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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Newsfeed > Mercy's Profile
Mercy's family
Mercy
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Other
faceAge:
35
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Mercy's next check-in.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($500 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received the transfer I felt so happy. I remember it was around 9:42am, when I heard a ringtone message from my phone. I was on my farm. I didn't expected any messages so I reluctantly checked. It was a message confirming that I have received money from GiveDirectly. I have never received such amount of money before. I was so overwhelmed with joy. I stopped whatever I was doing and went back home to inform my family members. They all felt so happy and celebrated with joy. I knew I would be able to plough my farm and to buy dairy cow. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has enabled me to own a dairy cow. This could have taken quite some time to get it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have ploughed my farm and bought seeds and fertilizers ready for planting this season. I am so happy because I will be able to plant at the right season unlike before. I do casual jobs in the village and sometimes to get this jobs is so hard. The amount of money that I get through this is so small. I was only able to meet the basic household needs. Most of the times I was not able to plough my farm because I had no money. When we dig by hands with my children it was only a small piece. This means I could plant a small portion and the harvest could not last for long. At some point I could be forced to rent out the farm to someone else. This could mean that I was to buy food all that season. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I decided to invest on farming. I plough my farm on time and bought seeds and fertilizers. I will be able to plant a bigger farm and get a good harvest. My children will have enough food, I will save the money that I could have used on food to meet other household items. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed our living standard.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 32,000 to purchase two heifers. When they reproduced in future I will no longer buy milk. Buying milk daily is so costly for me. I plough my farm ready for planting. I have bought seeds and fertilizers. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has enabled me to do farming which has always been my dream. Last season I didn't plant because I had no money, I rented out my farm. Finally I bought food and clothes for my family members. GiveDirectly has changed my living standard.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means an additional source of income for my household. I currently own one Friesian cow that produces 5 liters of milk for sale at $1.5 daily, therefore if I add one more surplus milk-producing cow worth $400, my income from selling milk will double up to $3-5 daily. I also plan to use $120 of my transfer to hire a ploughing machine that will ensure proper tillage of my farm, hence improved crop production. I will also use $50 to buy hybrid maize seeds for planting.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My usual day entails doing my household chores in the morning, after which I take my cattle to the grazing fields in a nearby forest, till midday when I come back home to cook for my children before they arrive home from school. I then spend my afternoon on the farm cultivating crops till sunset. Coming back home to takes a rest after engaging in all these tedious activities makes evening the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food security has continued to decline in this region. This has been informed by the under-utilization of land as a result of lack of resources for farming. I have a 3-acre piece of land where I cultivate maize in, but due to lack of ploughing machinery, I usually end up harvesting only 2.5 bags of maize, which is barely enough to take my family of 5 through the next harvesting season. I end up spending all my income from selling 3 liters of milk daily at $1.5 on buying food, while my spouse toils hard engaging in casual jobs to earn some income that would enable us to support our 3 children's education, hence no money is left for building up savings. This is the biggest hardship we face.