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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Completed
Newsfeed > Mercy's Profile
Mercy's family
Mercy
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
30
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Mercy's next check-in.
 
26th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($21 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal is to build a house for my children. My sons are now grown up. I am not descent anymore continue to share a room. I will use the money to buy building materials for them.
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 savings that I keep in a merry go round group. I used the money on paying school fees for my child in a secondary school. I would have had a huge difficulty in paying school fees since I rely on menial jobs for any money to use. Being that the merry go round pooled money from my neighbors, I am currently returning the amount I received but with joy because I secured my child's education.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I will have completed the merry go round that I have been taking part in. When this is complete, I plan to join another round of pooling money with my neighbors so that I can use it on school fees for next year and to complete building a house for my sons.
 
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 a goal in the next four months. I want to diligently contribute my monthly transfer so that other members of my group who had played a major role in contributing to my previous savings. I have to return the favour so that my fellow members can also achieve their dreams like me. If feels good when we grow as a community. I believe all this is happening because everyone in our community benefited from the transfers
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
A few months ago, I saved of the transfers I received from Give Directly through merry-go-round. I spent the whole amount to which I got from savings to buy building materials with an intention to build a permanent house since the one I was living in was in a bad condition. Now I am halfway through the construction process and am happy with the progress I have de so far. The house which I had was a grass-thatched one that was not spacious enough to accommodate my family. I will now have a separate living room since I will make this old house my kitchen. Nobody knows what this intervention means to me. May God bless this organization abundantly
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I will have built another house for my children. I have three boys and soon they will undergo the rite of passage and after initiation they would have their own house. According to our culture, it is not appropriate to sleep under the same roof with children who have passed through the rite of passage. I will also feel good because they will now have enough space to even read and will never undergo the shame of being kicked out by neighbours when they seek a place to sleep.
 
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
Receiving the free cash transfer from GiveDirectly really opened up our mind into seeing new opportunities in life. Every idea which we had been thinking became viable and we manage to see some came to reality. After the first few months, I joined a Merry-go-round with10 members who came together to contribute to every individual in turns a fixed amount of 1000 KES per head. This has enabled us to start a lot of projects. In the next four months, I will be receiving my turn and now I have a new goal to construct a new house for my children. They are currently growing older and they need more space both for their evening studies and also where they can sleep every night.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Paying school fees has been the toughest role in our household as a parent. For a long time now, I have been working on casual labor as well as my farms for long hours just to see my children settle and study in school without being sent home to collect their school fees. Although the hard work has been outspoken, the pay I was getting was never enough for all my three children. Currently, a lot has changed since I have been receiving a consistent monthly transfer from five directly. In the last four months, I have been able to clear all the school fees in time which has given me joy and peace of mind. This to me is the biggest difference in my daily life since my children are now settled in School, studying without any disturbance.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, it is my expectation that I will have completed the new house I am planning to construct and my children will be enjoying the comfort of a free space where they can comfortably study in and later their sleeping place too.
 
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?
When we started receiving the transfers, I started saving some part of the monthly transfer in a merry go round. When I had a good amount, I was able to build a bigger house for us. Initially, we only had one house which acted as both a kitchen and bedroom and I was getting worried each passing day since my sons are growing up and were already getting uncomfortable sleeping on the same house with us. I am glad that right now, we have two houses that accommodate us well and my children have their privacy.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal in the next four months is to buy a dairy cow for rearing. Currently, I buy milk for household use from a neighbor and its quite straining since I use lots of money on this and to make this worse, the milk I get is barely enough for us. Sometimes my children would demand milk but since I only buy a liter and it can't meet their demand.
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 that I am able to provide the basic needs for children. Before we started receiving these transfers, we would mostly survive on one meal a day since I majorly depend on casual jobs in order to earn and buy food. Right now, my children eat enough and healthy food and they also dress in nice clothes unlike before when I could dress them on tattered ones. I am happy that my children no longer complain.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectation in the near future is to ensure that I buy a dairy cow for rearing of my own. My spouse passed away a few months ago and I was left alone to fend for my family. This cow will help with income from the sale of the milk products from this cow. The proceeds, in turn, will help me pay my children's school fees. I want my children to study and excel well. I pray that I get financially stable so that I can take good care of my children and improve our general lifestyle.
 
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?
Currently, I am able to pay school fees for my children on time. Before, I used not to remain with arrears thus they were being disturbed mostly they used to spend most of the time at home.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal for the next fours is to buy solar lamps. This will provide a source of light for my children when studying in the evening. In order to buy this, I will have to save some money from milk production and add more from the savings that I have in table banking.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer is that I am able to feed my family. Since 2010, when I lost my husband life started becoming difficult because I had to struggle alone to cater for schools fees for my children and also food. When I started receiving the money from GiveDirectly, I am now able to buy food that can at least sustain us for some time. I also own a dairy cow and from the sale, I am now able to pay school fees for my children and meet other family needs.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in the next six months in that I will have saved enough money to buy another dairy cow. Having these dairy cows means more milk production and hence money income. These will assist me to meet the increasing cost of living.
 
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 I no longer find it difficult paying school fees for my children and I have also been able to buy some iron sheets.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The only goal I now have is to build an iron sheet roofed house for my family.
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 since my children no longer lack food.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in that I will have built a house for my family.
 
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?
My new goal is to build a house for my children. We currently live in thatched mud house and I am convinced that we will live in a better one. I am plan to buy iron sheets for building the house. My dream would have come true once we have it.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different because I have peace as a parent. I am assured that my children will have school fees. I used to be so stressed due to lack of money for fees but now the burden is over and I am at peace.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to be better economically. I intend to have a chicken mesh in the next six months and add more poultry. I will not need to struggle with too much labor nor have unrest due to lack. I am so hopeful for a stable life without struggles.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest the difference in my life is that I can afford to buy food using money from sale of eggs. This has given me a sense of independence because I get an income from the poultry that I bought using GD funds.
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I am facing inadequate water at home. Sometimes there is lack of cleaning drinking water forcing me to buy which is expensive. My children are forced to take a bath thrice a week because of this hardship.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening. In the evening my children are home and we get to be together after a long day of studies and working.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I plan to spend my transfer on buying and rearing of chicken. I have 13 chicken right now and my plan is to have 50 chicken . This will help me get enough chicken to sustain egg production and also have food to feed my family.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
Achievement that I am proudest of is my children getting an education. I am proud because I myself didn't get much education hence I would like them get the best education so that it will help them in their future.