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 > Leah's Profile
Leah's family
Leah
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
66
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Leah's next check-in.
 
23rd 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 any other plan at the moment other than paying accommodation fees for my child. Right now I am dedicated to ensuring my child is comfortable and studies without any interruption. My focus is to ensure school fees and rent is paid on time. She is my only hope and I have to put all my energy to ensure she does well in her studies.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Since I started receiving transfer from GiveDirectly, I have not been struggling to pay accommodation fee for my child in university. Before I wouldn't manage to pay her rent on time and this would bring issues with the landlord and I always feared she would be locked out. I used to get worried every time the month was almost coming to an end because since I don't have a stable job and besides school fees and buying food, paying rent was among my biggest headaches. I can't express the relief I got once I started to receive transfers from Give Directly. The peace of mind is immeasurable and I thank Give Directly for that.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I intend to start saving earnings from my business and sale of farm produce in order to spend on buying building materials for constructing a new house. I have been living in a shanty house for a long time now. I didn't have enough resources to put up a new house since I am the only breadwinner yet I don't have a stable job. Now that Give Directly has boosted me financially I can start a few projects that will assist me in reaching this goal.
 
18th 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 happiness as a mother is to always see my family have better access to their daily basic needs and provide them with a good environment to build their future. It had been so hard to meet all the basic needs in my family at once since I primarily depended on farming and grocery business. My life is currently different from how it was four months ago in that I feel empowered by Give Directly to provide for my family. I currently enjoy easy access to basic needs, I do less hard casual jobs hence I am engaged in my farm. This has that has improved our food production which has not only reduced our daily expenditure but has also made us have enough food unlike before. I am currently saving some money on a monthly basis that will help in future build meet other financial necessities arising. This my happiness since I would not have done if it was for GD.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am a farmer and I engage in short-season crop farming. In the next four months, I do not have a new goal for my life since I want to improve my farming. I prefer to improve farming since I can afford and have a piece of land to do it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I have children in various schools and colleges thus I have to work extra hard to meet their needs. I depend on farming and grocery business for a living. I had found it challenging to meet all the family needs more so my children's school fees since this was out of my control. I had lived a stressful life, especially whenever I delay sending my child monthly house rent. The biggest difference in my daily life is the peaceful minds that I currently have since with GiveDirectly monthly transfer I have been able to pay my child house rent on time. I am so happy my child has a safe and humble place to stay in and I am hopeful of good performance.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect to have bought some of the building materials. I currently live in one house with my family and it has been hard to build a better one due to the overwhelming family needs. I will be hopeful that my goal to have a decent house will be about to be realized.
 
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
I am a widow who majorly depends on farming to raise my family. With the adverse weather condition and ever-fluctuating prices of the farm products farming has not been such reliable but since I had no other source, I was left with it being my first option of the source of income. I had always lived with the stress of how I could always meet rising daily household needs, my children education fee and other financial necessities in my family. We consume our farm products and sell surplus milk to meet my children fee. Since I started receiving the monthly transfer from GiveDirectly, my life is currently different in that I have peace of mind, I easily access both household and personal basic needs more so I currently have security for financial needs especially my children fee that doesn't offer time to look for hence can borrow from friends so that I can settle later using my monthly transfers.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The new goal that I have for my life in the next four months is to go for a loan from any financial institution so that I can use it to build a new house. I currently live in an old, leaking roof house making our live uncomfortable hence build one will change our lives positively.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Since I lost my husband, I had struggle day in day out to feed and take care of my family. I primarily depend on farming and since it takes time to mature hence making my daily life hard. I have children in various schools and colleges and raising their fee is so challenging. I had been so stressed of my child in univewrsity monthly house rent but in the last four months, the biggest difference in my daily life is the efforts that monthly transfer from GIveDirectly has given me to pay for her rent on time. I have enjoyed a peaceful mind since I no longer get calls from her landlord where I always make pledges that I sometimes find it hard to fulfill. I am happy my child is safe and have a humble time in school to study.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
Although I will still have other financial needs to be taken care of, in the next six months I expect to have either collected expected building materials or I will have started the construction and this will be my happiness since the light of living a more decent spacious house will be seen.
 
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 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 from how it was four months ago since I am able to pay for my son's accommodation with a lot ease. I used to seriously struggle to support him since I was solely depending on casual work to earn a living. A situation that forced him to seek for an accommodation from his college mates. This really disturbed me because he could occasionally inform me how his friends were looking down upon him.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal in life for the next four months is to start a poultry farm. However, I think this set goal may not be accomplished soon because I will still be paying for my son's accommodation as he pursues his study.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
For the last four months preceding the current transfer from GiveDirectly, I have been able to rent a house for my son who has been studying in a college far away from home. Before I started receiving transfers he was forced to seek for an accommodation from his friends. This however, was not well received by his friends since it seemed like he was bothering them. I did not have a stable source of income then as I solely depended on casual work which was very inconsistent and of low pay. I thank God because he now has a place to spend his night and he can comfortably carry out his studies. This will greatly boost his academic performance.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I am planning to start poultry business in the next six months. I am therefore expecting my life to change positively because I am very optimistic that the business will grow and generate for me more income. This means that I will be able to provide food and pay school fee easily.
 
7th 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 currently is different since my child has never lacked her house rent.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The only goal I now have is to start a business.
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 happiness.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in that I will have started a business.
 
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 plan to start keeping chicken and livestock, I had not planned to start doing this because of lack of enough money
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I could be straining alot, I couldnt be able to comftable support my grandchild who is in college, I am also planning to start doing business when leg heals
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My life will have changed because i will getting more income, I will have started a business that will boost me.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am always happy,atleast I can now think of taking a loan, start doing business and bring development in my home
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship i have faced in life is when my husband became sick for long and he eventually died
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when i and my kids have eaten to our satisfaction and we are healthy
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
Am planning to grow my business with my transfer
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My biggest achievement which am proud of is that i have educated my child to a level where he is working as a teacher