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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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Completed
Newsfeed > Wesley's Profile
Wesley's family
Wesley
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
34
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($442 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 have a new goal of diversifying my agricultural activities. All along I have been keen on poultry keeping and dairy farming but I have a new goal of venturing into horticultural farming. This kind of farming shall not only increase the amount of money that I make from both crop and animal farming but shall also better our living standards as a family. Right now, I have been able to prepare my farm and bought seeds that I will shortly be putting on my seedbed. My intention is to make sure that I have planted the first group within the next one month. I have been able to do this from the proceeds that I get from my poultry keeping project as well as dairy keeping. What is remaining is for me to buy a huge container that will be collecting water meant to be used in the farm. I already have ready markets in various schools where I will be supplying them once they are ready.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well by giving us the freedom to choose what to spend the money on. Looking at my new house and the dairy cow that I bought just makes me happy. I owe GiveDirectly a huge debt of gratitude for the unconditional support they offered to us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 35000 to buy a dairy cow and used the remaining amount to help in the completion of house construction. I made a decision to buy a dairy cow because for a long time I have had to buy milk and this has been very costly. I had waited for too long to be able to acquire enough money but die to the nature of work that I do-casual, I had been unable to raise such huge amount of money to buy one. Right now I feel so much relieved that I no longer spend a lot of money buying milk. My three young children now have a constant source of protein in their diet and they are all happy and grateful too. Our focus is now to diversify in our farming practices even more in order to make more money and be ready to meet the costs of other financial spendings like payment of school fees and.other emergencies that may come.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($496 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was 9 am, upon checking the phone I saw a Mpesa notification showing that I had received KES55,000 from GiveDirectly, this was the best news that morning, we were all overwhelmed with joy in that we embarked on planning on how we were going to spend our transfer. I knew that I would be able to purchase a dairy cow with the money and with this, my children will be able to have milk for consumption thus improving their health. I am thankful for the transfer that impacted our lives greatly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life now is that I was able to purchase a dairy cow, I had plans of owning one but this was not possible due to financial constraints, that is because I don't have a stable source of income. I am so happy that we would no longer spend money daily on milk.GiveDirectly has lifted our lives tremendously and we are grateful for the support we got that was timely and of great impact in our lives.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
when I received my first transfer I thought of cutting down the cost of milk which is very expensive, unfortunately, I could not run away from buying it because my three children are still young, therefore my wife and I settled on buying a dairy cow worth KES 40,000, I then bought two bags of maize at KES 6400, lastly, I bought clothes and other foodstuffs. I am so grateful that I was able to realize my dream of buying a dairy cow which I could not afford all these years due to financial constraints due to the nature of my casual job which is unpredictable and unreliable.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Milk is in high demand in this area, so when I receive this money I will use KES 30000 to buy a lactating cow to help me earn income through the sale of milk. I will set aside KES 30000 to build a two-roomed decent house now that we live in one single house made of grass with my children. This is making me embarrassed now that there is no privacy. I will budget KES 20000 food and clothing and the remaining KES 20000 I will give my wife to start her business of poultry farming.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The evening is the happiest part of the day, at this time I happily come home with my little cash and food for the family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial constrain has been my biggest hardship I faced. We rely on casual jobs (construction) which earn about KES 300. This is not enough to buy basic needs for us and at times we skip meals or use tea for lunch or supper. This makes us not plan for development activities since we lack capital.