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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Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Dennis's Profile
Dennis's family
Dennis
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
24
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($461 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
As of now, I have not yet composed myself to come up with a tangible goal that I can fight for, to achieve. This is because my norm is planning if I have the money ready in my hands. Considering that, if I get the money I will collect my thoughts together and decide the appropriate thing to venture into depending on the current situation I will be in.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Initially, I had no livestock at all; I just desired to own mine every time I saw neighbors grazing theirs. I am very grateful to GiveDirectly for fulfilling my desire. As of now, I am a happy herder, and the whole community is also happy for the organization since they were also enabled to do things they were initially unable to do because of poverty.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon withdrawing the second transfer, the priority was to buy cows as I had planned earlier. Therefore, I got four cows which were being sold at KES 15000.00 each. I did not hesitate to buy them since I had some savings from the first transfer. I added the deficit to the second transfer from the savings and hence bought the four cows for KES 60000.00. I bought these cows because at first they were being sold at a throwaway price because there was no pasture and secondly, they are a reliable source of investment since they have a higher value when sold to a slaughterhouse.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($497 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was exactly 9 AM when I was at my daily hustle (taxi driver) when I heard my phone ringing continuously. I was a bit nervous since I was not expecting to hear from anyone, therefore I decided to check the content of the message only to realize it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I was overjoyed with happiness because I knew my financial problems would come to an end. Later on, I had to share the great news with my dear wife and children and they were all super excited.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily is that through the transfers I was able to purchase a piece of land which has brought a positive impact on my life. My desire was to buy my own land and build a rental house but due to the financial hardships that I was facing, I could not afford it. Being the breadwinner of my family of three, it has never been easy at all. From my daily hustle( taxi driver) on a good day, I could earn KES 150 which was too little to send for the family's needs, and save for any investments. I am now happier and thankful because I have been able to fulfill this as my priority and acquired the land. In the near future once my children transition to secondary schools I will not have to worry about the issue of school fees because I will have saved a lot from the rent that I will be collecting monthly from my tenants. Also, it is a valuable asset that my children will depend on together with other generations.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying a piece of land (a half an acre) KES 40000 in the nearby village. I had been longing to buy it for years so that I could build a rental house which will eventually be my source of income in the near future. Also, I bought ten pieces of iron sheets at KES 9500 which will be for the rental house that I am intending to construct. I had already purchased some of the building materials earlier and I am happy the money came in good time. With the remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs such as maize flour, vegetables. cereals and other household items that I was lacking eg clothes.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Currently, I work as a farmer and I do produce cassava but on a small scale. This has not been enough for my customers since in most cases I fail to supply them, something that has resulted in the loss of my potential buyers. My desire has been to upscale my farming to produce the cassava on large scale but this has not been possible due to inadequate financial resources. Receiving this money means realizing my dream since I Intend to spend utmost $500 of my transfers to buy oxen and an ox-plough as well as preparing my 6 acres. This will assure me of much profit after the production because there is the availability of customers who have been contacting me. On the other hand, I will spend the remaining amount to buy 3 indigenous dairy cows that will produce milk for my household consumption and also to sell the surplus to get extra income for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day's activities require me to spend my time at my work site, selling charcoal and fuel. Since my job is not doing well, I usually feel stressed sitting while no customers are available. In the evening, I feel a bit relaxed since I get in my bed and rest. The resting gives me the feeling of happiness since I forget the day's stress. Hence, I consider the evening as the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have for a long time missed the opportunity to settle and do my favorite work as a farmer. This is something that is pissing me off since I always find myself in a dilemma of what to do as my source of income. Consequently, I have been involved in incomplete projects like selling charcoal and fuel that resulted in losses. Therefore, I consider the lack of a stable source of income as the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life.