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
attach_money
 
Transfers
check
Completed
Newsfeed > Joseph's Profile
Joseph's family
Joseph
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
61
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($493 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
check
 
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
With the current standard of living in our household, I am glad that there are quite great differences registered which would not have been there without the transfer. It was a breakthrough over many milestones. I managed to complete the construction which had been on a halt for one full year, paid school fees which relieved me of the great pressure I had over the few sources of income I had and gave me a chance o plan ahead as I have some time to figure out how I will maintain the current projects.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
With all that has happened in the past few months after receiving the transfer from GiveDirectly, I have never run short of good words to describe the generosity I saw. This was the best gift ever which enabled me to not only clear the debts I had but also invest in new ideas I had. This was one well-executed project with which even though it came from completely new faces, GiveDirectly is currently part of every family within our village. It has been my feeling this generosity would have gone further to ensure that every started project is completed as our projections seem to have been bigger than the amount received. gibveDirectly would have done this well by looking at our plans versus the budgets and advise appropriately.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After starting the construction of a three-room house with the first transfer, I put it on a halt after allocating part of the transfer to other projects. The second transfer enabled me to finish it up after purchasing plain sheets used on the outside walls, furnishing floors, and also completing the roof. I spent 15000KES of the remaining amount on paying school fees for my child currently in secondary school, added a brood of chicks that have now grown, multiplied enabling me to sell part of it, and obtained a Dorper sheep.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($494 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was in the morning and I was at home when I saw the SMS on my phone saying that I had received the transfer from GiveDirectly. I was so happy and I immediately informed my wife of the good news. She was so happy too, we saw the things that we have always wanted to do coming to pass and we thanked God for that.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
There is going to be a difference in our lives after receiving the transfer. I will be able to complete cementing the floor of the house and hence we will no longer be feeling the dust. We will now be able to stay comfortably in the house free of fleas. Also, having completed paying the college fees of my child, I am now confident that he will be able to sit for his final exam, and hence he will be happy and no longer feeling frustrated. Thank you GiveDirectly for coming up with this noble program of helping the needy. May God bless you so that you may continue helping other people.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
This money has helped me in several ways. It has enabled me to buy stones and cement that are being used in cementing the floor of my house that I had not completed building it. I also used part of the money, to clear college fees for my child who is about to do his final exams. I had paid half of the money and I had lacked the rest to clear his school fees. I plan to buy a calf with the money that will remain after the house construction is done. My family and I have been living in the unfinished house for so long and it has been uncomfortable due to the dusty floor that had started bringing in fleas. I wanted to cement the floor but due to lack of enough money, I was not able to. Most of the money that I have been getting, I have been using in payment of my children’s school fees.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means improved water sanitation in my household. I will use $350 to buy a 5000 litre water tank for storing clean rain water thus no more using contaninated water from open water pans in my family. also intend to add one $300 dairy cow for milking to my herd and also spend $200 to renovate my house floor and $50 to also install ceiling boards to my roof.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My usual day entails spending my morning hours feeding my two dairy cattle with nappier grass, sugar cane and banana leaves from my farm to ensure surplus milk production at the end of the day. Chatting with my peers in the afternoon at our usual meeting point at the shopping center cheers me up, thus this is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
We usually get water for drinking as well as for domestic use from an open water pan 3 kilometres away. The water is contaminated since people still practice open defecation in this area and livestock also drink water from the same source. My wish of owning my own water tank for fetching and storing clean water especially during rainy seasons has been impossible all through due to lack of funds to do so, thanks to Give Directly for coming in handy to help me achieve this dream.