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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 > Jumwa's Profile
Jumwa's family
Jumwa
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
63
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($502 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Before the coming of GD, I had no livestock in my homestead because of the poverty life that I had. After receiving my transfers, I settled to buy dairy cows and a pair of oxen. These are the living assets that I will depend on just in case of any financial difficulties. This is because soon I will be getting plenty of milk for commercials whereby I will b selling to the nearby markets and get an income. The remaining litres will be for my family's consumption which will be a surplus to their daily meals. With the pair oxen, it will be of great help for my family activities. I have been hiring those of my neighbors fr years and sometimes I could not afford it. This is now a big relief to me because I am assured of getting a lot of harvests.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did so well in my region because the staffs gave us some enough teachings on how best we can utilize our money and protecting our Mpesa accounts. This was before getting the transfers. this is the best part that I liked most. I do not see any sector GD failed us.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying a dairy cow and a pair of oxen at a total of KES 45000. I also bought some bags of cement to renovate my house which had some racking walls. I then bought a solar panel at KES 5000, which is now helping me at night. Previously I was using some candles which were a bit costly and sometimes I could not afford it and it was affecting my children's since they could not do their school assignments at night, It is a relief because apart from getting some light at night, I will also use it in charging my phone and those of my neighbors at a fee. The remaining amount of money, I used it in buying some sufficient foodstuffs for my family and some other household items.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($544 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
I was previously sheltering in a very small house that was in a bad condition, its roof was dilapidated and whenever it rained, then I would be in trouble since it was leaking everywhere. Currently, I live in a spacious, decent and iron-roofed house unlike before GiveDirectly came. I feel this is the biggest difference that this money has brought into my life. Through this money, I managed to buy enough stock of building materials which include building poles, iron sheets and paid for the mason for his job. I could not have managed to build this house on my own had it not been this financial help.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received a message alert on my phone early in the morning as I was preparing my tools to attend to my crops. I called for my helper who later on confirmed that I had finally received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt happy even as I began working on my farm.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent a larger portion of my first transfer to purchase some building materials which includes iron sheets and building poles in order to build a new house. The house that was previously my shelter was in a very bad state, small and its roof was dilapidated and whenever it rained, it was a pathetic situation. I am now happy that I do not have to worry about rains anymore. I managed to build a new, spacious and iron-roofed house. I also paid a portion of the money to the mason for his job. In addition, I also purchased a pair of oxen at KES 29000 to aid me in my farming. I am now able to do my farming early and timely for better harvests. This will make my farming productive again. I spent the remaining amount to buy foodstuffs and other household needs.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
A decent house for my family has been my greatest desire in life. Currently, my house's roof is leaking and I hardly get enough sleep especially when it is raining. Since the onset of this rain season, I was forced to shift my bed to the sitting room because the main rooms' roof is full of holes. My plan is to spend utmost 300 dollars to repair the roof, something that will restore my happiness. On the other hand, I plan to spend $380 to buy an oxen and ox plough that will help me in upscaling my farming. This will assure me of more harvests since I will be able to prepare and plant my farm in time. Hence, a better life that I have longed for.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I spend the better part of my day doing farm work in the morning and part of my afternoon hours at the bush burning charcoal. Evening becomes my happiest part of the day because, I usually get ample time to relax and share meals with my husband.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a reliable source of income to provide us with our basic needs like meals and nice shelter has been my biggest hardship. Currently, we depend on subsistence farming and charcoal burning but these activities are unreliable to us. Our harvests are usually low since we use traditional methods of farming while the charcoal burning work is very tiresome and low paying.