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
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Grace's Profile
Grace's family
Grace
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
69
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($454 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Yes, I have. My new goal is to build a house on the piece of land that I bought with the transfers that I got from GiveDirectly. I want to settle there and do farming but I do not have the money needed to achieve my goal. I plan to buy a tree or two for construction with the little money that I will raise from my income-generating activities of selling vegetables and eggs.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well in that their staff taught us well in the meeting that they held with the community members before starting the enrollment process. We got to understand what the program was all about and they gave us a chance to ask questions. Their staff members were not biased and hence the enrollment process was fair. I thus do not see anything that I would recommend to be changed. Keep up the good work.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my entire transfer money on buying a piece of land. I bought three points of an acre which was being sold at KES 35000 per point. The piece of land that I have been living in is small and not enough to do farming or to graze the cows. I have been hoping for a long time to buy more land but I didn't have the money needed to do so. The only income-generating activities that I usually do to get money is growing vegetables and selling them. I also usually collect the eggs from my chickens and sell them. The money that I get from the sales is not much, most of it usually goes to the purchase of food and buying the essential household items such as sugar, soap, etc. I am thus so much glad and grateful to GiveDirectly because they enabled me to achieve my dream.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received my first transfer at around 5.00pm. At that time I had gone to the stream to take my cows to drink water. Throughout that week I had been longing for some cash since I had some urgent financial needs. When I saw the Mpesa message, I felt so good because at long last I could be able to obtain food for my family. In addition to that, I felt that my main goal of buying a piece of land would materialise. I am really grateful to GiveDirectlty.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is owning a piece of land. Since my adulthood, I only inherited just one parcel of land from my parents which currently cannot be comfortably used by my two sons and I. I thank God that I have an additional parcel which I shall mainly use for food crops. I shall therefore give my ancestral land as an inheritance to my two sons. Thanks to GiveDirectly for bailing me out from my perpetual struggles.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my most recent transfer to buy a parcel of land. I only had one parcel of land apart from where my home is situated. The available parcel had been too small thus my two sons and I could not use it simultaneously. As a result of the GiveDirectly's transfer, I have bought my own piece of land that I shall use mainly for farming. The total cost of that piece of land was KES 50,000.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am currently living on a small piece of land, this has restricted me from doing my developmental projects. The land being a factor of production, I can not dwell fully into intensive farming or either do livestock farming due to lack of space. With this money, I will buy a piece of land with KES 90000 to allow me to expand my farming and thus earn more cash flow for my family. I am also struggling to provide food and other family basic needs, with my old age I can not work casually to earn a living. Therefore I will budget the remaining amount to stock food, buy clothing's and save to support myself.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I heard that GiveDirectly is coming to our village I was moved with joy and happiness. I saw hope and the end of the suffering I was going through.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenge that I am currently experiencing is a perennial food shortage and financial challenge. This is even harder now that my old age can not allow me to work casually to earn a living. I rely on donated food from my married sons and daughters.