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 > Joshua's Profile
Joshua's family
Joshua
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
65
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
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Follow to be updated on Joshua's next check-in.
 
18th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal is to start saving from now in that by the time my daughter is going back college I am able to pay for her college fee with ease. I am also planning to improve my farming to large scale.
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 now have a stable reliable source of Income. I managed to buy a dairy cow and fortunately it has started producing milk. Of which l sell some milk in our local market and some for my family consumption. Since the milk has started getting me some income, my family has never gone to bed hungry. We are able to at least meet our daily needs. I am also able to work on my farm with ease without selling what got the last harvesting season to get money and hire an ox plough to cultivate my farm or take a loan from a fanicial institution.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months l expect to have saved enough money that would enable me pay college fee for my daughter with ease without bothering anyone.
 
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Four months ago, I mostly depended on GD transfers for my household needs because I had no source of income. The cow that my wife and I saved to buy through the help of GD transfers gave birth a few months ago and we can now make extra money by selling some of the milk. We can, therefore, manage to provide for our own needs without having to solely depend on the transfers and have better meals generally.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I know that the project will soon come to an end, and I wish to invest the rest of my transfers in more livestock such as sheep. Even though I would have loved to buy a cow, I know I am unable to that because the money is little, so what I will do is to buy sheep that I can later sell and rais enough money to buy a cow. From now on, I will buy a sheep each month untill the end of the transfers and I hope I will be true to my plans.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
My wife and I were able to save most of our transfers last year and purchased a cow that gave birth three months ago and now provides us with milk. We are so happy that we no longer have to spend money on milk and even happier that we can earn extra money through the sales of the excess milk since it's only my wife and I, so we use just a small amount of the milk produced. The money earned helps us in taking care of our daily needs which has improved our general lifestyle because we feed much better than before.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I hope that in the next six months, I will have more livestock in my cow shed as I am planning to buy more using the rest of GD transfers. I also have hope of having enough stock of food in my stores because this farming season was a very good one for me. With the help of GD transfers, I was able to buy quality farm inputs and cultivated a much larger piece of land than I ever have before because I could manage to hire labourers to help in the farm activities. I was also able to cultivate a portion of my land that has always been fallow due to lack of resources to cultivate which pleases me because I know my family will go for a very long time before spending on cereals and even have excess to sell in case we have any emergencies.
 
11th 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?
The other difference is that I have building materials such as iron sheets, timber and nails which I want to use in building a chicken shed. I have always desired to have poultry business but due to my low income, I have not been able to have one. I have given up on the dream because there was no way I could get money to kickstart the business at my age and with my low income. With GD transfers, I have bought the materials which I want to use in building the shed ready for the chics. I know with the next transfers, I will buy chics to start the business.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next four months, I wish to buy another cow. This will help improve the financial status of my family. I know I can later sell the cow or its offspring to raise money to handle other family financial emergencies without borrowing and much struggles.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving these transfers is that I have a cow. I am growing old and I had given up on owning a cow since my little income from farming could not enable me to have a one. I feel I have made a major investment for my family with this cow. I know when the cows reproduce, I will have a herd which has been my dream for a long time now. I do not feel poor as I used to because of the cow I bought with GD transfers. I thank GD for taking away my poverty and giving me a new name.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I want to buy chics which I will use in starting my poultry business. I know with the business, I will have a good and stable source of income which will help me provide for my family well. I am getting old and I no longer want to go for casual work since my energy does not allow me to.
 
7th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
I am able to use modern farming methods which is a guarantee of getting bumper harvest from the farm as opposed to using the traditional methods that I had been using before. This therefore translates to more food for my family.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I have a plan of buying a cow that I will rear within the compound and maybe eventually let it give birth to its offspring which I may sell of and make some cash. I will also be able to get milk from the cow and stay away from issues of buying milk from vendors from time to time.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I have been able to use the money to buy fertilizers and modern seedlings that has helped me get a bumper harvest at the end of the season unlike how I used to get very little harvest in the past using traditional methods of farming.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to make major changes and repairs on my house which is now in a dilapidated state. I need to transform the house from a mud walled house to a semi-permanent house so that it may last for a very long time into the future.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
4560 KES ($45 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am now able to hire an additional land for farming and therefore end up with a bumper harvest.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My life will change because I will have bought a cow that I will be milking. I will then milk the cow and sell the product to my neighbors and earn some money out of the business.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different because I am able able to get more farm products and have enough money to support my family.
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I am planning to buy a cow and get milk out of the cow.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I face in my life is that I spent a lot of cash to take my children to school but unfortunately they are still unemployed thereby making them to still depend on me but I don't have the strength to support them fully due to old age.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I go out to graze my cow. This makes me happy because I eventually get milk once the cow is well fed.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer on buying seeds and fertilizer that I will use on my farm. I will use part of the transfer to start a paultry farm in my compound and renovate my house with the remaining amount.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement I am proudest of is that I managed to build my own house using savings I had accumulated while working in town.