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 > Susan's Profile
Susan's family
Susan
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Teaching
faceAge:
36
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($519 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 from how it would have been because with the transfer, I was able to practice timely cultivation and used hybrid seeds. Due to this, my family has been having enough food to last us till the next harvesting season after selling part of the produce. This has enabled me to always meet our daily needs on time unlike before.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by enrolling everyone who accepted to be enrolled in their program and by honoring their promise. I do not see anything that did not go well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent my second transfer on farming. I leased a piece of land, hired a tractor to help me in farm preparation and planting purposes and also bought some fertilizers and hybrid seeds. Apart from this, I spent some amount to start a business in my locality by opening a shop. I decided on this so that I would at least have a source of income. I used the remaining amount on food and other household necessities.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($535 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the feeling of content because I have achieved the goal of my dream which is to own a watermelon farm. From the stories I have been getting from my friends who have invested in this project before, I believe I'll get good income out of it that will help me achieve most of my goals, constructing a house being the top priority of all the goals after losing the previous house through fire leaving us with totally nothing.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
My phone had run out of power so it was off the whole night. The moment I switched it on in the morning I was happy to receive a confirmation message that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I showed my spouse the message, he was happy too, and we celebrated together. Having lost all the household through the fire that caught our house we had a lot to do and receiving the money was meant a new chapter in our life.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I used part of the money I received from GiveDirectly to start up watermelon farming project because it does well in our area considering the type of the soil. At the same time, it requires a lot of capital to maintain which I couldn't afford previously so when I received the money I felt it was wise to take advantage of it and spent it on the project because this was a golden opportunity that I couldn't waste. To add on that, I'm planning to sell the fruits after harvesting so that I can raise money for constructing a new house because my house got burnt with all the households leaving us with nothing thus we have been lacking most of the households and a good shelter. A portion of the money I added to part of my savings and used it to purchase a water pump that I'll be using to irrigate the watermelon crops because currently, we are experiencing drought yet the watermelon to requires a lot of water for it to do well.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 6 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will be able to expand my fish and paultry farming business as I will buy more fingerlings.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I am able to prepare breakfast for my family. This makes me happy as I love when they are well fed.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I face in my life is that I had undergone an operation and it really drained our finances. This has made us to exhaust our savings leaving us with very little to spend.