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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Newsfeed > James's Profile
James's family
James
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
42
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on James's next check-in.
 
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new or additional goal for my life for the next four months is to build a better house. I am staying in a grass-roofed house that is leaking when it rains and this is the reason why I am striving very hard to build an ironed roof house to solve this problem.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer is that I am staying a better life now that I am having an additional source of income. I am a peasant farmer, getting income at times is not easy. I depend on casual work that is low paying for livelihood. Having an additional income from Give Directly has really helped me in providing for my family the daily basic needs hence this is the biggest difference in my daily life.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I am planning to plaster my house so that it looks decent. Having a plastered house saves one from other expenses, for example, hiring someone to plaster the house. It also increases the life span of the house.
 
19th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, my life is different in that I now own a kitchen. Therefore I am able to cook at anytime that I intend to unlike before cooking in my main house was hazardous to my family's health which forced me to cook early before the sunsets. It also risked burning down if the grass would have catch fire accidentally.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal for the next four months is to aim higher and get to my goal of replacing my grassed thatched roof into an iron sheet one.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Previously, I have been living in a one-room house which served as a kitchen, living, and bedroom to my family. Today, I have a different story to tell because the biggest difference in my daily life for the last four months is that I have successfully built a kitchen which I have ever dreamt of. This has been enhanced by buying building materials which included iron sheets, nails, timber and paid laborers to build it using the transfers that were sent.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in the next six months in that I shall have fixed an iron sheet roof and replace the grassed that one by buying building materials every month with the sent transfer. This is because at the moment the leaky grass-thatched roof of my house is in a deplorable condition which has made it risky for our habitation.
 
15th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, I have bought building materials that I plan to use in building a new house. I have been able to buy the iron sheets monthly using the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly. A few months ago, I had only bought a few iron sheets but I can now pride myself in the effort I have put to buy the building materials. I usually feel the urge to buy food using the transfers, but I restrain myself having in mind that I have to build a new house as I do not have any source of income that can help me raise money to buy the iron sheets.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I do not new goals currently as I want to concentrate on buying more building materials like nails, poles and timber.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have been buying more building materials like iron sheets through transfers I receive monthly that I plan to use in building a new house. I can only envision how beautiful house once it is completely built. My family will not have to be worried about the rains anymore as we will be living in a well-roofed house and also a spacious one.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have bought enough building materials by then and built a new house. I believe that I will not be rained on again as I will be living in a secure and comfortable home with my family.
 
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
attach_money
 
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, my life is different in that I have already bought some of the building materials which will necessitate the construction of a decent iron sheet house this. Therefore I can't wait to provide a decent shelter for my family members where we could live comfortably. Apparently, at the moment we are staying in a leaky grassed thatched house which has exposed my family members to chest congestion problems due to exposure to cold mostly at night and in rainy days.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I have no new goal since I am focusing to pool resources with my spouse and buy building materials with the intention of building an iron sheet. I can't wait to provide a decent shelter for my family members where we could live comfortably.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Before I was struggling to provide basic needs for my family and a decent shelter since the casual jobs which I do in the village was not making much. The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am hopeful of building a decent spacious iron sheet house because I have already bought some of the building materials which will necessitate this project with the transfers. Apparently, when I will attain this goal it will reduce the burden of staying in a leaky grassed thatched house that has been a challenge for a decade.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
The next six months I expect my life to change in that I would have built a decent iron sheet house that I have been longing for and staying in a grassed thatched house would not be of worry.
 
7th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, I feed well, I am accumulating building materials which could have taken me ages if it were not to GD.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I have no additional goals.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference is that I am able to purchase building materials without asking for loans life before, I could borrow loans from the hardware.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I will be living in my new house that I have been buying materials towards its construction ever since I started receiving the transfers.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
455 KES ($5 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I plan to save part of the cash transfers to start up a new business. After building my new house, I intend to start a small business from which I will be generating some profit.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different from how it was before because I now have money to buy new iron sheets that I will use to erect a new roof on my new house that I intend to build in the near future. This is a great step in my life.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My life will change in the next six months because once I have enough iron sheets, i will build a new house and my family will have a better place to stay in. I will also have a running business that will be generating profits for me.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is that I was able to buy new iron sheets that I intend to erect in my new house that I am planning to build using the cash transfers from GD. I could not afford to neither build a new house nor buy the iron sheets due to my limited finances.
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in my life is inability to start a new business of buying and selling second-hand clothes due to inadequate cash flow from subsistence farming.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is in the afternoon.I meet my friends, tell stories and laugh about them.This makes me feel relaxed especially when I am so down.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I plan to spend my transfer on building a new house that will be spacious to accomodate friends and relatives.I also plan to buy and sell second-hand clothes in the nearby market,Akala centre.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My proudest achievement was when I had a bumper harvest of ten sacks of maize in the year 2015 from my half an acre piece of land which has never happened before.