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 > Dhahabu's Profile
Dhahabu's family
Dhahabu
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
workCampaign
Kenya Basic Income
Upcoming Stage
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29th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 3 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I believe in the ability of education in transforming the life of people and I would want the life of my family to be transformed. I want all my 5 children, one of whom is in college and 4 in primary school to complete school. This will allow them access work that I or my husband could not access. My husband is a casual driver and makes between $2 to $5 which varies as he sometimes goes days without work, if we fully depend on his finances to get the children through school we may be forced to pull them out of school. With the transfers we can avoid this and ensure they all are able to go to school until the program closes.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Givedirectly transfers have ensured that all my five children are back to school. Originally two had dropped out owing to the absence of enough finances to facilitate their attending school. I have spent $59 on school fees and school related expenses such as uniform and this has allowed all my children to go through school. I was also afflicted by a bad flu that forced me to seek medical attention at the hospital. I spent $15 to see the doctor and by the medicine I required. I am glad that Givedirectly has been the right hand of my family.
 
26th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES
access_time 6 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My main priority revolves around my children's education, utilizing my transfers to cover their school fees. I firmly believe that education serves as a pathway to self-sufficiency. Despite not having had access to the finest education myself, I'm committed to offering my children the utmost quality in schooling. Education, in my view, holds the power to transform lives, which is why I am steadfast in my efforts to secure the best educational opportunities for my children.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my most recent transfer, my top priority was my children's fees. I allocated $75 towards paying them off. With four children in school and one already finished, education is a priority for us. In the past, my children were frequently sent home due to unpaid fees, but thankfully, that's no longer the case. The remaining $27 went towards clearing a debt I owed to my neighbor. Our livelihood relies on farming, but due to my chest pain, I can't manage heavy duties. My spouse works as a driver, but the income is unreliable and low. Despite these challenges, ensuring our children receive a good education remains our focus.
 
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($21 USD)
access_time 10 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My foremost priority is ensuring that all my children not only attend school but also complete their education without facing the hurdles of financial constraints. My other plan is raising livestock, helping me to create a sustainable source of income and savings. With these, my family will be uplifted now and in the future. Givedirectly has empowered us to take steps and improve our overall well being.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Receiving the unconditional Givedirectly cash transfer has been a relief for me and my family. My husband, working as a casual laborer, often struggles to make ends meet, and I, dealing with health issues, can only manage to farm for our basic needs. I Spent 97.0 on paying school fees for my six children, all of whom are currently attending school. Seeing them equipped with all the necessary school requirements brings me immense joy, and I am deeply grateful for the support that enables me to provide them with education. Previously, there were times when they had to stay home due to a lack of school fees, causing us worry. The remaining portion of the cash transfer, about $5, was allocated to buying essential food items.As someone who relies on farming for sustenance but is limited by health constraints, this was crucial in ensuring we have enough food to meet our family's needs. While the amount may seem small to some, the impact on our daily lives is profound, and I find solace in knowing that my children are well-fed and receiving an education, thanks to the assistance we receive.
 
17th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($24 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?
One year from now, my goal is to ensure that all my children's education is sustained. By the end of this year two of them will be completing their current levels of education. I will then use part of the transfers to purchase a goat. This goat will serve as a source of income that will help cover the costs of the one who will be joining high school.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
In August, I used the transfer I received to cover my top priority, which is paying my children's school fees. I allocated $2.5 for each of my four children who are currently in primary school and $10 for my eldest son, who is attending college. Before I became a recipient of the Givedirectly program, we often faced the challenges of not having enough funds for school fees, which resulted in my children being forced to stay home. It was a difficult situation, and we sometimes had to resort to begging and telling lies just to get them back into school, which was embarrassing for our family. There were times when we even went to bed hungry. My husband's income as a casual laborer is not stable, as his jobs are not permanent, and it was challenging to sustain our family solely on his earnings. The remainder of the transfer was used to cover our food and other essential household expenses. I am truly grateful for the support provided through these transfers.
 
13th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($26 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?
Because it has been hard to predict when my husband and I can get our wages, with the assurance of the monthly transfer, I am often able to plan with it. Therefore, my two running goals have been to meet the educational and nutritional needs of my family. As a result, I will prioritize spending my transfers on buying food for my family. In addition, I hope to be able to pay their school fees in bits to enable them to have ample time in school. Even though I do that in bits, it helps a lot. I have therefore been able to witness a positive change in our family. I am ever grateful and happy with GiveDirectly's program.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $10 on paying school fees for my children. I have five school-going children. However, we struggle a lot to meet their educational needs because my husband and I do not have a reliable source of income. I do much since I am always flexible to do some household chores to support the family when their father is unable to get casual jobs. Because we struggle to get food, I spent $24 on our nutritional needs. I am grateful that as a result of the transfers, life is always bearable despite the current drought expressed across our area.
 
