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.
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Enrollment
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Completed
Newsfeed > Sidi's Profile
Sidi's family
Sidi
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Other
faceAge:
28
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($469 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?
Yes. The new goals that I didn't have before receiving this transfer were buying goats and hiring people to clear my land and prepare it for agricultural activities when it rains. This was because I had already spent the first transfer on the things and projects I had at first and wasn't enough to undertake these goals, so I left them for the second transfer.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly is doing everything right because it is uplifting and improving the living standards of so many people, myself included. It is giving us the ability to address the challenges we are facing and get the things that we have been desiring to have for long. Everything GiveDirectly is doing is good, therefore, I don't see anything that it doesn't do well. It came to help and so many people benefitted from its good and kind work. We are so grateful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my transfer which was KES 9400 on buying three goats because I didn't have and they were something that I desired to have for so long. Goats are, as well, an investment that will live on and will help me educate my children in the future because I know that they will multiply and increase in numbers. I also spent KES 8400 on hiring people to clear my land and prepare it for agricultural activities in anticipation of rainfall. This is because I didn't have the money to do that, and I had now received it. Therefore, I didn't want to be left behind when it rains because everyone around was having their land prepared and ready for the rainy season. I am so happy and grateful that when rain comes, my land will be ready, thanks to GiveDirectly.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($499 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 about 10 am and I was in my house relaxing when I heard my phone beep. On checking it, I saw the message notification that I had received the cash transfer from GiveDirectly. I was overwhelmed with joy and felt like God had remembered me.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before receiving this transfer, my family's living conditions were poor. We were seven of us, living in a one-bedroom house. It could not accommodate all of us and we had no sense of privacy. As a parent, I longed for the day we could finally have a decent home that could meet our needs. This transfer enabled us to do just that. We now live in a spacious, two-bedroom house. We have a sense of privacy and a satisfactory place to call home.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
A few months ago, my family of seven lived in a small one-bedroom house. It was not spacious enough to accommodate all of us, and there was no sense of privacy. So when I received the transfer from GiveDirectly, I spent KES 42,000 on construction materials including timber and iron sheets, and labour for the construction of a new house. Additionally, I spent KES 12,700 on the purchase of a bed and mattress for my children, as they used to sleep on the floor, which is uncomfortable for them.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a decent house for me. My house is in a very bad state.The roof does not cover the entire house, this makes the house to leak during the rainy season. My house is also small, in that, it cannot accommodate a family of 5 children. I sleep with my five children in one small room. The room becomes too congested which can even results to outbreak of diseases within my family. I am planning to use the money I will get from GiveDirectly to build a decent and a bigger house that will sufficiently accommodate my family of five children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I can say my happiest part of the day is in the afternoon. It is in the afternoon that I get time to relax and enjoy a meal with my children after a busy morning. I always do my house chores very early in the morning, I then go round to my neighbors to search for any work that I can do to enable me earn an income for the day. After doing the work, I use the money I have earned to buy food for my children. I head back home to cook lunch for my children. seeing them enjoying the meal as I relax, makes me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of money is the biggest hardship I have ever faced. My house is in a bad state but due to lack of money, I have never renovated it. The money I get from the daily work I do, is only enough to buy food for my children.