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 > Paul's Profile
Paul's family
Paul
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
45
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($493 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Looking at the great furniture, the brand new sleeping material warm enough to give me a comfortable sleep all night would not have been in existence in my household were it not for the transfer I received. The money made a great impact, and everything seems different from the farm to our homestead.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, all that GiveDirectly did in our village was amazing, the approach was outstanding as everyone was given a chance to respond to the questions asked directly by the visiting officer without the influence of other village members. This gave each one time to interact and get to ask for any clarification concerning the project. It is my feeling that even in other villages, guides should not accompany them from one house to the other as some may ruin other households' chances of receiving the transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving the second transfer, I spent 30000KES on livestock. I managed to secure a good breed of cow currently providing us with enough milk for our home use. With the other 20000KES, I divided it into two and paid school fees for my daughter and son both in secondary schools. I also managed to stock some foodstuff and clothing for my children with the remaining 2000KES. It was a great blessing to receive the transfer as we now have pride in the livestock we bought. This will forever keep GiveDirectly in our mind as it is a constant reminder in every new day.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($502 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was lunchtime and I was at home with my family taking lunch when I heard an SMS alert on my phone. I stopped to check and I could not believe what I saw. It was an M-Pesa SMS saying that we had received the lump sum transfer of 55000/= from GiveDirectly. I was so happy to see this and I immediately informed my family of the good news. They were so happy to hear this and we celebrated together, we even forgot that we were having lunch.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
This transfer has brought a big difference in our lives as a family. I have been able to buy the cow that we have always desired. The cow is an exotic breed type and it is about to reproduce. I am hence assured that when it reproduces, we will be able to get enough supply of milk that will be enough for us to consume and for supplying to the school that my children are studying. The milk that we will supply will hence serve as a school fee payment for our children. Having paid school fees with part of the transfer, I am now happy and I no longer have stress about where I am going to get the money to pay the fees. The food that we bought with part of the transfer, will enable us to have something that we can eat for quite some time, we will hence not be having any worries about that. Our children are also happy after we bought them new clothes. They are also happy that they have something to eat. Thank you GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
This transfer from GiveDirectly has been of great help to me. I was able to buy a cow with part of the money. I also bought food that is 3 bags of maize, 2 bags of rice, and a bundle of home baking flour. I was also able to pay school fees for my children and with the rest of the remaining amount, I used it in buying clothes for ourselves and the children. I have always wanted to buy a cow that produces more milk because the ones that we have are indigenous and they usually stop lactating at 5 months after reproduction. We hence usually lack milk for our consumption and we are forced to buy it. The cost of buying milk in our area is too high, we usually buy at 35/= per litre. As much as we have always wanted to buy another cow, we have not been in a position to do so. We depend on farming and the maize and beans that we at times harvest, we usually take it to school as a form of paying school fees for our children. We, therefore, thank GiveDirectly because they have enabled us to achieve what we have always wanted.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
We have 3 children in secondary school and the burden of paying school fees is heavy on us. I do small scale farming here a home and the little produce we get goes to homehold consumption and sell to pay our children school fees which is never enough most of the time.so we are going to relieve ourself from this burden of paying school fees.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of the day is when I am at the market, when my customers come to buy from me.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I had a bad motorbike accident last year April and I was not able to perform my day duties and support my family as a father. My life took another form, we sold the cattle that I was meant for the cattle business I was running before the accident so that we could settle the hospital bill of sh 15,000. My friends had to go to help me out through a fundraising event.