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 > Gilbert's Profile
Gilbert's family
Gilbert
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
24
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?
I do not have a new goal now. I just wish to focus on the poultry-keeping project that I have started. This will be one of my sources of income in that I will be selling the eggs. I will use the money to meet the daily needs of my family and save some to expand this project.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirecly does well in that it has improved the standard of living for the people in the community. Most of the people have built a better house while others have started different projects which earn them some income. to meet their daily basic needs. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 28,000 on purchasing a heifer. This is because I buy milk and it's so costly for me since I do not have a stable source of income. I will cut this cost when it reproduces in the next few months. I am so happy because I have always wanted to own a dairy cow. I spent KES7,000 on purchasing hens. This is one of the projects that I had always wished to invest in. currently, I am focusing on this because it earns me some income through the sales of eggs. I spent KES 3,000 on purchasing a chain link wire. I have fenced my compound nicely and this also prevents my hens from destroying my crops. The remaining amount of money I spent on chicken feeds and food for my family.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was busy on the farm tilling my farm and when I got back, I realized that GiveDirectly had sent the promised money. I had left my phone at home since I did not want any disturbances and the Mpesa message that I saw when I returned made my evening a better one. I took my notebook and decided to alter some of my goals while aligning them in order of priorities as I prepared to go and cash them out.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I operate a Kinyozi business in the neighborhood and this has been my source of survival aside from maize farming which one has to wait until harvesting season which is usually once a year. I have seen changes in my daily life ever since I received my transfer because I have been able to diversify my sources of income. I was able to purchase some chicken and chicken feeds using part of the transfer and I sometimes sell the eggs and use the money to purchase what I need. Due to this, I believe that I will be able to cater to my daily needs on time since I no longer depend on one source of income.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer, I bought a heifer worth KES 16000 so that I will be having enough milk for consumption and sale when it reproduces. In addition, I spent KES 21000 on poultry farming by buying some chicken, their feeds, and fencing their feeding ground. I decided on this so my chicken will not be destroying crops on the farm and it will also be easy for me to feed and monitor them without necessarily being around all the time. It was during the planting season in my region and in readiness for this, I spent KES 12000 in hiring a tractor for land preparation purposes and on the purchase of hybrid seeds. I spent the remaining KES 1200 on food after saving KES 4500.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will mean that I will be able to actualize my plan of rearing sheep. Our area favors the rearing of sheep and delving into this type of business will earn me profit when I sell them. I plan to use KES 40000 to buy 8 sheep for a start. I also plan to boost my beans farming by planting double what I do know with money from the second transfer.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have been able to farm maize and beans that have enabled me to earn something, though small. Being able to earn some little money from the effort that I have put into my farm has what has brought me happiness in the last 6 months.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Our area does not receive sufficient rainfall and this affects our farming. My major challenge is food security because the products that I get from my farm do not allow me to sell and earn money from them and at the same time get food from them. I also face the challenge of crop diseases that are resistant to pesticides and this, in turn, affects my farm produce.