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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 > Zawadi's Profile
Zawadi's family
Zawadi
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
33
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($468 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I do not have any new goals since the main aim was to clear school fees for my kids. This has been the main challenge considering that I did not have a stable job, they have always been at home because of the accumulated arrears. As a mother, this has been stressing me a lot. I am so glad that I was able to clear the fees for a whole year.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by ensuring that every household was visited. Also, we were all given sufficient teachings on how best we could use the money without wasting even a coin. This enlightened our minds since the majority of us were illiterate. I, therefore, do not see any part GiveDirectly failed.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying beddings which comprise a new bed at KES 6500, a mattress of KES 8000, and new bedsheets. Initially, I used to sleep on the traditional beds made of ropes which I was not comfortable with since I used to experience lots of pain. I also cleared school fees for my three children who were about to sit for their final exams. I am also planning to buy some livestock more so goats. I have desired to have them for years but I couldn't afford them because of financial hardships. With the remaining amount of money, I bought foodstuffs. Being a widow of four children, I have been depending on the charcoal business which was not profitable and most of the days we could skip meals.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($488 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9 AM when I was relaxing on my bed when I saw a message notification on my mobile phone. I was a bit curious since I wasn't expecting to hear from anyone on that particular morning. Therefore I decided to check the contents of the messages. After reading them out I confirmed that it was the Mpesa messages that I had anxiously been waiting for. I was so excited and blessed for this gift because I knew I would achieve all my long time goals. I had to call all my family friends and inform them about the great news.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that through the transfers, I was able to build a spacious iron-roofed house for my three children. I had been dreaming of constructing it for quite a long time but I did not have the required materials to facilitate that. Therefore they were all forced to sleep at their friend's houses which were relatively far from my compound, about 10 KM away. They had to undergo all this because my house was very small and since they were all teenagers it was so wrong for us to share the same room with them. Being a widow of three, I had to struggle to make the ends meet from the casks jobs with a meager income. However, the little I could earn could only cater for their school fees, food, and clothing. I was also positive that someday, all the troubles would come to an end. After receiving the cash transfer, I had to prioritize the issue of housing and I am glad I made it happen. They are now sharing under a good shelter and they don't have to move from one compound to the other in search of shelter. I use to be so worried about their safety all along because their friends didn't have good morals. I am now at peace knowing that I will be monitoring my children and taking good care of them in my compound courtesy of GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying a new bicycle at KES 14000, this has now been of help in transporting water from the dams which are 15KM from the village. I have been using my hand in carrying the Americans which was so tiring. I so bought some building materials like sixteen pieces of iron sheets at KES 10400, building poles at KES 1600, and the nails and timber. I had intended to construct a new house for my three children who have been seeking shelters from friends all along. I also cleared school fees of KES 4000 for my four children who are still in primary school and bought new uniforms as well. With the remaining amount o0f money I am using it to buy foodstuffs
 
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means good education, decent housing for my children and livestock production. I have 4 children who are now teenagers. The first born is 17 years old and the last born is 7 years old. Living with my children in the same house makes me very uncomfortable. I am planning to construct a separate house for my four children at a total cost of 20,000 KES. Still, my children are attending school ( Mnagoni primary school). Paying their school is a challenge for me. I am planning use 10,000 KES to clear their fee arrears. For a few years now, I have had the desire of being a livestock farmer, due to lack of enough money, I don't own even a single goat. I intend to use 20,000 KES to buy 5 goats. These goats will act as a bank for me. In a period of two years, they will have multiplied and I will be able to sell some of them to earn an income. My children are still growing, and I would want them to advance in their education. I will save the rest of the money for the main purpose of my children's education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning. Preparing my children for school in the morning makes me very happy. This gives me hope that in the future,my children will be successful.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have ever faced in life is lack of money. I work as a charcoal burner, this work earns me approximately 5,000 KES per month. With a family of 4 children who are also attending school, this amount is not enough to meet all our needs. Almost all of the money goes into buying food. This is the reason I have been unable to construct a house for my teenage children.