GiveDirectly: Send money directly to the extreme poor

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

Transfers

Completed

to follow someone and stay updated on their journey with GiveDirectly.

Want to hear more updates from recipients? Click below to follow 10!

Follow 10

Newsfeed > Gilbert's Profile

Gilbert

Country:

kenya

Occupation:

Subsistence farming

Age:

Campaign

Kenya Standard Remote

Upcoming Stage

Next Payment

Follow to be updated on Gilbert's next check-in.

Initial Payment

Transfer Amount

55000 KES ($502 USD)

3 months ago

Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?

I was very excited and I called my wife to come celebrate with me. We were thankful knowing that our lives were going to change.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.

My chicken used to stay in the kitchen and every morning when my children were preparing for school, the chicken would go out too early and they could be eaten by stray dogs. My children also can now dress decently unlike before.

What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?

I spent the transfer to bulid a chicken coup, bought maize and bought clothes for my children. I also bought more chicken to rear for commercial use.

Enrolled

5 months ago

What does receiving this money mean to you?

I have been yearning to keep a large number of poultry for commercial purposes through production of meat and eggs. This will act as a reliable source of substantial income for my family because the unfavorable weather conditions (semi-arid) in our area cannot affect them compared to crop farming that I am currently doing. Hence, receiving this money means that such a dream will materialize.

What is the happiest part of your day?

The happiest part of my day is in the morning when we wake up as a happy and healthy family. This is a sign of a fruitful day because we shall have significant energy and motivation to handle our farming activities.

What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?

I am practicing food crop farming in a semi-arid area. Since I cannot afford to irrigate my farms due to financial constraints, I normally realize low yields that are hardly enough for my family's use. Unfortunately, I have been forced to continue with the same practice because I am a farming enthusiast. Hence, the biggest hardship I have faced in life is practicing crop farming in an area with unfavorable weather conditions.