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
attach_money
 
Transfers
check
Completed
Newsfeed > Mary's Profile
Mary's family
Mary
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
52
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
attach_money
 
Follow to be updated on Mary's next check-in.
 
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
attach_money
 
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to build a house since the one we live in has become congested because the family is fast growing. I am as well as planning to start a grocery business to help me generate income for my household members.
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 Give Directly came into my life is that I am now hopeful in life. The financial support enabled me to buy a few goats. I am hopeful they will make me wealthier within a short period of time considering their short gestation period and the high market demand. The goats will be of great help in achieving most of my goals such as paying school fees for my children. My wish is when they multiply I will sell some of the offspring to the local and start a business. I am hopeful that I will no longer struggle meeting my basic needs on time.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I will have finished building my house and will have set aside some cash for future use when my daughter will be joining college. I wouldn't want to be found off guard and I would want my children to have the best that I never had because of inadequate resources.
 
18th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
attach_money
 
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, I am able to afford to budget for the daily provisions like buying daily food without necessarily working twice as much. I have the ability to hire extra manpower to help on my farm so that there is an increase in the farm proceeds which we can sell to generate income and consume at the same time. I am able to pay school fees for the children right in time and they get the opportunity to stay in school and study well.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I have a new goal of saving and taking my child to college to acquire skills that will enable her to get better opportunities in life.
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 was able to move from my father in-law's compound to my own and now my sons can have a place to build their own house. With the transfers, I was able to save and bought building materials like iron sheets and nails that I used to build a smaller house in my own compound away from my father in-law's compound. I am grateful to GD for enabling me to make such a move as I would not have managed on my own given my earnings were so meagre it only took care of our daily provisions.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to save and pay more and more school fees for my children who are bound to join college and secondary respectively. The timely payment of school fees gives them ample time to study more and pass their exams too.
 
15th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
attach_money
 
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 because l am now able to support my spouse pay school fee for our children as compared to before when could not support him being that I did not have any source of income.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal in the next four months is to start continue saving for my project of putting a spacious house and also to save more money to pay for my children school fee.
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 I am able to support my spouse in pay school fee for our children with ease, as compared to before when my spouse could struggle so much a lone, being that I do not have any proper in come. I am also very sure of buy more building materials and putting up a nice spacious comfortable and I will no longer stay in such house.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months l expect to have put a nice comfortable house where I will be staying in comfortably. I also be able to buy more households like furniture since right the house is too small that I am not to buy any thing.
 
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?
My life is currently different than it was four months ago because I am always able to support my family. I have constantly been able to pay their school fees in time thus none of them always stay at home due to lack of school fees. Before I was enrolled in GiveDirectly's program, life was hard and occasionally, they could be sent back home. Secondly, I have been able to provide for my family food so easily.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next four months, my additional goal is to save part of my transfers and later use them to enroll my daughter to college next year. She is currently in form four. I have already begun planning to make her academic transition easier. When she obtains the right education and succeeds in life, she will be of great help to my family, more so to her siblings.
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 having a lighter burden. In the past, I was the sole breadwinner and I had to do a lot of casual jobs in order to provide food and school stationeries for my children. The transfers from GiveDirectly has greatly supplemented my daily wages and I do not feel much burdened.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect to have built some good savings towards raising college fee for my daughter who will be through with her secondary education by the end of this year. This will give me an easy time because I shall not be required to do more casual jobs to raise her fee when she will be through with her secondary education.
 
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
 
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 because l am now staying in my own home where l am comfortable to do my developments.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal is to start saving for my project of building a spacious comfortable house since right now the house l am staying in is very small.
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 l am now staying in my own home and at the same time it is iron roofed house compared to the thatched leaky one where l was being rained on.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In six months time l expect to have started build my new spacious iron roofed house.
 
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
attach_money
 
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I have a new goal of taking my children to college. I have two children in secondary school whom I didn't know I would afford taking to colege after secondary but now I believe by the time they will clear their final examination I'll have saved some cash to take them to school.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different from the way it would have been if I did not receive the transfer in that if it was not for GD I would not have afforded to build an iron roof house but now that I have already started buying the materials required I believe soon I'll own an iron roof house.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In next six months, I expect to have saved a good amount of money to take my children to college next year.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving the money from GiveDirectly is that I feel more independent because I do not have to ask my spouse for money every time. These makes feel so proud of my self and I'm happy too.
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in life is getting enough money to buy food for my family because the little that I get from farm produce, I use in paying school fees for my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is during the day.This is the time I meet and relax with my friends to release stressful moments.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to purchase building materials and construct a new house.This is because I am temporarily living at my mother in-laws house due to heavy rainfall that affected my leaking grass thatched house two days ago.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My proudest achievement is when my two children joined high school after better performance. I never imagined I could afford them better education but with good harvest from farm produce, I am able pay them school fees in time.