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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Enrollment
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Newsfeed > Mary's Profile
Mary's family
Mary
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
24
workCampaign
UBI
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Mary's next check-in.
 
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
We had three rental houses at the beginning of this project, but months ago we were able to construct a few more. Even though they are not fully completed yet, we only have the finishing to do then we will start earning from them. All these have been possible because of the transfers which gave us the courage to take a loan because we knew that we would easily repay the loan. Our lives have changed because this is an investment that will benefit us even several years after this project which makes very proud of the investment choice we made.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My husband and I took a loan from the bank months ago to construct more rental houses to add to the three that we had. We took the loan in confidence because we knew that the transfers would be of great help in repaying it, and we now want to ensure that we clear the loan before the project ends. Therefore, I do not have any additional goals at the moment but to ensure that the loan is cleared.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I had just a small business selling french fries before GD started supporting us financially. Over the past few months, I have been saving some of my transfer which I eventually used to start another business. Currently, I have two businesses which have increased my daily income making it quite easy to take care of my family requirements because I now earn much more than I did before in a day.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
The rental houses we recently constructed have not been fully completed yet due to financial difficulties which forced us to pause a bit. This is because we want to clear the loan that we took from the bank to construct the houses before the deadline to avoid penalties. We have been consistently paying the loan and which we will soon clear after which we can then focus on the finishing of the rental houses. I hope that in the next six months, we will have completed them so that our income can increase from where it currently is which will open doors to better living and more investment ideas.
 
11th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
I started buying new iron sheets every month so right now I can say I have a total of twenty-two iron sheets which of course will go a long way in helping me get the new structures which I desire to own. Were it not for the transfers from Give Directly, I doubt if it could have been possible for me to even buy the materials because my finances cannot help me to achieve such a goal.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal right now is to make sure that the number of iron sheets accumulated within the next four months gets to forty iron sheets which then I will use to construct the new business premises which I intend to rent out. I also have a duty of ensuring that I purchase enough building materials which will go a long way in helping me achieve my dream.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
For me, I can say that the biggest difference is that I have been able to start my small scale business which has kept me going ever since the program was introduced in our village. Were it not for the monthly transfers, I could not have started doing this business because I never had the capital I needed to launch the business successfully.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have changes in my life because, by that time, I believe I will have done my best to erect the buildings which I will rent out to my customers and earn some rental income at the end of each month.
 
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from the way it was four months ago in that I'm no longer idle because I now have a business that occupies my mind the whole day. In addition to that, I no longer rely on the spouse for everything because I now have a source of income.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
Currently, I have a grass thatched house which is too small to fit my large family but still squeeze ourselves in it. At the same time, it's expensive to maintain because currently grass is scarce in our area and the little that is available is very expensive. I, therefore, plan to save some money for the next four months that I'll use to construct an iron roof house.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Previously I didn't have a source of income and I could rely on my spouse for everything. This is not the case anymore because I was able to save the previous transfers and started up a business. I'm happy I now have a source of income thus I'm able to meet most of the family needs with a lot of ease.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
We have a piece of land lying idle so in the next six months, I expect to have saved some money that I'll use to construct a few rental houses on that piece3 of land. This will mean an additional source of income which will enable us to meet our family needs with a lot of ease.
 
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
4560 KES ($45 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I can now afford to save in a table banking towards buying building materials that I plan to use later to build a new house for my family as I have a thatched house that leaks when it rains.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
By then, I shall have built a new house and will be living in a bigger and accommodating house.I am also planning to boost my business more which is the main source of income in my household.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I started up a business which generates income for my family. I can now rely on the transfers every month to boost my business and save towards accomplishing my house building project.
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
Currently, I have no new goal as I plan to concentrate on saving towards building a new house.
 
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I am facing is my inability to cater for my family's basic needs such as food, education and clothing because of my low and unreliable income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon when I am in my hotel serving meals to my customers.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer on expanding my hotel business. This will sustainably help my family with reliable income as it is at its(my family) knees economically.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My proudest achievement is the hotel business which I started with my meager income from the sale of my farm produce.