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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.
Stages:
 
Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Jumwa's Profile
Jumwa's family
Jumwa
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
30
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($509 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life has changed a lot because for one I was able to buy two oxen which I will be using in the future to cultivate my farm as opposed to how I have been plowing my farm using the hand-held garden hoe. I also bought a new bed and a brand new mattress which has resulted in a complete turn around of our situations from how we used to sleep on the floor mat during the gone-by days.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, I think that the organization has played a big role in changing peoples lives in so many ways because there are those who bought livestock using cash transfers while others have purchased items such as beddings and furniture.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I used the money to buy two oxen with the main purpose of buying the cows being that I wanted to use them in the future for cultivation purposes. The two oxen were sold to me at a total cost of thirty thousand shillings. In addition to that, I also purchased a goat at a cost of approximately Kes 4000 Kes in addition to beddings.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($542 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 that I managed to buy four goats. I feel proud and ambitious because the goats will multiply and help me during emergencies. People in our area value such animals because they usually come in handy in times of need. Usually, the wealth of a person is usually measured depending on the flock of cows and sheep they have. I am happy because I will soon be among the people counted in that category. It is a matter of time before I earn the envied title the same way as my villagers. When they increase in number, I can sell some and used the amount on taking care of our pressing needs as a family.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received the transfer I felt very happy. I had been woken up by the message at around 4:00 am. I tried so hard to contain my self since it was still very early to start celebrating. I decided to go back to sleep but I did not get any sleep because of the joy that I had in my heart. I knew that my dreams were finally going to be actualized. The shame and burden I had carried all those years were finally going to be erased.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my transfer on purchasing a bed and a mattress for me and my children. Before the transfer, we used to sleep on sacks and old mosquito nets. I would neatly spread them to cushion us from the hard cemented floor. This was uncomfortable but I had no option because this is what I could afford but I am glad that this has changed after buying new beddings. Apart from that, I also bought four goats. I know they will reproduce and help me in the future. I also finished roofing my house. There are parts that I had left unfinished due to lack of enough money. Part of the money was spent on clearing last term's school fees balance for my two children. I also managed to pay part of this terms school fees and I feel relieved because the burden of paying school fees had been on my back for so long. The remaining amount was spent on food and buying water which is normally a problem in our area.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will be able to expand my business of selling sardines(small fish)beyond our local market of Bamba to bigger markets in Mariakani and Mombasa.For a very long time, my friends who are very successful in the business have been urging me to join them but i always hesitated because i did not have the needed capital to expand much as i greatly admired their achievements.Now thanks to this transfers,i can see my dream of becoming a successful business woman coming true.With the proceeds, I will be able to finish building my current unfinished house for my family and also educate my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Midday is the happiest part of my day.This is because it is the time when I am through with my household chores and I am able to head out to the market to tend to my business where I get my income to take care of my children's needs.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being homeless for a period of two years was by far the biggest hardship that I have faced in my life.After my house collapsed due to heavy rainfall, I was forced to live with my mother in law in her one room house which was too small to fit all of us comfortably. Our privacy and freedom to interact and move around was greatly affected,I could not even invest in buying some of the household items that I desired to own because we lacked room for storage.To make it worse, anytime my husband used to return to the village from town,we were forced to go seek for accommodation elsewhere and this was very embarrassing for us.