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 > Lydia's Profile
Lydia's family
Lydia
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Raising livestock
faceAge:
26
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53010 KES ($390 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
check
 
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My spouse and I are both passionate about farming, and we would like to expand on the size of land we own so that we can do it well. We hope to have three times the size of what we purchased, and with God's help, I believe we shall. Aside from farming, we also do cattle and poultry farming. We have a dairy cow, which helps us save money on milk, and we have eggs to sell, which offers us an extra income. We intend to double the number of each so that we can multiply the yield.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I have witnessed a significant difference between GiveDirectly and any other sort of assistance I have received so far. Aside from the transfer send, I was also guided on the ways which I can utilize the transfers on . Also was advised not to spend the transfers on illegal things not living out the household conflict, which is taken so seriously that it equalizes the family set up by allowing them to discuss how to spend the transfers, this brings about family togetherness. I haven't observed any fights between families who generally fight since GiveDirectly came into play. I must tell you that our community has changed dramatically; the way people interact with one another is admirable, and we would like to keep that way forever so we can support and protect one another. We have improved our housing and enlarged our cattle and poultry farms. We are honored that GiveDirectly chose us to be a part of the program.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Having our own land has always been something we wanted as a family because the ancestral land is limited and cannot sustain us, so when we received the transfers, we combined both first and second transfers to accomplish our goal. We purchased a piece of land at $80 and have planted it with the hopes of reaping a plentiful harvest; this makes us feel extremely happy and hopeful for the future. In the meantime, we needed to buy food to last us until we could harvest. I spent $10, which was our first time buying that much food because we were used to buying in little quantities due to lack enough of finances. Finally, we have our kid in school, and we were relieved to have paid school expenses for the entire term. Since we received the transfers, our lives have changed dramatically.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($428 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Purchasing our piece of land was one of the top priorities on our bucket list as soon as we were told we'd receive unconditional cash. I remember it was around 3 p.m., and I was relaxing at home when I heard my message tone buzz. When I checked to see what the message was about, I was surprised to see that I had received a large sum of money from GiveDirectly. This was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I was overjoyed and content that my dream would finally come true. I then informed my spouse, who was equally delighted and grateful.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The most significant difference in my daily life is that I now own a piece of land, which seemed impossible due to financial constraints. This would imply that we would be able to cultivate a larger portion of land and thus produce more. Second, we paid our son's school fees for two terms, which was a huge relief to us. We are extremely grateful for the help that has brought us so much joy.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband and I decided to buy a piece of land after receiving our initial transfer so that we would have enough space for farming. This was because we were still living on our family's small farm. We were previously unable to purchase land due to our unstable income and the school fees responsibilities for our children. I rely on farming for a living, and my husband works as a plant operator, but we make very little money. As a result, we spent $300 on the land. Second, we paid our child's $100 school fees, and with the remaining funds, we purchased groceries. We will be eternally grateful to the organization for dramatically raising our standard of living.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 1 year ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
We would like to put all our efforts in harvesting rainwater and digging up a water pan within our farm and these transfers will come in so handy in this water harvesting projects. We will spend it entirely in buying a 10,000 litre tank for $700 and the other $300 will go into digging up of the water pan. This will bea step ahead because we'll have doubled milk production in our cows and also we expect to spend the profits in doubling the cows from 5 to 10.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My only child graduated from kindergarten last week and this gave me a lot of happiness and joy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am a livestock farmer and this is the only source of income that I have been depending on ever since I settled here. Water has however been the single most challenging commodity here and it is so essential to realize meaningful and optimal production. I have tried to dig a water pan but since it is not deep enough it dries whenever the rains stop. I would have realized more profits in this venture only if I could get a good and constant source of water. I also have a 5 acre piece of land and it can comfortably accommodate 10 cows but the water problem has restricted me to 5 but I hope my profits to double if I can maximize on everything.