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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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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Benaline's Profile
Benaline's family
Benaline
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
27
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($435 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?
I live in a small family land, this is because culturally it is expected that I move out of the family land to my husband's place, though this is not the case for me. After all, I am not married. Therefore, my goal would be to purchase a parcel of land that would make me more comfortable. To realise this goal, I plan on waiting until I get a stable job that would enable me to secure a loan so that I can achieve this.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
My opinion is that the support from GiveDirectly boosted our standard of living by transforming our lives. They supported and empowered our community without discriminating anyone against anyone. I didn't point out the flaws or things that weren't done with the utmost integrity that they ought to.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a trained teacher still awaiting government placement. Though, at the moment, I depend on farming to earn a livelihood. I am a single mother of one. Upon receiving my transfer, I thought of buying a dairy cow worth $150, which would aid in reducing the cost of buying milk. I then settled a debt worth $50, which had accumulated for a while and also used $50 on farming. Lastly, I used the remaining cash to buy foodstuffs and clothes. I have accomplished so much in a short span, which I never thought that I would have accomplished. I am so grateful for the great opportunity that the organization gave us to uplift our lives.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($462 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had just arrived home at around 7:00 pm when I received a message that brought the most exciting news ever. I was glad to see that the money I enrolled for with GiveDirectly was finally in my account on a day that I least expected. It was my first time handling such an amount of money and this even brought me more joy. Since I stay on my own I did not share with anyone but celebrated by myself.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Putting up a poultry project is the biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving the money. My spouse lost his job and since then it has been tough on our household considering that he is the sole breadwinner. The chickens have laid, and we get a weekly income of almost KES 1000 from eggs sales. This added to the money we had set aside keep us going.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My spouse recently lost his job in one of the security firms leaving him with no option but to help people on their farms for pay. The income he earned from it could barely afford a whole day's meal. When we received the first transfer we agreed to spend KES 20000 on constructing a chicken house and purchasing 12 chickens to start with. The project is doing great, and we have more chicken at the moment. While paying for my dowry, my spouse had borrowed KES 10000 from a friend but after losing his job he could not repay on time. We, therefore, cleared the debt and saved KES 6000 in a monthly savings and loaning group. KES 10000 we spent on our household shopping for detergents, foodstuffs, and other personal care products. We still have KES 8500 set aside for daily household usage.
 
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will be able to purchase a piece of land since we live in family land with limited resources and we cannot do much in farming due to limited space. As a family we had the ambition of dairy farming however we have not been able to achieve it. So when we receive this transfer we will spend KES 80000 to purchase 0.2 acres of land where we shall plant dairy feeds. I am glad that my cows will then get enough feeds and even increase their yield.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My husband has been an alcoholic for a long time, however, 2 months ago he decided to quit alcohol use. This brought joy and happiness into my life since he now has time to spend with the family as well as provide for our needs.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is food security. Our family has been into misfortunes when I lost my job and a few months later my husband too lost his job. My family went into financial crisis so much that we could not afford to put food on the table. We have been depending on my husband's friends for money however I am worried that if they are no longer willing to assist our family will starve.