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
attach_money
 
Transfers
check
Completed
Newsfeed > Margaret's Profile
Margaret's family
Margaret
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
34
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($472 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
check
 
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have new goals that I would wish to accomplish. I wish to build my kitchen since the one that I am using is for my home. I also wish to buy more land where I can graze the cow that I just bought. Apart from the two, I also wish to start a business that can enable me to earn more income. All these are going to need a lot of money which I do not have at the moment. I am however intending to borrow a loan from a self-help group that I am in. I plan to start with the construction of the kitchen once I get the loan. My mother passed on and I am a single mother of two. I live at home with my father and my children. I was able to build my own house which is the main house with the transfer that I got. I was however not able to build a kitchen of my own because the money was not enough. I want to build the kitchen because I want to move out of my home with my children and be independent. This way, I will be able to make my own decisions unlike when I am at home.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well because they changed the lives of the people in the community. I was able to build a house of my own with the transfer and I was also able to buy a cow. My children and I now have a place of our own to live. The cow that I bought is going to be of great benefit to us when it calves. We will no longer have to buy milk. The lives of other people in the community were also uplifted because they were able to make many developments with the money such as building houses, buying livestock, and even starting businesses. GiveDirectly did also well when they called all the members of the village to a meeting before starting the enrollment process. The people were able to learn more about GiveDirectly and the program. Although they did well in most areas, there is one thing that I would recommend them to change. Some people were left out during the census enrollment yet they deserved to be helped. These are the people who had gone away from the village to look for work to fend for their families and they at times visit their children or family members who are living in the village. It was not their wish to leave the village, it was due to the hardships that they were facing that forced them to look for work elsewhere. My sister was a victim of this. I believe that they deserve to be helped because they have a lot of responsibilities, that is, children who are in school.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of the money that I got on my second transfer buying a cow. I bought a cow that is about to calve and it cost me KES 35000. I decided to buy the cow because our biggest challenge is milk. We usually buy milk daily at KES 40 per litre. This is costly to us. I am a pre-school teacher while my father is a retiree. The money that I get paid at my job is little and most of it usually goes to the payment of school fees for my two children and buying food. I have hence not been in a position to buy a cow due to a lack of money. I am therefore so much grateful to GiveDirectly for the help that they have given to us.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($499 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was on my way heading to my workplace when I heard my phone ringing and vibrating, it was around 8 am, Upon checking, I saw a Mpesa message showing that I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly, words cannot express the kind of happiness that I felt, this was the happiest moment in my life, though I tried to keep myself calmed and headed to work, I never shared with anyone there because I did want to risk losing my money, that evening my brothers and I celebrated throughout the evening, everyone was smiling, it was as if it was Christmas day, I knew that I would accomplish building the house with the transfer and I was grateful for that.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I was given a house at home to live in in the meantime because I had children to take care of yet I did not have a reliable job, before, I was not comfortable there because I knew that my younger brother would soon take over the house as tradition demands. I am a casual labourer, meaning that I don't have a reliable source of income because a time there is no available work for me to engage in, the transfer brought a change in my life because I was able to construct a new decent house for my family, I am happy that I have accomplished my dream of owning a house, in addition to that I was able to pay fees arrears for my two children, GiveDirectly has positively impacted my life and that of my children and I am thankful for it.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
At the moment I am a casual labourer in the village, I am a trained teacher in Early Childhood Education(ECDE), unemployment has been my pain point for a while now, I thought that after completing my course I will be able to secure a good job, unfortunately, things took a different turn, I was forced to look for any casual job so that I could provide for my children, I was given a house in my home to live in but it was only temporal, when I received my transfer I knew that this was an opportunity for me to construct my own house, hence I used KES 40,000, I then used the remaining part of my transfer in paying school fees for my two children and also in buying foodstuffs. I am grateful for the support that gave me a place to call home
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a trained kindergarten teacher but I have never been lucky to secure employment since I graduated ten years ago. As I continue to search for employment, I would like to start a small household goods kiosk business to help me have a daily income for my family. I have been surving on casual labor but it has never been enough to cater for our needs. I am glad that soon I'll be able to employ myself.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is usually in the morning because morning hours present an opportunity with new energy to toil for my family and by this am sure they'll have something to eat come sunset.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I got separated from my husband ten years ago and he has not been supporting the two kids that he sired with me. There are times they have been sick or in need of school fees but I have had to bear the burden by myself through casual jobs. The income I get is insufficient and this has been the biggest hardship in my life.