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.
Stages:
 
Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Kadzo's Profile
Kadzo's family
Kadzo
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
workCampaign
Kenya Basic Income
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Kadzo's next check-in.
 
25th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 2 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am a parent to school-going children who depend on me to ensure their basic needs are met, such as paying fees and providing food. This motivates me to work extra hard. Recently, I achieved my dream of starting a vegetable business, and now I intend to expand into cattle rearing in the coming years. My goal is to secure my family's financial future and avoid desperation when this financial support ends. I believe that investing in goats will provide a safety net for any future financial challenges. However, I faced a setback when a goat I purchased passed away while giving birth, which was very disappointing. Despite this, I am determined to continue and will soon start saving to resume the livestock rearing project. I am grateful for the support I've received and remain committed to restarting this endeavor in the near future.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used to make and sell charcoal to support my children's education, but it was tough because the process was tedious. When I started receiving these transfers, I decided to open a small shop where I sell various goods, including vegetables. This business provides me with income to support my family. With my most recent transfer, I spent $77.8 to pay fees for my six school-going children. They were about to be sent home due to outstanding fees, so I had to take care of that. Additionally, I also bought food for our family consumption. Food is essential for everyone as it provides the energy needed to carry out daily chores.
 
21st Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 5 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have school-going children who need my support to ensure that their basic needs are catered for, like paying fees and buying food. Hence, I must work extra hard. I am glad that I managed to start my vegetable business, which I have dreamt of for a long period of time. Therefore, in the coming year and beyond, I now have plans to invest in cattle rearing. I thought of this because I do not want to look desperate once these transfers come to an end. These goats will act as my future financial security in case I find myself in financial problems. Therefore, as much as I will be using part of my transfer to support the needs of my family, I will use part of it to buy goats. I really want to concentrate on this project because it will help me stay financially stable. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the financial support that has transformed my life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my most recent transfer, I thought of buying a few clothes for my children. It had been a long time since I had bought them new clothes at $30, and their current ones were worn out. With the remaining amount, I decided to buy two sacks of flour at $34 to ensure that we have enough stock to last us for quite a good number of days. Additionally, I bought a chicken for $5 for rearing. I love rearing chickens because they multiply very fast, and there's always a market available in case I want to sell them to make some money. With the remaining $33, I paid fees for my four children, dividing the amount among them to ensure that they are not sent home for fee balances. I am thankful for this financial support, as it has relieved me from a significant financial burden.
 
18th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($24 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?
The idea of starting my own business started the moment I began receiving my transfers. I am currently not employed, as I devote my time to taking care of my children at home. The more I save, the more inspired I become to start my own vegetable shop. I believe that through proper saving, I will certainly start my business. This venture would make it easier for us to afford my children's school fees.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a mother of ten children. Six of them are currently in school, and the moment I received my transfers, my first thought was about my children's school fees. I used $30 to pay their fees, ensuring they wouldn't be sent back home and their education wouldn't be interrupted. With the remaining $4, I bought pens and books for them, which made them incredibly happy.
 
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
As a housewife, my main responsibility is taking care of our six children and cultivating our farm during the rainy season. While my husband bears the heavy burden of providing for the family with his income as a security guard, it's often not enough to cover all our needs. My goal is to establish an additional source of income that can continue generating funds even after the cash transfers end. I aspire to start a vegetable-selling business when the opportunity arises, confident that it will bring in profits to handle emergency school needs for my children.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband works as a security guard at the assistant chief's office, and his income barely covers the basic monthly needs of our family, especially school fees for our six children. The cash transfers have allowed me to contribute to supporting our family, primarily by paying school fees. From the three recent transfers, I used $68 to clear tuition balances for the children, ensuring they can continue their studies without interruptions. I also invested $20 in buying a goat, marking the start of my venture into livestock rearing. I hope the goat reproduces, building a larger herd. Owning livestock will provide an opportunity to sell animals, supporting the education of my children. Additionally, I spent $10 on buying second-hand clothes for some of my children who had worn-out attire, and the remaining $4 went towards buying food. I appreciate the chance to meet my family's needs and acquire livestock through the cash transfers.
 
