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 > Simion's Profile
Simion's family
Simion
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
House construction
faceAge:
54
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Simion's next check-in.
 
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?
As a family, we plan to spend our next transfer to buy sand and cement for plastering the floor. We decided to bring our resources together because it would enable us to complete our house with less struggle. This would mean that we will have a much stronger house to live in and my wife will now have an easy time when cleaning the house
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Initially, I had built a wood wall house. This was the greatest achievement I made with the little income which I made with the casual jobs they normally do. My fear was, my walls would soon collapse as a result of it being destroyed by termites or start decaying since timber is biodegradable. I, therefore, decided to buy materials for building a permanent house. I decided to build a brick-walled house because they are easily available and cheap to purchase. We combine efforts with my wife and bought all the necessary items. Since I am a mason myself I would do the construction on my own. In the last four months, we did so and now we have completed erecting the bricks wall around our timber walled house. Now our house looks better even though we haven't completed plastering the floor. The difference we have achieved so far would have taken us years before achieving half of it. I will forever thank this organization for coming to my life
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the past four months, I have been able to carry out my farming activities without straining. Initially, I entirely depend on casual jobs which were unreliable in most cases. These jobs used to consume most of my time hence making my farming more difficult. Now I am able to carry out farm practices on time hence getting high yields.
 
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?
My son has just completed school in a college where he was studying. I have made this possible because I paid his school fees using the money that I was receiving. In addition to this, I managed to provide sufficiently to my family over the last four months. I used part of the money form GD, to buy foodstuffs especially maize. My son will soon find a good job and will then begin to assist me in meeting our daily needs.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My next goal is to further the house improvement to the inside of the house. I will plaster the floor so that I can do away with the dust that comes with the earthen floor. I will buy sand, stones, and cement.
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 the home improvement that I have undertaken. I used the money to buy sand, some bricks and later cement. This improvement will strengthen my house by protecting the timber from harsh weather conditions. It makes my house looks really beautiful because the use of bricks makes has some aesthetic value. This makes me happy.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My house improvement will be completed in the next six months. I will also have built a toilet in my compound. I have already dug the pit and is now planning to construct it. This will be a proper structure that will even last longer in use. The face of my home in the next six months will be on that makes me proud of. This is what I look forward to very eagerly.
 
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 a go for many reasons, but most importantly is the fact that I have been able to take my son through his secondary education and I am now struggling to bring my house to completion. This has meant that the cost of living for us has been much more affordable and we can think of new projects going forward.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
One of my additional plans and which is on top of my priority list is to bring my newly constructed house to its completion in the next four months. What remains is for me to cement the floor and erect a ceiling; something I want to do in the next four months.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
GiveDirectly transfers came at a time that I had huge school fees balances for my son in school. I took the initiative of paying the balance albeit in small amounts and I am now proud that I have been able to clear the balance and my son has successfully completed his secondary education. It also came at a time that I was planning to construct a new house and I had already bought iron sheets for roofing. The transfers helped me in assembling other materials for building and our new house is almost coming to completion. The old house was too small and so uncomfortable to us and we can now host visitors comfortably unlike before.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I shall have fully completed my house and we shall have moved in as a family. We shall have more income as well owing to the fact that we can now make various investments with the transfers.
 
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
 
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different because I can now afford food and farm inputs as compared to earlier when I used to do casual labor in order to
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to pay school fees for my son in college and to plant maize.
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 these transfers have enabled me to pay school fees, built a house and buy adequate food for my family.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have cleared school fees for my son in college and also to have harvested my maize corn.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
455 KES ($4 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 pay school fees every month for my son in college as soon as I receive the transfer. I am also planning to plaster and paint my wooden walled house. I also intend to buy a heifer and built a house for 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 bought and planted maize seeds of which I could not because I had no funds.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change for better because in the next six months I will be harvesting maize hence no hunger.Also we usually drink tea without sugar but with these transfers we shall be buying sugar.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that these transfer has enabled to buy maize seeds and plant because I had prepared land but had no funds to buy maize.
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in my life is paying school fees for my children. I am the sole bread winner in my family. I provide food for my children with the little money I get from casual labour. This leaves me with less money to pay school fees for my children. Further more education cost has really gone up.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My work is really very hard, I sweat a lot for little pay. I love listening to radio as this help forget about challenges I am always going through to raise money for my family. So my happiest part of my day is in the evening when I get enough time to rest.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I'm planning to spend my transfer to buy tools for my workshop. I currently rely on manual type tools which make me less competitive unlike my beers in the same business
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
I use to live in a grass touched house. The house was very small and could not accommodate my big family and through hardworking I have been able to build a better house made of sheets and timbers and that is my proudest achievement.