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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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Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Richard's Profile
Richard's family
Richard
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
61
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($499 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Personally, I have achieved so many things in life which I wouldn't achieve in my entire life were it not for Give Directly. Presently I got two good cows which I bought as a result of the transfers. Now I know that once the cows start lactating I will generate income through the sale of milk. Again, I now wear good clothes which I couldn't afford before. Whenever I wore them I look smart in it and thank Give Directly for that. Lastly, I paid school fees for my child for the entire year and that gave me a peace of mind to focus on other things that which benefit my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, Give Directly had a clear intention on changing the lives of the beneficiaries by giving KES 110000 to every household. This money was well utilized by many and the living standards have greatly improved for many.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
The second transfers which I received from Give Directly, I majorly invested in livestock. I bought two dairy cows with a total cost of KES 40000. My main aim of doing so is to enable me to have milk for use at home and also to generate some income through the sale of milk. The other portion, I spent on paying school fees for my child and buying food for the family.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($546 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have built a better house for my family. We used to live in a small grass-thatched house that could not host all of us comfortably. I depend on the casual jobs in the village and the amount of money that I could get was not enough to gather for the basic needs and at the same time save to build a house. My children could spend night neighbor's house and this was so risky because of the movement at night. Currently, I have built a better and spacious house for the family and we no longer have a problem of being rained on and the cold at night, My children no longer spend nights away from home because they have room to sleep. I am so happy because our living standard has changed to be better.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my money I felt so happy because I have never received such an amount of money before. I remember it was very early in the morning when I heard a message from my phone I felt so happy when I checked it. I knew I would be able to build a better house for my family.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spend the second transfer to build a better house for my family, We used to live in a small house which could not host all of us comfortably. I also paid school fees for my children in secondary school and the rest of the money I used it to buy food for the family.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My greatest desire has always been to educate my children to the highest level possible. Receiving this money therefore is a big boost toward achieving this dream. I will use the transfers to buy 5 sheep costing approximately 5000 shillings each and 2 cows at approximately 25,000 shillings each. These animals will enable me to pay fees for my children since they will have multiplied in approximately 7 to 8 months.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I am called to go and do some casual jobs such as cleaning in the town nearby. I am happy because I know that at the end of the day, I will have some money (150 shillings daily) to provide for my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My greatest challenge currently is lack of finances to educate children. It is so because I have sold almost all livestock I had and also, my crops have been failing for the past 5 years as a result of crop disease.