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
attach_money
 
Transfers
check
Completed
Newsfeed > Pauline's Profile
Pauline's family
Pauline
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
63
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($469 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
check
 
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I don't have any new goals at the moment. I am still struggling with the payment of school fees for my son who is still in secondary school. Getting money for paying his school fees is quite a challenge since I am getting old and I do not have a stable source of income. I would have wished to start a small business that would help me in getting some income but I do not have the capital to start it. I was able to pay school fees for my son with part of the transfer that I got from GiveDirectly. I however still have to look for more money since he has not finished his studies. I, therefore, plan to organize a fundraiser to raise money for paying for his fees.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well because they uplifted my life. I was so down, I didn't have a proper house to live in and money for paying for my son's tuition. They came to my rescue and my village mates. I now live in a good house that is spacious and modern. My son was able to study well in the past two terms of the school calendar. My village members' lives also changed for the better since the people were able to make many developments such as building new houses and buying livestock. We are hence so much happy and grateful. I however would like to kindly request them to consider topping up the amount that they give out because we still have a lot of challenges facing us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my second transfer money on building another kitchen house. The kitchen house that I had, had grown old and it was grass-thatched. I decided to build another because getting grass for roofing had started to become a challenge. This is because the population has grown and the land sizes have become small. The little pieces of land that the people have most of them use in grazing their cows. I had used to first transfer on constructing the main house, I hence decided to build the kitchen house with the second transfer so that they could all look good and modern. I also wanted more space because the guests that usually visit me, most of them usually lack a proper place to spend the night. With having built the houses, I am happy and less stressed because I no longer have to worry about where to get money to do so. I am therefore so much grateful to GiveDirectly for the support.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($500 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9 am when I was enjoying a cup of tea, the weather was not conducive that day hence I was indoors. My helper came visiting me bearing the good news that the transfers were out, this was the happiest moment in my life, I immediately reached out to my phone so that my helper would check, upon checking the phone he confirmed to me that the money was already in my Mpesa account, I was overwhelmed with happiness, I was now Certain that my dream of building a house would be realised. I am grateful for the unconditional transfer that changed our lives.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have been able to construct a decent house, unlike before where I was living in a grass thatched house and I could not afford an iron sheet- roofed house due to my unreliable source of income, I am grateful and happy that I have been able to realize my dream in a short period, secondly, school fees have been my major worry, but I am glad that all this were sorted with the transfer that I had received, I am grateful that the transfer that transformed our lives. My family and I will forever be grateful for the support that came to our rescue in a time of need.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Imagine living in a grass-thatched house that the position of the bed is determined by the rain, the house which I am living in has a leaking roof,l am a mother of 11 children with grandchildren. The transfer came to our lives as a blessing, I had children in school who were sent home to collect school fees but I had no money at that time, luckily the transfer came and I was able to pay a sum of KES 20,000 to clear the arrears. I then used KES 30,000 in building a spacious house for my children, I then used the remaining portion in buying foodstuffs.GiveDirectly came to our rescue in times of need and we are thankful.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have an old hut with which I have lived for the last 30 years. I have sacrificed with this single house for so long so that my children could go to school. With receiving this money, it is a fulfilled hope that I am going to build a new house. Leaking roof and cold nights will become a story of the past, thanks to GiveDirectly. I anticipate my new house to cost $300 from my first transfer.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have a small beans and sugarcane garden that I cultivate for the better part of everyday. Sometimes, my neighbors from the village come to buy from the garden. This small income contributes to my daily bread, which makes me very happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
When you 4 have children in secondary school and colleges without any formal employment, you will often have to choose between living a comfortable life and sacrificing your assets for the children. For the past 30 years, I have lived in an indecent house and sold my livestock to trade comfort with the education of my children. Leaking roof and bracing cold nights has been my way of life for that long. Unfortunately still, all of them have not secured any employment so as to improve my living standards. My biggest worry is that I may not live to enjoy a dignified old age due to poverty.