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 > Jackson's Profile
Jackson's family
Jackson
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
House construction
faceAge:
52
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($493 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
check
 
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
We lead a better living standard after receiving the transfer. In brief, we have managed to attain a lot; having a new house, acquiring adequate food and new clothing and paying school fees for my children yet I was ailing. Though I am still sick, I feel less stressed as the otherwise primarily breadwinner.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by educating target recipients before sending the transfers. This facilitates the development of informed decisions by the recipients. Thus, I find nothing that GuveDirectly is not doing well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I build a new house using 230 USD of my second transfer. We had inadequate rooms, something that has forced us to stay in the same room with some of our children who could need some privacy. Besides, I used 100 USD on paying fees for my 3 children who are at secondary school. By doing so, I cleared all the arrears that had accumulated to ensure they are no longer disturbed from studying by being sent home to collect them. Further, we used 100 USD on purchasing some food items. Finally, we bought clothes for each of our family members using the remaining amount. I thank God that the funds arrived when we needed them the most. Precisely, I have been sick for a while and GiveDirectly came to my rescue because I could not handle my masonry tasks effectively.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($500 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home having lunch with my family when I heard a message notification on my phone. I stopped to check it and to my surprise, it was the M-Pesa SMS that we had been eagerly waiting for. I was so happy on seeing this and I immediately informed my whole family of the good news. They were so happy to hear this and we celebrated together. My wife and I then hurriedly prepared and we went to withdraw the money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer has brought a big difference in our lives. I have been able to buy a bull and hence we will no longer be forced to go to a very far place to get a bull for our cow. I plan to start the construction of the new kitchen with the next transfer now that I have been able to buy iron sheets. When the kitchen gets complete, we will no longer be having stress about where to get grass for roofing and we will be able to look like our neighbors who have houses that are roofed with iron sheets. I have also been able to pay school fees for my children who are in secondary school. I have hence been able to have peace of mind having done that. The maize that I bought with part of the transfer will enable us to have something to eat for a while. I will hence not be having any worries about what my family is to eat for some time.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The transfer has helped in a big way that I had never imagined. I was able to buy a bull with part of the transfer and pay school fees for my children who are in secondary school. I also bought some iron sheets that I plan to use in constructing another kitchen. I also bought some maize for my family's consumption. I have always wanted to build another kitchen because the one that we have has become old and the roof is grass-thatched. Getting grass for roofing the house is not easy because they are no longer available. One has to go very far to get it. I have one cow and I wanted to add another, that is, a bull. We usually go very far seeking a bull for our cow. I usually depend on farming as my source of livelihood. The money that I have been getting from the farming has mostly been going to payment of school fees for my children who are in secondary. School fee payment had though become an issue for me. This is because I had fell ill and hence most of the money went to payment to the payment of my hospital bill. Because of this misfortune and the little money from farming, Io have not been in a position to do any developments.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
It means I will have to buy additional cow for my family, currently we have one cow that produce 6ltrs per day and I sell 2 ltr at sh 30 so if I get a cow we will have additional 6 ltr ,improving my household earning and help me pay school fees for my two children in secondary school
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the morning when I have woken up, this is when I fell better because the pain from the illness is not severe unlike in the evening and mid-day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Thein my life was in 2009 when I got ill of unknown illness but I got illed after using some herbal medicine and in July 2019 I felt sick again and was diagnosed with throat cancer.My health detoriated and I could not go to work and provide for my wife and children.curretly I am undergoing treatment at Tenwek hospital