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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.
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Newsfeed > Jonathan's Profile
Jonathan's family
Jonathan
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
51
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Jonathan's next check-in.
 
23rd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My next plan in the next four months is to spend my next transfers on paying for labour for house construction. I bought some building materials with the saving which I had and now left with the labour cost. I believe my next transfer would enable me to facilitate the construction.
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 is that I managed to buy a solar lighting system which we use for lighting in our home. Before, I used to spend approximately KES 50 a day on buying kerosene which was so costly. Now I am happy that I got to save that which I would have spent on buying kerosene and spent it on other basic items for the family. Again, my children now have access to a clean source of light for studying at home.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect to have built a better house. I now have materials in place and that I would spend my next transfers on paying for labour. I have strategized my finances well and I am hopeful that I will finally achieve my long term goal of building a new house very soon. I can't wait to live in a more spacious home. I thank this organization for making this happen. Without them, I could still be figuring out how to go about achieving my dream.
 
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 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 goal is to buy solar power for lighting in my house and to build a poultry house. I will start keeping chickens for eggs and meat. I intend to pay for the acquisition of both investments using part of the transfers.
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 better farming practices. I have been using the money to hire labor to pluck tea at a good time resulting in better production. This means that my income from the tea farm has greatly been boosted. Unlike before, I used to work on the farm single-handedly. being old, I had a difficult time keeping up with production leading to wastages of the crop on the farm. I can now afford to pay people to help me because of the money that comes every month.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to have changed in the next six months in that I will be stable in farming operations. My tea farm will be doing better. Additionally, I will have harvested maize that I planted using the money I received. I will have established my poultry-keeping too. These very many sources of income are going to come from diligent utilization n of the coming transfers.
 
16th 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?
My life is currently different in my daily life is in the many projects that I have undertaken on my farm. I established a tea nursery bed that will be used in recapping my own crops. When I planted my crop four years ago, some of them dried up leaving gaps and hence underutilization of the little farm that was allocated to me by my father. Recapping them will increase my income because I will be harvesting more leaves form the piece f land that I farm. event though this is to be felt at a later date, having the seedlings from the transfers is a big achievement that boosts my hopes for a better life in the future.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal is to start a poultry project. I will use the money I get from this aid to construct a poultry structure. I intend to buy iron roofing sheets, a wiremesh and to pay for the construction labor. This way I will have established another source of income from eggs and chickens.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Increased income from the sale of milk due to an increase in my milk production is the biggest improvement in my life this year. I have been using the money to buy livestock feeds and supplements. My cows are now doing well than previously. I sell most of it and get money to meet other household needs. The remaining milk is used for consumption in the household on a daily basis eliminating one of the daily expenses. I am able to provide for my family every day.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, My life will have improved because I will be having another source income in the egg production alongside crop farming. I will establish the project in the next two months and by the sixth month, I will be benefitting from the investment. I know that I will have an easier time and an ability to even invest more aggressively in farming.
 
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago since I have acquired relatively adequate tea seedlings to be planted. As a tea farmer, I endeavor to grow more tea to attract more income in the future. Moreover, we look more presentable in our new clothes. Besides, we have acquired cushions for seats in our family. Thus, our seats are more comfortable. Still, we have managed to buy and plant vegetables that will attract more income for us in the near future. We greatly thank GiveDirectly for supporting us.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The additional goal for my life for the next four months is to buy at least 20 hens. I chose to prioritize on raising poultry since they tend to mature faster. Moreover, the project requires relatively little capital to start.
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 have afforded to purchase a solar lamp for my family. Accordingly, we enjoy a relatively cleaner and cheaper source of light. Moreover, I am saving significant funds that could otherwise have been used to buy kerosene.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change significantly in the next six months since I shall be attaining more income. We shall be getting eggs for sale and consumption from our farm. Accordingly, we shall be enjoying adequate food and a balanced diet. Still, we shall be residing in an improved house because I am intending to renovate our house.
 
8th 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?
My life currently different from how it was four months in that I have enough food for my family. Give directly monthly transfer has to help me meet my family basic needs mainly food and education for my childrens.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The new goal that I have in my life inthe next four months is to start poultry farming.
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 the tea nursery that I managed to prepare using the monthly tranfers.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months to come I expect to have bought a cow.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
455 KES ($5 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
The goals I now have is to improve my farming by filling the gaps where tea seedling dried in my tea plantation farm. My other goal is to improve the state of my house and also invest with my wife in poultry farming.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different since I nowadays have a phone.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change since I will have started improving my house into a semi permanent one.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is that I can now communicate with people easily any time since I now days have a phone.
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have ever faced is when I was starting my family, I had nothing of my own, I was depending on my parents to provide food for us and I felt like I failed as a household head.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of the day is morning hours when working on my tea farm because I know I have to do my best, since it is the only source of income for my family.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to use part of the transfer to improve my tea farming by buying quality seedlings and fertilizer. I also intend to use rest of the transfer to buy food for my family.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement I am so proud of is my tea farm, I started it out with very little capital but so far so good its high production has enabled me provide basic needs for my family.