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 > Rose's Profile
Rose's family
Rose
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
48
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($526 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than how it would have been had I never received my transfers since I have been able to pay school fees for my children without selling the only dairy cow that I own. Selling this cow would have increased my daily expenditure because I would be forced to start buying milk. Also, the transfers enabled me to build a decent kitchen for my family. Due to this, I am no longer being rained on when making meals for my family during the rainy seasons.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by giving us the financial aid rather than them deciding what to buy for us and I do not see anything that they did not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
When I received my second transfers, I spent a good amount to pay school fees for my three children. I settled on this so that they would be allowed to sit for their examinations. Also, I bought school uniforms and shoes for them and home clothes for everyone in the household. I spent the remaining amount to buy one sack of maize that will last us for some time.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($539 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have built a better and spacious house for my family. We used to live in a small mud house that could not host all my family members comfortably. The house was also leaking from the inside and cooking during the rainy season was a big problem. I depend on casual jobs in the village to earn an income and I use this to pay part of the school fees for my children. I also do small scale farming and the produce from the farm is only for consumption. Getting money to construct a house was a big challenge. My children could spend nights and the neighbor's and this was demoralizing them in that they could not finish their assignment on time. currently, I have built a better house that can host all the family members comfortably and we are no longer exposed to cold like before. My children are no longer spending nights at the neighbors which were so risky because of the movement at night. I am so much happy because I no longer shy to welcome visitors to my house. I am so much grateful for the support.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my money I felt so happy. I remember it was very in the morning around 5:00 AM when I heard a message from my phone. I felt so happy because I have never received such an amount of money before. My children and spouse were so happy because we knew we would be in a position to build a better house.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my first transfer to built a better and spacious house for my family. We used to live in a small mud house that could not host all my family members comfortably. I also bought food, clothes and the rest of the money I used it to pay part of the school fees for my children in secondary school and in college.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My husband is an employed butcher in a nearby shopping center. His income alone cannot entirely fend for an astronomic financial need in the family. He works so hard to educate our children through his meagre income, especially our first born in college. Now that GiveDirectly has come to our aid, I am planning to invest the first transfer in purchasing a dairy cow which will provide an extra source of income so as to ease his burden. I will use the remaining amount to put up a house for my children. This is what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Recently, I opened a grocery stall in a nearby shopping centre. I would only go there in the evening after accomplishing other domestic tasks like gardening and feeding livestock. My new role as a small business woman is exiting and profit generating. I have started to make more friends in the village and fun filled growth in my new entrepreneurial role, which makes me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
To say that parents have sacrificed immensely for the sake of their children's education cannot be gainsaid. When one of my children joined college I did not think it would push me to dire straits the extent of selling a piece of land and livestock for her college fees. Though it's a good thing to secure education for my children, this desperate measure pushed me further to the brink of poverty. As at now we do not have much land to make a living save for my husband's employment and only source of income. Three more of my children are in high school and would too need to join college in a few years. My big worry is that there would be hardly anything to sell so as to cater for their education. This is the biggest hardship I've faced in my life.