objective will contribute significantly to the overall welfare of my goats, ensuring their safety and preventing potential threats. I eagerly anticipate the moment when I receive my third transfer to embark on this endeavor and enhance the conditions of my goat pen.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The compound sensitization meetings were conducted with a sense of equality, utmost respect, and an absence of bias, creating a positive and inclusive environment. Personally, I found no visible issues with the program's operations, leading me to believe that there are no areas requiring improvement. The overall experience has been commendable, and I appreciate the efforts of the program in fostering transparency and inclusivity.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband and I are now in our advanced age and with our children all grown, we find ourselves dependent on them and engaged in small-scale poultry keeping for our livelihood. As we are no longer able to work or tend to the farm, we are grateful for the support of our children. Upon receiving my transfer, my husband and I decided to invest it in fencing our land. This decision was aimed at providing us with better protection from wild animals and allowing us to rear goats without the fear of crop destruction. We used $200 for this purpose. Additionally, I purchased 2 sacks of maize for $65, and the remaining amount was wisely spent on essential food items such as sugar, milk, and cooking oil. The assurance of having enough food in our home brings us immense happiness, a positive change from the past, and for this, we are truly grateful.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($137 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I felt so happy the moment i received money from GiveDirectly. We have some network problems in our compound and it was not until my helper came to inform me that we had been sent money as promised by GiveDirectly. I felt happy that finally I was going to be able to build a better fence in my compound as i had always wanted to. I had not been able to raise enough money through other means as the cost of living was always on us. I felt happy that finally I was going to be able to accomplish all these things at once.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is that I am now a happier woman than i was before receiving the transfers. There are things I always wanted to do but since I relied entirely on goat keeping proceeds, it became quite hard for me to accomplish those things. I am now happy that I will be fencing my own compound with a wire contrary to the shrubs that I have always used. This will resolve the conflicts that have always risen because of these goats and has ultimately given me peace of mind.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used $64 to buy maize for consumption and another $76 was used to buy a chain link. The remaining amount of $60 was used to buy other fencing materials and food for the family. I now have peace of mind with my goats since they will be enclosed in one location once the fence is erected. I look forward to having more money from GiveDirectly and using the same to make further improvements in our compound and in our family.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 1 year ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Receiving the transfers means so much to me. This is because it will enable me put food on my table. At the moment my greatest challenge is a lack of food which has forced me to go hungry. With the transfers I plan to purchase food such as beans, maize and millet. I plan to use $200 of the transfers to accomplish this. This is suitable for me because I will have enough food for my grandchildren and myself. In addition to this, because of my old age livestock have been a big nuisance since I don't have the energy to fence my farm. With the transfers I plan to accomplish this by using about $500. This will give me a easy time since my farm and compound will be well enclosed. For the remaining transfers I plan to use it as a saving, which I will use for basic needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the past 6 months I have drawn my happiness from the rains that we received in the month of April. Since it has been 3 years since we got such heavy rains I was very happy. This gave me hope since water is an important commodity both for our domestic use and for our livestock.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The aspect that makes my life harder recently is the lack of food. This has been prompted by the prolonged droughts which has taken about 3 years. This has led to my inability to harvest crops from my farm since it dries up due to lack of water. This affects me a great deal because I'm forced to go hungry sometimes and also not have enough food whenever I manage to eat. This saddens me so much since I take care of my grandchildren and I hate to see them going hungry.