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($25 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 aim to acquire livestock and support the education of my five children. I strongly believe that education is the key to their future, and I want them to excel academically. Witnessing them graduate with better qualifications would bring me immense happiness and pride. Supporting their education would also alleviate the pressure off my husband's shoulders. Working as an office assistant, his salary hardly covers all the household needs. So, am confident that as these animals reproduce, I could sell them to meet the needs of my family and improve our financial situation. I am truly grateful for the cash transfers, as they have made a significant difference in our lives and provided us with much-needed support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Typically, I allocate the cash transfers towards paying the school fees for my five children and purchasing food for the family. However, on the day I received the cash transfers, my daughter was in critical condition and had been admitted to the hospital while in labor. As a mother, I needed to be by her side and provide support. Therefore, I used the money to cover transportation costs and contribute towards clearing some of the hospital bills. I needed to prioritize my daughter's health and well-being during that challenging time.
 
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My goal is to buy more goats this year so that I can venture into livestock keeping. Livestock keeping is a feasible venture and I always envy my husband who has eight goats. I am hopeful that when I begin the project, it will be beneficial to me post the end of the transfer period. In addition, I also target to be spending a portion to pay school fees for my school-going children. Seeing them succeed in their academic pursuit will be my delight.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My only regular source of income is making and seeling charcoal to meet the needs of my nine-member family. My husband also does a part-time job, which is occasionally not enough to support my family. I spent $24 on food as soon as I confirmed the recent transfer because we did not have enough to eat. We were able to go nine days on the with the additional food I bought. In addition, I spent $10 on primary school tuition fee for my six children. I would not have been able to support them effectively without the transfer.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES
access_time 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The majority of the people who are receiving money from GiveDirectly has started different projects which include poultry-keeping project among others. Most people can now put food on the table which was not the case before the transfer. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have two children in primary school, and I spent $10 on paying their fees. They are no longer being sent home like before. This was affecting their performance since they would miss some of the lessons. Currently, I have peace of mind to do my daily chores since I know My children are studying well. Besides that, I spent $7 on food and other basic household needs for the family. The remaining amount of money I spent on clothes for my family members. I am so grateful because were it not GiveDirectly all this could not have happened.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The money was sent in the evening when I was out on the farm to get some vegetables for our dinner. It came as a surprise, and I was so excited about the news. I could not contain my happiness and called my son immediately to confirm if he had received his share too. We were both happy, celebrated, and thanked God for the blessing.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Borrowing utensils for use is old-fashioned but I had to put up with it since I could not afford new ones. I feel proud of myself for having bought some of the utensils I lacked and this is the biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving the transfers. I occasionally do casual work but the little I make out of it meets our household needs to support my spouse who is burdened. We have six children both in primary and secondary school and therefore, most of his income is used to pay for our children's school fees. I am grateful for the support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought a bigger cooking pot for KES 850 with part of the recent transfer to replace the old one. I had old ones that were leaking which forced me to borrow some from my neighbor whenever I wanted to prepare meals for many people. It is uncomfortable borrowing utensils in the current century but I had no choice because I could not afford new ones. We rely on my spouse, but he does not earn enough money to sustain our household. I could not, therefore, burden him with more responsibilities. The remaining KES 300 I spent on some of the foodstuffs for my family. The remaining KES 300 I spent on some foodstuffs for my family.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I believe for me to prosper, I need to own goats and educate my children. Receiving this money means using the second, third and fourth to buy a she-goat each month, The three goats will multiply and I will be selling them to cater for other expenses in future. I will also use the transfers to pay school fees for my children as they have often been sent home every term due to a lack of school fees.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My second born bought me a pair of kanga as a present for Mother's Day. I felt happy and valued for this.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
We no longer have appropriate trees to cut down and make charcoal. I know to rely on the stumps which I dig out to make charcoal, with the prolonged drought the earth is hard and it needs a lot of energy and force to dig out the stamps and this has made my health deteriorate. At times I feel some pains in my chest. I have a tooth that aches. I have gone to Viragoni dispensary to seek medication though it only ceases for some time like three weeks at most after using the drugs I am prescribed to use and then it resumes aching. When it aches I can take even two days unable to eat due to the pains I feel.