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($28 USD)
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 main goal is to support my children's education. I shall always divert most of my transfer to ensure that they have an opportunity to go to school and focus on their studies. Previously, I had begun to worry about how I could raise their fees based on my health condition. I am glad that I am in the GiveDirectly cash transfer program, and through this, I see the goal of supporting their education attainable. I know when they succeed, they will be responsible people in society. Thanks to GiveDirectly for the financial support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a mother of five school-going children; Matano, Peter, Kahindi, Idi, and Furaha. However, I do not have a source of income, and since I have a chronic illness, I cannot do any casual job to earn an income. My husband, however, does a part-time job that does not pay him well. As a result, our family struggles to afford necessities like food and school expenses. Therefore, I always divert my monthly transfers to buy food and pay my children's school expenses. With the most recent transfer, I spent $20 on a new set of books for them. I am glad they have learning materials, and they have ample time to focus on their studies.
 
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($25 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am unable to work due to a chest complication. Supporting the education of my 5 children both in college and primary school has been my long-term goal. I used $25 to pay their term one fees as well as examination fees for the 4 children who are in public primary school. In addition, I used $10 to purchase school uniforms for two kids who did not have them. They were going to school using casual wear something embarrassing and always their teachers could confront them for the same. Additionally, I spent $55 to purchase enough foodstuffs and water for the family of six kids plus I and my spouse since we are experiencing drought and famine in our area at the moment.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($26 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Before getting enrolled, most of the duties and bills were settled by my husband because I have no job. Most times it was overwhelming because he's job was being a driver for public transportation and the money he made and still makes is not sufficient. That is why I count myself lucky for getting into the program because I now help as well financial which has led to incredible progress. This organisation has done and is still doing a great deal for me and my family thus we are grateful and honoured to be a part of it.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
As soon as I received the funds I went ahead and withdrew the money but I still have not put it to use yet. Tomorrow I plan on going to the livestock market so that I can purchase a goat, preferably worth KES 2,500. I want to invest in growing my farm by buying more farm animals. My goal is to rear and let them breed so that I could eventually sell and gain financial benefits in order to pay school fees for my children since keeping them on school has been a challenge due to lack of payment in tuition fee. My oldest daughter is in high-school studying nursing and most times her fees are quite a large amount that is why I am deciding to expand my farm for possibly additional finances. As for the KES 500 I will remain with after purchasing the goat, I plan to buy new school uniform for one of my sons because his old uniform was old, torn and had patches almost all over due to occasionally sewing it up.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($10 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I remember we had slept hungry on the night when I received the transfer. Waking up hopeless on a new day not knowing what to provide for my kids, I picked my phone hoping to call someone to come to my rescue. Upon opening it, my eyes bumped on the cash transfer message and this turned to be a good morning to me. I rushed to the market where I bought a packet of maize floor and came back to prepare food for my children.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Two of my children were always uncomfortable and unhappy going to school with non-school uniform. This lead them to hate school days as they would wake up with gloomy faces on weekdays unlike weekend where they would wake up with smiley faces. Since I bought them uniform, they have been waking up early and prepare for school on their own not like previously when I'll forcefully get them out of the house to go to school.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Being asthmatic, I can't do much to provide for my family but my husband who occasionally works as a driver has been very supportive to our six children. Since these driving jobs are not very reliable and he has many responsibilities, he opted to burning and selling charcoal a business that has not been sustainable due to drought and tough economic conditions that the country is currently facing. Our first born is in college and other five children in high school and primary school a responsibility that calls for a lot of money and my husband has been struggling to ensure that the children are in school and they got something to eat. Endearing this tough economic condition made it difficult to buy our children clothes, even their school uniform was torn and some of them would go to school with non-school uniform which they were uncomfortable in. This lead me to spend KES 1000 to buy school uniform for two of them and bought a packet of maize floor with the balance of KES 150.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will help a lot in reducing the burden of paying school fees for my children. This has been my biggest headache since I have 4 children in secondary school and 1 in college. In a term consisting of 3 months I am required to spend not less than 20,000 KES for their education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have been healthy the last 6 months. I have not visited any hospital for medication. This has been my source of happiness for the last couple of months because I have been able to go on with my duties well.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
With 5 children in school and some grandchild who depend on me, it has been not been easy making ends meet. I have no source of income because I am farmer who only depends on rain. The rains have been scarce in this area. I mainly depend on my spouse who works as a casual in the public transport sector. What he earns is barely enough for the family's needs. School fees and food are the heaviest of all burdens.