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.
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Newsfeed > Mercy's Profile
Mercy's family
Mercy
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
House construction
faceAge:
31
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Mercy's next check-in.
 
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal in the next four months is to invest part of my next transfers by expanding my poultry farm. I believe that the more birds I have the more eggs I will get. This will definitely boost my income. I now have hopes of having a sustainable source of income through the sale of eggs. This venture will supplement the income which I will be earning from the business that I run at the moment.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
In the past four months, we managed to renovate our house. My husband and I decided to pull together our monthly and purchased and building materials. We managed to plaster our house and got rid of the mud walls. The challenge which I had with our previous mud-walled house is that I had to sweep the floor more often because of the dust. Now I am happy that I got to spend little time by mopping the floor once in a day. I feel good because I now have time to do other constructive work. My life has really changed because of this organization
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I hope that my poultry farm will have picked up well. I am expecting to get a good amount of money through this business considering the high demand for eggs in this region. I will not be struggling to meet my daily expenses because I now have two sources of income. I can now start pursuing my long term goals because I now have the means to reach most of these goals. I want to first focus on paying school fees for my children and investing in other projects.
 
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 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 is currently different from how it was four months ago in that I have been able to build a chicken coop. I did this so that when I finally start the project, I would not miss where to keep my poultry. I have started stocking poultry which has really changed my life.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The additional goal for my life is to start poultry keeping project. This project is worth investing on as it requires minimal attention, time and input financially. In addition to this, I am planning to start buying some goats for rearing. I would want to have livestock in my compound just like my neighbors.
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 am a happy person. This is because I have started furnishing my house with the aim of making it into a semi-permanent one. I am now glad since I have been able to cement the floor and the walls hence the cleaning has been made easy.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My life will totally be different in the next six months since I will have finished furnishing my house. I will have also started poultry keeping project which has been my dream for years now. I could not achieve this because I did not have capital. Thanks to GD.
 
12th 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?
The many improvements in my home have brought joy in my home. Having a clean concrete floor is one of them. I used the money to buy cement and sand to do the plastering. Dust is no longer an issue as we have done it to protect my children form common disease like the common cold. Additionally, over the last four months, we have continued to have proper meals every time. My children look healthier and I believe this will even improve their learning in school. It is a privilege to be a recipient of this cash aid form GIveDirectly.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I plan to build a poultry house to keep chicken, I want to restart a proper house that will make disease control easy. Our last brood was wiped out by disease and I want to have a proper structure that will help in control disease.
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 the constant home improvement that I have undertaken. I have been using the money jointly with my husband to furnish and to plaster the house. I have two new seats and the flour is well plastered. It has made my home comfortable and reduces the amount of work that would have to be done in smearing the house every month. I am currently happy to be living in a good home.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next four months, I will have a large brood of chicken and a very well furnished house. This poultry keeping will be a contstant source of income for me.
 
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Things are better for us looking back four months ago. I have plastered our house (it was earthen), we have a chair and a carpet too. It is a new look altogether and I like it. Since I bought chicken from the previous transfers, I have had a source of income in the past four months from selling eggs. I now have some cash to sustain us on food and toiletries until the next transfers from GiveDirectly comes. This was not the case earlier because I had to run around doing casual work to meet such needs.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal is to continue buying chicken and rear them so as to sell them in future and buy goats. This will increase my income little by little. My end-game is to finally buy a cow that will give us milk for sale and consumption. I will achieve this by selling the goats once they reproduce.
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 the renovation of our house. I bought materials bit by bit and plastered the floors of the main house and the kitchen. The houses look good because of the face-lift. GiveDirectly funds enabled me to achieve this.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to be better in the next six months. Through the poultry business, our living standard will hopefully improve.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
4560 KES ($45 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I have a new goal of starting poultry farming as a business.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I would be struggling a lot because my own money could not be enough.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months,i am planning to buy a goat to feed in my compound.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am happy that my daily expenses has reduced because i was able to buy maize at bulk when i got the transfer.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My passion has always been to venture myself into poultry farming and after I got married, I have been unable to realize my dream due to lack of starting capital. I usually 'envy' my neighbors who rare chicken but I usually pray that one day I'll have many of my own. Not realizing my passion has therefore been the biggest hardship I have ever experienced.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when I have food on the table for them. The happiness portrayed on my face makes me feel alive.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer on buying basic needs to my family members. Furthermore, l am planning to venture into poultry farming on small scale level.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
When I was still unmarried, I ventured into poultry keeping by starting with three chicken and after a while, they multiply into a good number. Later, they were sold and my father used the cash to rent a piece of land for him to start farming. This is the achievement I am proudest of since I opened the door for my father to start farming.