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 > Leonard's Profile
Leonard's family
Leonard
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Shopkeeper
faceAge:
27
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($493 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than how it would have been if I never received the transfers in that I have bought a Heifer. I always buy milk from my neighbors and it's so costly for me because I do not have a continuous source of income. I depend on small scale farming and small business in town. The amount of money that I get through this is so small and I was not in a position to buy a dairy cow. Currently I own a heifer and in the next few months when it reproduce I won't be buying milk. I will save the money to spend on other household items. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has enabled us to own assets which could have taken quite some time.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better houses and to buy dairy cows. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend part of the money I received from GiveDirectly on purchasing a Heifer. I always buy milk from my neighbors daily and this is so costly for me. When my cow reproduce it will cut the daily cost. I also bought food for the family because we didn't had enough in store during that time. The rest of the money I bought clothes for my family members. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed my living standard.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($498 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was already up for my day's tasks and I decided to check my phone's message inbox for any new message. As I went through, I came across a Mpesa message confirming that I had received KES55000 from GiveDirectly. I could not hold the joy that instantly filled my heart. Even as I went on with my daily chores, I couldn't stop thanking GiveDirectly for the fortune.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I have practiced livestock keeping and I am happy that has given me knowledge of livestock farming as well as earning a living. I built the desire to add more but couldn't due to limited resources. When I received my first transfer, I purchased a cow and five goats through cash transfer. I am glad that my desires have been met since I have added animals to my cowshed. Had it not been for the financial help from GiveDirectly, then it would have taken many years to acquire them. I will be selling them in case of a financial emergency as well as raising more money to finance my children's education through milk sales.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES40000 to buy a cow and five sheep. Having this herd to me is saving for my future family needs. My children are currently in lower levels of education and I am expecting to educate them using these animals' offsprings and their products. Besides, I will also be getting milk from the cows for my family consumption and surplus for sale to earn extra income. In addition, I spent the remaining amount of money on my family's basic needs mainly clothing, food, other daily needs and household items.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that we shall afford to purchase a piece of arable land since we are currently living and doing livestock farming in a rocky land that we inherited from our parents. Practicing crop farming will make it easier and cheaper for us to attain adequate food in our household. As a ripple effect, we shall save some of our income to be used in crucial developmental projects.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a business person, the happiest part of my day is in the evening when I am counting some profits. Usually, I run my shop throughout the day. Thus, attaining some fruits from the business signifies a bright future for my family because we will utilize such funds on developmental and other projects.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Residing in a rocky area is the biggest challenge I have faced in life since we cannot do crop farming. I am an enthusiastic farmer but the unfavorable soil conditions in our area have hindered me from engaging in food crop farming. As such, we spend significant amounts of money purchasing food items that we could have obtained through crop farming. Eventually, we are left with no or very little income to spend on developmental projects.