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 > Kazungu's Profile
Kazungu's family
Kazungu
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
workCampaign
Kenya Basic Income
Upcoming Stage
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Follow to be updated on Kazungu's next check-in.
 
25th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($24 USD)
access_time 25 days ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am currently aspiring to venture into chicken farming as a means to improve my living conditions. While I don't yet have any chickens, I am actively seeking employment opportunities to change my circumstances. With part of my transfer, I plan to invest in purchasing chickens, believing that they will hatch and provide a source of income through sales. Additionally, I have a dream of building my own home. I currently have one small house, but I recognize that the current conditions make it challenging. However, I remain determined to pursue my goals and work towards creating a better future for myself.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
It's been quite some time since the last rainfall, and life is becoming increasingly challenging for those of us who rely on farming for sustenance and income. I am struggling to put food on the table, let alone enjoy three square meals a day. Living alone, I often find myself borrowing essentials like flour, sugar, and cooking oil from a shop near my home, repaying the debt as soon as my transfer comes through. Fortunately, with my recent transfer, I was able to settle a $45 debt, making it easier for me to borrow again in the future. Additionally, I allocated $57 to purchase food, stocking up my house with things like flour and sugar to sustain me for the coming weeks.
 
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 4 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My primary goal is to re-enter the business arena, driven by a deep passion for entrepreneurial endeavors. Specifically, I aspire to engage in poultry farming, with a focus on raising chickens, as it appears to be a lucrative venture. I plan to use forthcoming transfers to turn this ambition into reality. The prospect of establishing a steady income stream through this venture holds the promise of restoring a sense of normalcy and fulfillment in my life. I am content with the progress I have made so far and am optimistic about the journey ahead.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used to make a living by selling rafters and building poles, but due to a downturn in business, I had to shut it down. Financial constraints led me to venture into farming, and I am pleased to see progress in this new endeavor. While anticipating the harvest, I allocated all my transfers, totaling $102, to purchase food for sustenance. This investment ensures I can sustain myself until the crops are ready for harvest. The transition from selling construction materials to farming has been a significant shift for me, and the support from GiveDirectly has played a crucial role in sustaining my livelihood during this transition. I look forward to the upcoming harvest and am optimistic about the continued positive changes in my life and the lives of others in the community.
 
17th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($25 USD)
access_time 9 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I had planted some maize but since I planted before the rain and the plants wilted since the rains came much later. I am trying to secure seeds now to use now as I am beginning to plant to ensure I can feed myself. If I am unable to get them on time the transfers will remain fully to be used for securing food. However if I get seeds and i am able to harvest I will use the transfers to buy animals such as goats of chicken to keep as an investment.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Our area has suffered a long standing drought and this has affects a lot of people. Most people are focusing most of their finances to getting food. My work is to sell building poles and timber for building. I have not had much traffic with people interested in building due to the financial constrains caused by the lack of food. On my end I have directed all the money I get in paying for food taken on credit and buying food. My transfers have not been used for anything else.
 
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($26 USD)
access_time 12 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have been sheltering in a grass-thatched house for years, during which I had to replace the grass almost every month. My dream was to rebuild my house using more durable iron sheets. I could not afford them but currently, through the monthly transfers, I want to buy at least one iron sheet every month. Having an iron-roofed house will relieve the stress of replacing the roof every time, which is tiresome. My goal is to buy a total of 20 pieces of iron sheets as I continue receiving the transfers.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my most recent transfers on buying foodstuffs and other household expenses. With the prevailing drought that has left us helpless and unable to farm, the transfers have come in handy. I have been able to overcome the challenge of food shortages in my household. To ensure that my family enjoyed three meals a day, I did enough shopping for cereals to last us a few weeks. I have been relying on casual construction jobs to fend for my family, earning a meagre income. However, the harsh economic conditions have made it impossible even to secure a casual construction job. I am now relying mostly on monthly transfers. I am grateful to GiveDirectly because, despite the financial hardship, I can still provide adequately for my family.
 
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($28 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
By the time I received the transfer, I was deeply in debt at the shop where I had been getting food on credit for the previous two months. My business of buying and selling building sticks was struggling at the moment, owing to the current low demand for building materials. The rate of constructing houses in my area has recently decreased dramatically because of the high cost of living and most people would rather spend their money on food. So, the most I can make in a month is $30, which barely covers a week's worth of food for my family of 10 (my mother, my brother, his wife, their six children, and I). Even if my brother contributes to the household's requirements, what we both offer is still inadequate. That is why I am always obtaining food on credit. So, I was compelled to utilize $20 of the transfer to repay the debt and $4 to buy more food. In addition, I spent $10 on two pairs of jeans because my old ones were worn out and ripped from repetitive use; I would wear the same pants for five days in a row. Although the monthly cash transfers help us with basic needs such as food, I believe they are not enough for needs like building houses. As we speak, I need around $200 to build a new house, but I'm not sure how long that will take.
 
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($26 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am going through a tough time taking care of myself and my family members (grandmother, mother and brother). For the past three months, I have been unsuccessful in securing a job because the jobs are scarce. This has contributed to skipping meals and often sleeping on an empty stomach. When I received my transfer, I paid off a debt of KES 1500 I owed to my friend. He lent me the money at a time I had no money to buy food for my family. I bought food with the remaining KES 1500 to add to the depleting stock of food in the house. Buying food in bulk assured me I would not go hungry soon before I can secure a job.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($26 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Give directly has done very well through cash donations as most of us can now work on some of the projects that we had put on hold. Personally, I can now build a new house for myself and also buy some food. However, if there's a possibility of getting the cash in bulk it will be of great benefit. For instance, I need 30 iron sheets for the construction of the residence. This I cannot do at once using a single transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I sell tree logs for a living and each goes for KES 50. In a month, I would make between KES 400 to KES 1000. I have yet to take on a wife, leaving my mother the only dependent I have. Since I had not made any sales that week, I lacked the funds to purchase food. So for 3 days, my family and I had gone to bed on an empty stomach. Therefore, when I got the money from give directly, I used it all to purchase some nourishment for us.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Receiving this money made me very happy and that my prayers were answered. At the time, I was working so I may earn to fend for myself. So, when I saw the message, I stopped what I was doing and immediately rushed out to buy some food for I was hungry.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
These funds really came in handy at a time when I did not have any food in my household. Even so, I am yet to note any difference in my life since it is my first transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I sell building materials for thatch houses for a living. In a day, I make KES300. This has been manageable for me since I still have not taken in a wife. Other times, when I do not make any sales, I lack the funds to buy food. On this very day, when I received these funds, I was without food. So, I used the whole amount to purchase some food for myself.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been longing to live better lives. My dream was to open a business that I will run myself but because of the capital, it's not yet established. I cut trees for sale to earn a living but since the covid-19 pandemic existence, the market has deteriorated. I plan to save and open wood workshops to supply to different places. This is dream come true to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The evening is the happiest part of my day since is the time I get home and take a rest with the hope of getting a better deal the next day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Unemployment has been the most hardship in life. working as a casual laborer is stressful and tiresome. The hard work sometimes just ends up in vain since the market of my work went down since covid 19 started. I planned to marry for a long time but when I remember the financial problems I just keep on postponing it because I don't want to torture someone's daughter. The house that I reside in now is not worthy of living a human. I keep telling myself all will be well.