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 > Johnstone's Profile
Johnstone's family
Johnstone
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
58
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($512 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
check
 
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different from how it was in that, I have owned a cow and I also have an extra room for my children. I feel at peace because I will never be anxious like I used to do when my children had to walk at night when going to my neighbor's house which was quite far. Their school fees are also sorted. I could not have managed to do all these without this help. I thank GiveDirectly so much for their financial support.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly's idea of sending the money directly to use and making it unconditional was good because we were able to use it to buy whatever we wanted. This made them stand out. We were not forced to form groups in order to get the money. That was really good of them because people have different needs and different ideas of investing their money
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of my transfer to build a house, I only had a small grass-thatched hut that couldn't contain all my family members. My children had to spend every single night at the neighbor's place because the house could not accommodate all of us. It did not ogre well with me but I had no means to change this situation. When I got the money, this was my first plan. I built a decent house. I have two houses at the moment. The old one will now act like my children's bedroom. I feel good because we will all sleep in the same compound. My visitors are also lucky to have a place where they can rest unlike before where I had to look for a different place. Apart from that, I also paid school fees for my two children who had pending fee arrears.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($545 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest in my daily life is that I will be able to save the amount that I could have used to buy milk to meet other basic household items like food and even pay school fees for my children.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received the money I felt so happy because I knew I would be able to able to build a better house and even pay school fees for my daughter.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my transfer to buy building materials to build a better house for my house, the remaining amount I'm planning to buy a dairy cow, clothes, sofa set seats, maize, and also pay school fees for my daughter in secondary school.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means alot to me since i will use it to pay school fees and also buy cattle in my farm.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening. This is the time i thank God for the success in completion of goals that i had for the day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I lost my wife in the year 2009. Since then, life has never be the same. I struggle alot to provide the needs for my children especially school fees and i am the one who cooks their meals. Above all these, the loneliness as a result of missing my wife Suppases them all. This is the biggest hardship i have faced in my life.