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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Completed
Newsfeed > Rose's Profile
Rose's family
Rose
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
46
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53010 KES ($386 USD)
access_time 11 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
With my passion for education, I do desire that all my children attend good schools. I have 11 children, and raising them has not been easy, so I had to buy goats with my first transfer, which I believe will multiply in numbers, thus shielding me from too many struggles in raising school fees come next year, when my three children will be entering high school. I will just sell them at a very good price in the market and use the money on them.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well in giving us the amount in cash since we do not share the same challenges in life. In our village, people have been empowered differently, and for me, I have achieved 70% of what I have always wanted. For example, having tap water at my doorstep and livestock was made possible with the first transfer, and now I have cleared all the school fee arrears. My life has been turned around, and from here on, I will work hard to ensure that I keep pushing forward financially so as to maintain this status quo.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was languishing in debt, and this state was killing me inside. I couldn't even explain to my children how tough things were, but I kept hoping for the best. When GiveDirectly came in, this felt like an answered prayer. I paid $40, which I owe the school where my two daughters are studying. I have been going there just to negotiate for more time, and yes, the time has come. I couldn't hold back my joy as I narrated where the money had come from to the headteacher, who has supported my daughters. I also had to buy food in plenty here at home, which would last us for 2 months and even more. This took $10 of the transfers, and as we speak, we are happy as a family once more, which has been a rare thing of late. We used the remaining amount of the transfers to do farming on our two acres of land where we planted maize, and now we are patiently waiting for the harvest time to come as we take care of them as expected.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($440 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was in the bush alone collecting firewood in preparation for dinner for the family. I still remember it was around 5 p.m. when I received a loud message alert on my mobile phone. Being illiterate, I could not understand its content. After about an hour, I reached home and decide to give the phone to the helper to interpret them. I felt extremely happy and thanked God when she finally revealed that I had received the transfer. We together celebrated the cash aid that meant a lot of transformation in our living standards.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The fact that I am currently enjoying peace of mind is the biggest difference. At the moment, my kids are learning without any challenge unlike before when they were spending most of their time at home due to school fees arrears. In addition, we can get our daily meals without having to skip them or spend an entire day without food.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
With a family of 13 members that are 11 children, I and my spouse meeting the family's basic have been a great challenge owing to the fact that we are all jobless. The casual job of charcoal vending is what we depend on to raise the family. The aid from Givedirectly was a great relief to our financial burden. After receiving the transfer, I spent $140 of it to support the education of our 9 kids who are both in primary and secondary school. They had a huge fee arrears that were making them to be out of school most of the time something that bothers my heart. Nowadays, I am happy and relieved that they are continuing with their studies without being discontinued. In addition, I used $120 to start a goat rearing by purchasing 4 goats as a future investment for the kids. I will be selling them once they multiply to further their education. Furthermore, I bought proper bedding for the kids since they were spending their nights on the floor with rags. Lastly, I used the remaining amount to start the process of connecting tap water to our home.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 1 year ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
A separate structure for my children is the biggest desire that I have at the moment. Imagine sharing a house with my grown-up children! This is culturally not allowed and it has lowered my dignity as a mother. With this money, I intend to spend a big portion of my money ($400) to ensure I construct a house for them. This will earn back my respect, also it will make me live a happy life. In addition, I will buy new beddings to replace the old ones which are currently rugged. With the second transfer, I will buy 5 goats for $200 and the remaining amount will support my children's education. Therefore, this is generally what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
With the many responsibilities I have in the family, I find it a privilege to me being healthy all through the last 6 months. This has given me the energy to continue doing my casual work to provide for the very basic needs of my family. Despite having challenges financially, I still thank God for keeping me safe. Therefore, I consider this as what has brought me joy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Taking care of my family of 11 members is a big burden to me because it requires a lot of effort to provide all the basic needs. Considering the nature of jobs in our area being casual and energy-intensive, my charcoal and manganese work never earn me much, usually $40 per month. This means my husband also have to go extra mile in his casual jobs to supplement the income. Due to this challenge, my children have been missing classes and forfeiting some meals, a situation that has affected their studies. Therefore, I consider financial instability as my biggest challenge.