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.
Kavumbi's family
access_time 2 years ago
Kavumbi enrolled.
"This will be an opportunity to pay school fees for my granddaughter who is in form one, she finished primary earlier but she stayed out for long because I had no resources, so this now means I have to pay full tuition fees for her to stay and in school and excel. I plan to use the next transfer of 55000 KSH to change my life by gifting myself with a new house which will be a 3 rooms, which will be big house to host many visitors."
Bessie's family
access_time 2 years ago
Bessie received a $265 initial payment.
"I have been living in this mud hut for over six (6) years years and it is falling apart gradually. I intend to erect a new structure on my land as well as use some of the money to treat my chest infection. I have been sick for over rhree (3) years and the chest is giving incessant cough and difficulties in breathing. A seventy (70) year old woman like me shouldn't be coughing like I am and breathing in gasps. It's my dream to own a house and regain my full health."
Sidi's family
access_time 2 years ago
Sidi enrolled.
"Depending on people for survival makes me feel like a nuisance to them. My age cannot allow me to work and this leaves me with no choice but to seek help from neighbors. Sometimes I decide not to ask for help and just go hungry because feel like a bother. My challenge is lack of money to take care of my everyday needs being that I am a widow with no source of income."
Zainab's family
access_time 2 years ago
Zainab enrolled.
"We ended the year well after a prolonged season of drought we experienced last year. It gave me hopes that made me start cultivating a small piece of land so at least to harvest something later. This has however not been the case since the beginning of the year. The crops are dying and my hope for a better tomorrow is diminishing every day. My challenge currently is lack of money to feed my children because I used all the money I had in buying seeds hoping that I will have good reaping."
Abdulrahman's family
access_time 2 years ago
Abdulrahman enrolled.
"My wife had to take all the responsibilities in the family when I was bedridden as a result of an accident. Seeing her struggle with finances and I cannot do anything to help is frustrating. My two children in high school are always on and off school because of fees arrears and sometimes pocket money. Therefore the challenge I currently face in life is lack of money to offload some of the responsibilities from my wife."
Mary's family
access_time 2 years ago
Mary enrolled.
"I have two major things that I have always wanted to achieve in my life. One is to continue with my studies because I was not lucky enough to finish school due to insufficient finances. My other plan is to build a house for my family. Since I got married a year ago, we have been sleeping in my mother-in-law's house and this is not something I am proud of because it has deprived us of our privacy. The transfers will not be enough to achieve all these once and this is why I plan to leave the money on my Mpesa account for some time until they are enough to start these projects."
Sidi's family
access_time 2 years ago
Sidi enrolled.
"I love farming and keeping livestock but my old have hindered me from doing what I enjoy. If the agricultural and ranching ideas materialized my life will be easy because I will be selling the crops and livestock for a living. Currently, I do small gardening for consumption but I feel I need to do more because it is also therapeutic. My plan for these transfers is to save until they reach my target of buying goats and cows for plowing. These transfers will also be helping me with my medication expenses because at my age I am prone to diseases."
Kadzo's family
access_time 2 years ago
Kadzo enrolled.
"As a widower taking care of 5 children has not been an easy task. I struggle every day to put food on the table and sometimes we end up sleeping on an empty stomach. The only source of income I depend on is charcoal burning which gives me around 500 KES and sometimes is not enough for all our needs. Lack of money has always been my challenge and is the problem I currently face in my life."
Deatha's family
access_time 2 years ago
Deatha enrolled.
"My family have been facing series of challenges but most of all is the lack of finances. My husband earned living for our home by working at a local gold minning site but when the rivers and creeks are dry during the dry seasons like now, things become very difficult for them, minners. As we speak currently, he is again out there on the minning field trying to earn something for our home, if he's not successful from the work done there, we will begin to find it difficult in terms of getting food for our home."
Theresa's family
access_time 2 years ago
Theresa received a $279 third payment.
"In my opinion the enrollment processes are transparent. There are no biases. The staffs are also kind Everytime they visit us. There is no preferential treatment in the village from the staff. But the most important one is that GiveDirectly send us unconditional cash and allow us to spend the money how ever we want to better our lives. This guesture brings me the greatest joy. This is not normal of any NGO. I have seen other NGOs visit this county but their scope of operations has been nothing far from the traditional NGO. GiveDirectly is different! They are responsible for my life improvement and that my kids can today have a better living condition soon."