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 > Lucy's Profile
Lucy's family
Lucy
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Teaching
faceAge:
43
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($478 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?
My new goal is to focus more on dairy farming. I am planning to build a decent modern milking shade. This is where the livestock will be feeding and thereafter being milked. Currently, I have joined merry-go-rounds where I am saving my money towards achieving this plan.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Give directly did well by sending officers to enlighten us about the company and also assuring us of where the funds came from. Officers gave us a proper understanding of the project. I do not see what Givedirectly does not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Dairy farming has been my main source of income and it has never disappointed me. With the second transfer, I purchased a chauffcatter at a cost of KES.37,000 which will allow me in cutting livestock feeds. Using this machine is less tedious and faster compared to before when I used to cut them manually and it took much time. With an amount of KES 7,000, I bought a barbed wire which I used in fencing my farm hence preventing animals from the neighborhood from destroying my crops. I also spent KES 5,000 on paying school fees for my son who is in high school hence he was not sent home to collect the money. With the remaining part of the money, I use in buy food for my family.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($496 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was in class teaching when one of my relatives called and inquired if I had received my transfer as she had already received hers. On hearing this, I dashed out of the class to the staffroom to get my phone and on checking it, my heart was filled with happiness as I had also received mine. With this money in my account, I knew that I would finally be able to fence my farm and I am grateful to GiveDirectly for making this possible.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
have been able to live in peace with my neighbors for the last two weeks since I was able to fence a section of my farm using my transfer and this has given me peace of mind. Because of this, I no longer confront them like I did before when their livestock destroyed my crops. I will plant some animal feeds in this fenced section since my main aim is to practice the zero-grazing method of dairy farming and as a way of starting this, I have started practicing artificial insemination with the livestock that I have.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Financial constraints have been my biggest challenge in life. Despite being a teacher, I was not able to do some projects at home and still meet our basic needs on time. Because of this, we had left our farm without fencing it as it required a lot of capital. This always led to a lot of confrontations between my neighbors and me whenever their livestock destroyed my crops. When I received my transfer, I spent the entire amount to fence it by buying some barbed wire, poles and paid for the labor. I am glad that I will live in peace with my neighbors and not worry about anything when I am at work.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that i can complete my dairy farm establishment. I have a few cows and I have already started using the dairy shed i recently built. However, I cannot afford the chaff cutter machine that I really need in order properly utilise feeds that I grow on my farm. Even though I am employed, the much I get from my salary all goes to my children school fees. I need to make more income from dairy. I will, therefore, use about KES 40,000 for the machine. I will use about KES 50,000 to fence all around my farms to secure it from intrussion.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning. At this time, I am cheerful because I have the energy to go through the day after a night's rest. I am always in high spirits in the morning before I go through the tough challenges that come with administering my duties at school.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship that I face is financial constraints. This is because I spent about KES 200,000 on education for all the children in various schools. Even with my salary as a teacher, I cannot raise all this. Given that my husband is also jobless. I plan to establish a productive dairy and poultry keeping to supplement income from my job.