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 > Sharon's Profile
Sharon's family
Sharon
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
24
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($462 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Our new goal is to start a shop and a cloth-selling business. We would like to do so so that we can be able to get more income than we can save some and use it in making other developments. We do not have jobs and hence we usually depend on farming to earn a living. We usually grow crops such as beans, and vegetables and we sell them. The money that we make from the sales is what usually helps us in buying food and paying school fees for our child.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well because they were not biased, they enrolled everyone who is a member of the village. They also did well because they changed the lives of many in the community for the better. Most of them built new houses that are roofed with iron- sheets, others bought livestock, and some paid school fees with them. People used to live in grass-thatched houses but now the face of the village has changed.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We spent KES 30000 of our recent transfer on building a kitchen house. We had already built the main house with the first transfer. We decided to use the transfers on building other houses because we used to live in another part of the family land when the land had not been subdivided among us. The land has already been subdivided and we have been shown where we are supposed to settle. We didn't have the money for building the houses on the new piece of land and hence we are grateful to GiveDirectly for coming up with this program. We are farmers and hence we spent another KES 1200 on buying bean and indigenous vegetable seeds that we have already planted. We plan to sell the beans and the vegetables when they are ready to get income. With the remaining transfer amount, we used it in buying food and clothes for ourselves and our two children. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for your big help.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($489 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I usually wake up very early and head to work on the farm. On this particular morning, I had a message come in at 8 a.m. I checked my phone and was so surprised to see that I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy to receive a donation of such magnitude.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My husband, two children and I live in a tiny, grass-thatched house. To make matters worse, the roof is leaky. Just last night, it rained heavily and so, sadly, I had to watch my children endure being rained on and the piercing cold. Before receiving this transfer, I had no money that would make it possible to change our living conditions. But now, I have bought the necessary material for the construction of a new house. I am excited to begin its construction and give my children a decent place to lay their heads.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My family of four has been living in a grass-thatched house, with a leaky roof. These conditions made me sad, however, I had no money to build another since I am unemployed. So I spent KES 40,000 on buying construction material for a new home. I plan to begin the construction process when I receive the second transfer. I also spent KES 5,000 on buying maize, wheat and sugar, to ensure we had enough food. And because our clothes were in terrible condition, I spent KES 5,000 on buying new ones.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will mean better housing for my family. We currently live in a small grass thatched hut with my husband and 2 children. I gave birth to our 2nd born two weeks ago and I find it unhealthy staying with them in this hut. When it rains water pours inside and the floor becomes wet making it unpleasant to stay. Our hut also serves as a kitchen and bedroom and when we cook the smoke makes it uncomfortable to stay indoors especially with a new born. I will use around KSH 30,000 for building materials to build an iron roofed house that can accommodate all of us and the hut we currently stay in will remain as the kitchen.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when my husband is back with food for the family. Each morning when he goes to look for work I'm worried but pray that he gets some income to support us through the next day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband struggles to fend for the family by doing casual jobs like working in people's farms, house construction or any job available to him within the village. In a day he gets an income of KSH 200 when he's lucky. We barely have food on the table and since I have a new born I have to eat to produce enough milk for her. I'm forced to start looking for a job now to help him in providing for the family. The biggest hardship we face is insufficient finances to sustain the family's needs such as food and good housing.