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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 > Joan's Profile
Joan's family
Joan
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
21
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($462 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
At the moment, I do not have any new goals since I managed to use the money as we planned. I spent a better of the transfers on livestock which is my main project and all I need is to concentrate on taking care of them to ensure that I get good outcomes from them.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Letting everyone have the opportunity to choose how to spend the received transfer was the greatest work done by Give Directly. We saw a lot of input on school fees payment, obtaining enough foodstuff for children, and also pieces of land for some who had small pieces. In my opinion, nothing went wrong throughout the whole process and I have not heard of negative talks about the organisation.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The second transfer was beneficial to me in completing some of the projects that I had in the pipeline and wanted to ensure their completion before exhausting the money that I received. 30000 KES from the second transfer aided in the plastering of my floor which was made of mud. The rate at which dust ruined my household and resulted in the respiratory illness of my family members was alarming. Since I did not have the means to raise the plastering materials, I had to put up with the dust. I am glad I was able to purchase the plastering materials and paid for the plastering labor for the floor. Our house is now free from dust. I also bought 2 goats at 8000 KES to add to the ones I had for rearing with a projection of selling some of them to raise money for paying for my household bills. 6500 KES I spent on new furniture for my family and bought corn and other foodstuffs that can push my family for a while the remaining 8000 KES.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($490 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9. am when I received a message from GiveDirctly that was accompanied by another Mpesa message. I could not believe my eyes at first as this was the first time in my life to receive such a huge amount of money. With all that excitement, I had to call my husband who on arrival, the first thing he could do was to confirm the account balance as he was not sure whether I had informed him given him the right information. We started aligning our set goals from that moment and managed to later on the same day withdraw that money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
After purchasing a cow that has consistently provided my family of six with enough milk. This has been the greatest joy, and even though there are other projects that I initiated alongside, this has brought the biggest difference in my daily life. I used to wake up early every morning to secure casual jobs that would pay me at least KES100 per day and all this was because I needed extra money to buy some milk for my children. I am glad that my mornings are currently marked by happiness as I walk to the dairy shed where I milk and come back smiling with enough liters for the day.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
With the piling debts that we have been having with the milk vendor, we had been praying so hard that we get some money that could enable us to obtain a lactating cow. By the time we received the transfer, the milk bill that we had in the nearby shop was already at KES2000 and we had to settle that first before spending KES33000 on obtaining a lactating cow. Since then it has all been good milking from our own that provides us with enough milk for the household use and saving us the cost of spending at least KES40 that we would spend on buying a liter of milk every day. I also obtained other household goods among them foodstuff at KES3000, a mattress at KES3000, clothing for all the six members of my household since everyone needed at least a new pair and had to spend a total of KES6000, and also Settled another debt of KES4000 that had also been piling as I had been obtaining maize from the neighbor's house with the hope of settling after receiving the transfer. With the remaining amount, I transferred it to the family saving account and has been of great help in checking other household needs that we could not buy in bulks.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I'll be able to finish up constructing and equipping the house I started eight months ago. I would like to do some finishing, put a nice ceiling and cement the floor. Before building this one, we have been staying in one small grass-thatched house which was quiet to accommodate my family of three and visitors. This will cost me approximately KES 40,000. The rest of the money, I plan to invest in buying sheep and goats so that as my children grow up to join the school, I can sell them to pay school fees.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon. At this time, my child is back from school, I get to ask about how their day was as we bond. My day is usually spent looking after the farm animals and fetching water for them. At this time I also get to rest.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship has been low income. My husband who is the breadwinner is a motorbike operator. This business is very unstable and challenging. On a good day, he can make up to KES 1000 a day. This goes to food as we purchase even the cereals. Our place is a dry area, we do not harvest much from the farm. Getting extra money for savings is pretty hard.