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 > Paul's Profile
Paul's family
Paul
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Street trading - non-food (works for others)
faceAge:
20
workCampaign
FSD / Urban Youth
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($488 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?
Currently, my life is different from how it was in that, I am my own boss. I managed to start my own business which is doing well. My income has increased and I am able to take care of my needs easily. I could never imagine opening a business like this before. I had been employed as a hawker for two and a half years getting 300 KES a day. This was not enough to sustain my needs but I had no option. With these transfers, I have been able to improve my living standards. I even moved to a better house since my income has also increased.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal is to give back to the community by supporting the vulnerable. I don't have a specific project to handle this but I will plan to always support them in any way. Whenever I get a good amount of money, I will always spare some for them and even give away some of my clothes. It feels good to make someone happy. We will never be remembered by what we say or do but by how we made those people feel.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
It is a holiday season. I decided to take this opportunity to maximize my profit. I bought 30 pairs of trousers which are normally on demand using a larger portion of my transfer. So far the business is doing well. I had been employed as a hawker in a neighborhood called Eastleigh but I could not do my business in peace since officers were always on our neck. I was once arrested and lost all our stock. This was one of the worst moments since we had to start all over again. After receiving my transfer, the brilliant idea of starting my business could linger all the time in my mind. I am happy since I did not have to take a loan to secure a nice shop where my boutique sits. I can never regret making this decision. Besides that, I also bought seats in my house and a bit of shopping that would last us for a while.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
37152 KES ($360 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?
In the past before the transfers, I did not have any stable source of income. I used to depend on income from casual work and odd jobs in my area for survival. As a result of inconsistency, I was not able to do much in life. Even buying new clothes was just a dream in my life. I was struggling to provide for myself. When I received my first transfers, I used part of it to start a cloth business by buying a small stock to test waters. I am glad it has been doing well and I have managed to change my life because I dress well, eat well and I have a source of income. I no longer have to sit beside the road to wait for an opportunity which I am not even sure will come.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal is to start a shop retail shop business. I would not want to continue hawking clothes as I have been doing since the first transfer. This is why I have chosen to start another business to help me boost my income. I have realized we do not have many shops in my area and I would want to utilize this opportunity well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfers on boosting my cloth business by adding more stock to the business. I started with a low capital with part of my first transfer and wanted to grow the business especially now that we are approaching the festive season. I know I will get a good income during this festive season. I have saved part of my transfer for any financial emergency that may arise in my family. I used part of it to pay house rent, bought food for my family since we were running out of what to eat and the remaining, I gifted my mother to help her with her needs.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($194 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
attach_money
 
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My new goal is to buy a motorcycle that I will use as a taxi in order to earn a living. From my friend's knowledge and experience, the business is lucrative. Most of the people tend to move from one place to another and they prefer a taxi because it is fast.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having a lot of needs that needed to be settled with a meager pay had been a challenge. I wanted a comfortable mattress and a bed. I also needed to pay rent on time. Being able to settle all of them has given me peace of mind because I do not worry about fall down because of the weak bed or even being locked out of the house by the landlord. That is the biggest difference in my daily life that I can proudly talk about.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my transfer to purchase a mattress and bed since I had old ones. The bed was weak and the mattress was old hence uncomfortable. I was risking myself sleeping on a weak bed but I had no option because that is what I could afford. I am glad that after buying a new mattress and bed, the fears are gone. I also bought decent clothes. Apart from that, I paid rent on time. Rent has been a burden on my side to an extent that I had to talk to my landlord to pay in bits. The money really helped me to pay for a two months rent in advance. The remaining amount was spent on shopping.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
The moment I received the transfer, I felt very happy. I was almost leaving for work and decided to check what time it was. There was a message notification that popped out on the screen of my phone. I quickly rush to check its content and I was amazed to see such a huge amount of money that had been sent. I could only thank GiveDirectly because I knew that I was going to accomplish most of my needs.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
My first priority is to buy a motorcycle. I have a passion for this work. It is a convenient mode of transport and many people in my area use it because of its availability. I have friends who own them and this will provide a good income that I will be able to sustain my life. Secondly, I will start selling fruits and fruit juices. There is a ready market because of the high population and is profitable. Thirdly, I will pay my rent because shelter to me is very important after a long working day.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is gang violence, drugs and crime in Nigeria Mathare because this is a place where drugs and crime go hand in hand. I have seen many young people lose their lives through extrajudicial killings or mob justice or overdose of drugs. This has become the order of the day due to unemployment, high rate of school dropout and early marriage that puts more pressure to the youth to fend for their family. This will kill my ambition of naturing the youth in my area which will not resonate well with me.
What are your greatest ambitions?
My ambition is to help young people especially the youth to nature their talent. I would want to encourage them not to engage in drugs or crime. I live in Nigeria, Mathare and I have seen many youth destroy their lives. There has been extrajudicial killings, mob justice, arrests from police officers sometimes ending up in jail that make the life of this youth become so difficult. I would not want them to waste their life while they are so young because they are the future of tomorrow.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
On my usual day I wake up very early in the morning at 6:00am, take a shower, prepare breakfast then I leave for work. I arrive at my workplace in Eastleigh at 7:30am. I receive my handbags from my employer and start hawking around until 7:30pm in the evening. I go back home, prepare for supper and retire to bed. In my free time, I relax at home or meet friends and talk about what is happening in our area.