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 > Emmanuel's Profile
Emmanuel's family
Emmanuel
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
23
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53010 KES ($398 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
With favourable climatic conditions, I am hopeful that my maize crops will flourish and we have a bumper harvest from my 1-acre land, within the next year. I will be glad that my family of 3 will be food secure as well as financially stable and will not have to purchase food or struggle to make ends meet. Hopefully, I will utilize the salary I earn from the shoe retail shop at Kapkwen to set up a poultry farm since it is profitable and marketable and one does not have to struggle.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Have you ever imagined where you can get $1000 without paying back? I could not even think of such. I am glad that Givedirectly came through financially to my village members and now people can make informed decisions on what exactly uplifts their lives. The unconditionality of the transfers made life even best for us as we can purchase what we need.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Agriculture is the backbone of the economy for we eat to live and purchasing food always is expensive. As a family, we often cultivate maize on our 1-acre piece of land with the hope of a great harvest. Although there are challenges that hinder crops from flourishing, we never lose hope. When I received my transfers, I used $45 on land cultivation and purchasing maize seedlings to be sowed on the land. I am hopeful that my family of 3 will be food secure in future once we harvest the maize hence saving the money that we often use to purchase maize, as a capital for poultry farming that we plan on beginning soon. I am glad to have also purchased a heifer that will provide milk for my family once it sires. Consequently providing food for my family as well as boosting me financially since the income I earn from the casual job at the shoe retail shop in Kapkwen is insufficient.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($443 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was going about my daily business when I heard my phone ring. When I stopped what I was doing to confirm what the message meant, I discovered that I had received money from GiveDirectly. Words cannot express how happy I was at the time. I immediately called my wife and told her the good news, which she welcomed with joy because she knew we'd be able to meet our objectives soon.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is that I bought a dairy cow. I no longer buy milk on a daily basis for our consumption. I am optimistic that I will be able to save money and increase milk production in the future. I am grateful for the funds that enable us to raise my living standard.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Receiving money from GiveDirectly was the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. This is because I was confident that I would be able to achieve my objectives. While my wife is a farmer, I do available casual jobs to make ends meet. My wife and I have one child. I spent $410 on a dairy cow and a calf after receiving my transfer. This was the best deal on the market because I knew I'd save money on milk. I had previously been unable to raise funds to purchase a cow due to financial constraints caused by an unreliable source of income. Finally, I used the remaining funds to purchase food. I am so happy for the support that brought so much joy and happiness into our lives.
 
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I would like to spend $300 of these transfers to pay off the high school school fees debt I have had for the last 4 years. I had actually given up about this and had already decided to move on with my life. My hope of joining college has been revived also because I would like to spend about $400 to apply and pay for school fees enough for 1 year. The remaining amount of about $300, I'll set up a business for my wife Diana because she already has business skills but we had no capital to start one. This will be able to meet the needs of the family as well as pay for my college school fees for the remaining years.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have some maize I recently planted and they are doing so well and this gives me a lot of joy and happiness because I will soon be able to harvest and their shall be plenty of food for my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenges I have experienced in my life are so many. Having grown up as an orphan, life was so difficult. I lost my parents at the age of 14 when I had just started high school. I had to depend on well-wishers in the community to educate me. I used to be sent home almost every month to collect school fees which was not even there. I still owe the school about $300 4 years later and they have held to my high school certificate so that I cannot apply to any college to further my studies. It is so challenging now to provide for my family of three because I have to depend on casual jobs that are hard to come by lately. I wish I could continue with my college education because this will keep me competitive in the job market.