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 > John's Profile
John's family
John
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
53
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($461 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?
The additional goal that I have in life is to extend a room from my main house that will serve as a visitor's room. This is because my current house is made of two rooms and I use one of the rooms as my bedroom while I use the other room as a sitting room. This will improve my self-esteem especially when I have visitors since I will be living knowing that they will have room to sleep in comfortably.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, the organization was one of the best because of its uniqueness. The fact that we were offered help in the form of cash stood out. This is what I have been praying to have so that I could accomplish my heart's desires and I am thankful for the financial aid. I do not see anything that it did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my second transfer, I spent KES 9000 to buy a dairy goat. I will be using the milk that I will be getting from it for our consumption while I sell the milk from my dairy cow to earn an income. In addition, I spent KES 3200 on clothes and a pair of shoes, KES 2200 on four chickens, and KES 11500 on two goats as an investment that I can rely on in case of a financial crisis. Apart from this, I used KES 2100 to purchase three pieces of iron sheets that I will use in building a sheep pen and I still have KES 23000. I depend on casual work mainly breaking large stones into gravel that can be used during the construction of houses. This work is tiresome and needs a lot of energy and I am happy that with the investments that I have made using the transfer, I am guaranteed of a meal even without working since I can easily sell eggs and use the money in buying them.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($485 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was about 4.36 pm when I received a notification message from my phone. Upon checking, it was a message confirming a receipt of cash transfer from Give directly. I was super happy knowing that all the problems that I had will come to an end.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is seeing the growth of planted crops on my farm. Am happy because I know my family will have adequate food once we harvest hence reducing the cost of buying foodstuff. In addition, owning a cow means a lot since we will soon get enough milk for my family for consumption.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
With my first transfer, I obtained a dairy cow at a cost of Ksh.25,000.For the longest time, my neighbor used to bring his cows to feed on my farm so that he could give me milk for family usage. Acquiring a cow of my own means a lot since I will have adequate milk for consumption. I also purchased sheep at Kshs.7,000 which I keep for both domestic and financial purposes. With Kshs.4,200 I used to till my land and also buy seedlings. I have already planted the seedlings and just waiting for harvest in a few months. I also bought chicken at a cost of Ksh.1,000 which can produce eggs and once sold it will cater for daily house bills. With the remaining amount, I used to buy clothes and food for my household members.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will mean that I will be able to actualize my plans of doing poultry farming. I do casual labor at a quarry near my home that earns me KES 2,000 when I sell to a dealer. This amount is not enough for me monthly and diversifying my sources of income will enable me to earn more and also save for a rainy day. I plan to use KES 20000 to set up the poultry project and expect to sell chicken for meat and also eggs which in turn boost my income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I rear sheep that are my asset and I rely on them to save me in any case of an emergency. For the last 6 months, my assets have been able to increase. This has given me joy because I know that I will be able to sell them when the time is right and earn something good from them.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of capital to start a business is the current challenge that I am facing. I have always wished to start poultry farming because it is easy to manage, takes less space and has great returns. However, I have not been able to do so because the money that I earn cannot sustain me and also enable me to save money for this business.