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 > Alfred's Profile
Alfred's family
Alfred
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
42
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Alfred's next check-in.
 
17th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
The transfers that I have received recently from GiveDirectly have been so helpful in enabling me to help my brother in paying his medical bills and in transport cost to and fro the hospital. The money has been of great help to me considering that I do not have any other reliable source of income and I always keep wondering what I would have done had I not been receiving the transfers.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal for my life in the next four months is to be able to help my ailing brother to cater for his medical expenses. He has been battling a condition that we are not sure of when he is going to be okay and out of the hospital. I have purposed to use all of my next transfers to help meet his medical bills although this may not be enough.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
There has not been any big difference in my daily life over the last four months. This is basically because almost all of my transfers have gone towards payment of hospital bill for my brother and other medical expenses.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
Currently, I owe many people debts which I borrowed while raising funds towards my brother's medication. I'm, therefore planning to save the coming transfers so that I can use them to refund the debts. In the next six months, I expect to have paid back most of the debts that I currently owe people and at least think about other new investments that will bring an improvement to my living standards.
 
15th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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The recipient was not asked any questions as part of this follow up.
 
11th 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?
I built a cowshed and plastering my house. I feel stress-free as I can pay school fees in time unlike before. I used to struggle to raise money to pay school fees because the income from casual work was too little to pay for every need in the house. I no longer go casual work to earn income for family as it was the case before the transfers. This was my main source of income and it was tedious and time-consuming yet very little income I could earn from the same. I am glad I no longer depend on it but can do it occasionally to handle a difficult situation.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I do not have any new goals at the moment.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
When I was visited for the first time with GiveDirectly, I knew I was going to be able to get money to buy building materials i.e Cement and sand to finish plastering my house. I had built a house but ran out of funds to finish plastering it but GD made my dream come true. I saved these transfers in a merry-go-round towards buying building materials to finish plastering my house. I am glad I have finished plastering my house and it looks strong and presentable as I had wished.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I would want to start up a barbershop. This will help me get a regular income to sustain my family needs. This is because casual work was not consistent and I ended up getting into more debts which I have paid with part of GD transfers, I would not want to go back to where I was back then.
 
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
I had a plan to put up my own home and build a permanent house. I tried getting a loan to help me build a permanent house and pay later but due to my low income, I was not successful and ended up building a mud-walled house. The first three months of these transfers, I bought sand and cement which I used to plaster my house. Even though it's not a permanent house I wanted but at least it's semi-permanent which makes me very happy. Secondly, due to my low income from farming, It has been a struggle to provide for the family and to pay school fees in time. My children are always sent home for school fees and every time they were sent home, I had to go to school to request the teachers to allow them back in school as I look for money to settle the balances. This has been very shameful for me and my family but that is a thing of the past. In as much as I have not been able to pay the whole amount, the major part of the balance has been settled and my children were not sent home during the last term of the year for the same. This is a big step in my life.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
Since I do not have any stable source of income and yet I have to provide for my family, I have always thought of starting a business to help sustain my family needs. After consultation with my wife, I have decided to start a hotel business in the next four months so that we can be economically engaged and find a stable source of income.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my life now is that I have a cowshed where I can keep my cattle safe from diseases and being rained on. In the past, I have always spent so much money on treating my cows because of the condition of where they used to spend. I do not always get enough money from farming because the little I harvest, I have to ensure it serves all my needs hence I was not able to build a cowshed for my cows. I have been at peace since I built this cowshed because the much I used to spend on treating cows, I have dedicated to other family needs which have really reduced my financial burden.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I want to ensure that school fees balance for my children both in primary and secondary school is paid in time so that I do away with the tradition of my children being sent home from school. I want them to study in peace because out of this, they will be able to pass their examinations unlike before when their performances were affected because they were on and off school for fees.
 
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I would want to start a business to help boost my income.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My cows are safe because I was able to build for them cowshed and there is a lot of improvement on our diet as a result of this transfer.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I would want to start up a business to help sustain my family financial needs.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I was afraid that my cows could be affected by the rains and could fall sick because of being exposed to too much rains but thanks to Give Directly, I was able to build cow shed in time before they were affected.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I've faced in my life is lack of a proper source of income that can rely on to raise my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning while working in my piece of land. This is because it gives me alot of hope that I will harvest some food that will sustain us in the near future.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfers on finishing my house that I had started building and also to pay school fee.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement I am proudest of is that I purchased a piece of land that I have built a house on. I now live in my own spacious compound with my family.