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 > Sidi's Profile
Sidi's family
Sidi
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
54
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($442 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The new goal that I did not have before receiving my transfer was to renovate my house by adding another room. Currently, it only has two rooms which cannot fit all my family members, this has forced some of them to seek shelter elsewhere which has never been good at all. I, therefore, believe that by putting up another room, it would accommodate us all and there will be no need to roam around to search for shelter.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by ensuring that every household in our village got enrolled. Also, the fact that the money was sent directly into our Mpesa account was the best. This is because it did not involve a third party hence there were no cases of bribery or theft. Therefore I do not see if there is any sector that deserves a change.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying building materials like timber, a new wooden door and a bag of cement. This was for the renovation of my house which was almost collapsing due to its state. I was always worried that it might collapse at any time and course damage. I now have peace of mind at long last and I feel much more secure. Also, I cleared fees of KES 20000 for my son who is in his third year in high school. Additionally, I bought food for my children and decent clothes. As a single parent, it has never been easy to bring food to the table daily. On most days, my kids could skip meals which made them not to be active even in school. I am so thankful to this organisation for restoring our hope and joy in life.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($481 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I do not know how to read and in most cases, I either ignore text messages or let my children read them for me. On this day, early in the morning on my home from fetching water, I received a text message. Coincidentally, my daughter had just come from school because she was unwell. I, therefore, handed the phone to her so that she could check the message because most of my neighbors had received their transfers the previous evening except me, so I was cautious of every message that I received. She told me while smiling that I had received money from Give Directly. It was such a happy moment for us, and we thanked God for the blessing.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Receiving the transfers has resulted in a huge transformation in my household. I am not only hoping that soon I will not be budgeting for water but my family can get a whole day's meal. This was not the case previously and on most days we relied on one meal per day. With the hard labor that we relied on, our health conditions deteriorated because we did not enough food. After all, I am able to afford a whole day's meal. We now have enough energy which has improved our productivity.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For a year I have been budgeting for kerosene which is expensive because my solar panel was malfunctioning. The lamps did not have enough light which made my son strain whenever he did his studies. The moment when I received my first transfer repairing the solar panel was the top on my to-do list. I, therefore, spent, 10000 KES to repair it and it is now functioning well. We usually walk for 2 hours to get to the water point. With my old age, I am not able to walk all the way to get water hence I end up spending 400 KES weekly on water. We (me and my neighbors) are planning to channel to our village. I have saved the 10000 KES project. 20000 KES I have saved for my son's secondary school fees when the school reopens for the next calendar year. I do not have a reliable source of income and the little that I earn can not afford to pay for his school fees at once. In most cases, he would be sent back home for school fees which interfered with his performance because he missed most of the lessons. He is in his final year and I do not want him to miss any of his classes hence I saved the money for his school fees. 10000 KES I have saved for purchasing goats. They are easy to maintain and can also stand our climatic conditions, unlike cows that die easily due to drought. The remaining 4500 KES I spent on various foodstuffs for my family.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I separated with my husband 15 years ago. The burden of raising six children has never been a walk in the park. I used to sell palm wine which I used to get peanuts from the business. Providing the basic needs such as food, clothes and school fees was a challenge. My two children did not complete their academics due to lack of school fees. Upon receiving this money, I plan to pay school fees for my son who is in form three. I will spend 20000 KES on the same. I will spend 15000 KES on buying 6 goats which I believe will be a source of income for my family of seven.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being in good health and seeing my son attending school without being sent home for school fees makes me feel great. I always have peace of mind when my family has enough food.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I broke my limb 1 year ago when I was looking after my livestock. Due to the lack of money, I can not afford better health care hence I am yet to fully recover. This has affected my daily economic activities of farming.