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 > Selina's Profile
Selina's family
Selina
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Raising livestock
faceAge:
58
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($518 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than how it would have been if I never received the transfer because I have been able to cement my house. Due to this, cleaning has been made easier and less time-consuming. Also, the transfer enabled me to practice timely cultivation and use hybrid seeds for the first time in my life. Due to this, I am optimistic of a good harvest that will last us till the next harvesting season after selling some. I would not have been able to achieve all this had it not have been for GiveDirectly.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by giving us extensive training before sending us the transfer and I do not see anything that they did not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
When I received my second transfer, I spent some amount to buy a dairy cow. I believe that it will be calving soon and my family will have enough milk for consumption and sale. This is also an asset to my household that I can depend on in case of financial challenges. Also, I spent the remaining amount to cement the floor of my house as a way of making it more permanent. This will also save me the time I usually use in looking for clay soil to use in dusting the floor.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($530 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Ever since I received my first transfer, my daily life has not been the same again. This is because I was always living a life full of worries on how to get money to use in meeting our needs. It had reached a point where I felt that I had achieved less as a parent because it was always hard for me to get money to use in buying food for my family. Being able to buy two sacks of maize flour using my transfer has made my family's life different. We now get two meals a day unlike before when it was through God's grace if we managed to get a meal in a day.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was a few minutes to 4 am when I received a message notification on my phone. I waited till daybreak so that my son would help me read its content since I do not know how to read. When he informed me that I had received money from GiveDirectly, I became so happy. I knew that my prayers had finally been answered and I would be able to achieve my goals.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
When I received my transfer, my priority was to buy a dairy cow. I settled this because it had always been my prayer to own one but I was not able to due to lack of source funds. I am now glad since I can be able to sell milk and earn an income which I can use to meet other household needs. Also, I hired a tractor to till my farm and bought enough seeds in preparation for planting. I decided to do this so that I would take advantage of the early rains in my region. I bought two sacks of maize flour to last us till our next harvest year after paying tuition and school fees for my children. I used the remaining amount to buy some decent clothes for my family.
 
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means adding two more dairy cattle to my herd since the two i currently own have been my only source of income whenever i sell milk produced hence investing in buying cattle is my main aspiration.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when I'm done with the activities i had planned for the day and its time to take rest as i meditate on what went on well and which goals i never achieved during the day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Poor harvests resulting from unreliable rainfall patterns and crop pests and diseases has been the biggest hardship i have faced in my life. Subsistence farming has become a waste due to poor yields unlike in the past whereby i used to full depend on farming as a source of living