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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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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Kadzo's Profile
Kadzo's family
Kadzo
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
77
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($491 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The first goal was to complete my modern bricks house that I had started to build with the money from my first transfer because being a widow and childless, as well as with the advancing age, I wanted to have a better and stronger house that even when I won't be able to actively work still I will be having a place to relax that is very comfortable and nice. However, the new goal that I did not have before receiving this transfer is getting a storage tank which is to help me store water since I have no one to fetch water for me.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly is doing everything well and I cannot see anything that it does not do well. I am so grateful for the relief it gave to me.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Completing and furnishing the house is what I spent most of my transfer on. This is because, I am a widow and without children, so I known there is no one whom I can depend or count on to build me the house I desire. Therefore, when I got this money, I made sure I use the largest part to complete and furnish the house. This makes me so happy and settled. However, I kept aside the remaining part of the transfer to get a storage tank to keep water because there is no one to fetch me water and still hiring the services of a motorcycle taxi is very expensive, getting this tank will be a sustainable longterm solution to that.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($501 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I learned that I had received my forst transfer at around 8 in the morning when I was from the dam. I was excited beasue I knew God had finally heard my cry and sent GiveDirectly into my life. I was also certain all the suffering and sorrows I have been through have come to an end. Later on, I shared the good news with my other family members and started calculating and thinking of the most appropriate projects .
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I own a permanent well-plastered iron-roofed house. The previous one was wasn't in very good condition, it was a temporary hut that had started leaking excessively. I had a dream of renovating it but this was not achievable because I am an old barren widow with no job. My spouse passed on ten years ago, and my inlaws started mistreating me immediately after he died. They took away everything I had inherited from my husband that's why I decided to return to my father's home. One of my siblings sympathized with me and constructed a temporary hut for me. My life has been full of sorrows and pains. I also had to depend on my brothers for my daily needs although I could at times sleep hungry since they didn't have stable jobs as well. On the other hand, getting a better house was like a dream. Despite all these, I was still hopeful that someday I will have a better house. The fact that GiveDirectly came into my life still feels like a dream to me, I always feel I was the main reason why the organization came to our village after all I had gone through. Nowadays, I am even happier and healthier because I no longer have to move from one compound to the other to look for shelter, especially during the rainy seasons. For the many years, I have lived in this world, I consider this as the best gift I have ever received in my life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For the last ten years, I have been sheltering under a small hut and my dream was to upgrade to a better shelter. This is because its roof was old and anytime it would collapse. Therefore after receiving my first transfer, I bought some building materials which include iron sheets, building poles, ten bags of cement, timber, and nails at a total of KES 27550 to facilitate this. Also, I gave the mason KES 25000 as his labour charge. To add to that, I later saved KES 1000 to my account and this will be of help in case an emergency arises. Lastly, with the remaining amount, I purchased foodstuffs like maize flour, sugar, beans among others.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means building a spacious house. I am a widow who came from my matrimonial home 15 years ago because no one could take care of me. Since then, I have been living with a lot of worries because my current house is almost falling. I am budgeting to spend 60,000 Kenya shillings to construct a semi-permanent house so that I can leave comfortable without any fear that the house might collapse and end my life. Also, I will invest the remaining amount in livestock keeping which is a long-term investment and a source of income too which can support me my in future life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Morning is the happiest part of the day. It is at this time when I have enough time to cultivate my 1-acre land which has remained as my only hope. Unlike in the evening when I am too tired.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of support is my biggest hardship. Since my beloved husband died who was the breadwinner, life be ame tough because no one was interested to support me because they have other dependants. I was forced to return to my parents whom by then are old and could not work and provide for me. So I just rely on substance farming.