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 > Katsaka's Profile
Katsaka's family
Katsaka
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
workCampaign
Kenya Basic Income
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Katsaka's next check-in.
 
26th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 21 days ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My objective is to launch a goat-rearing business, which shows significant potential, particularly if the goats multiply successfully. This venture is perfectly suited to our region, and if it prospers, I intend to exchange some goats for a cow. I will utilize the saved transfers to start this business. Having an extra source of income will guarantee the well-being of my family and allow me to provide a comfortable education for my children. I am deeply grateful for the chance to participate in this program as it has changed my life for the better.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Four years ago, my husband passed away, leaving me with the responsibility of taking care of our five children. It was challenging to support them through digging out tree stumps and selling charcoal, whose income was often insufficient. Fortunately, this project came at just the right time. With its assistance, I have been able to educate my children and ensure that my family has enough food. From the transfers received, I allocated $60 to pay off my children's school fees, as they had an outstanding debt that needed to be cleared before schools reopened. Additionally, I spent $42 on purchasing food since our supplies were depleted, ensuring that we had enough to sustain us. I am pleased with the progress we've made and I am very grateful for the financial support.
 
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($23 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?
In the upcoming year and beyond, my primary objective is clear: I want to raise more cash to ensure the education of my children. They are not just my pride; they are my sole hope for a brighter future. Education is the key that unlocks opportunities, and I am determined to provide my children with the best chances in life. Every extra penny I can raise will go towards securing their education and investing in their potential and dreams. As I embark on this journey to accumulate the resources needed for their schooling, my motivation is unwavering. In their success lies the fulfillment of my deepest aspirations, and I am committed to doing whatever it takes to see them thrive.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The recent unconditional cash transfer came as a timely blessing for me and my family of six. Ever since my spouse passed away a few years ago, I've been navigating the challenging journey of single parenthood without much support from my in-laws. With the entire cash transfer, I chose to prioritize the immediate needs of my family and invested it entirely in purchasing sufficient foodstuffs. As a widow managing a charcoal business where I earn around $13 a week, it's been a constant struggle to meet the basic needs of my children. This injection of funds allowed me to provide not only sustenance but also a sense of security for my family, alleviating the burden of wondering where the next meal would come from. The weight lifted by this financial support is immeasurable. My children can now enjoy regular, nutritious meals, and I can focus on nurturing them without the constant worry about making ends meet. While the grief of losing my spouse remains, the unconditional cash transfer has offered a glimmer of hope and stability in our daily lives.
 
17th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($25 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 ultimate goal is to provide a quality education for my five children. I have been facing financial challenges and getting money t pay for their school fees had been quite a challenge, though I wan to ensure that their learning journey remains uninterrupted. To achieve this, I am committed to utilizing every part of my monthly transfers to settle any outstanding school fees.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After facing financial difficulties and being a single mother with no reliable source of income, I found it challenging to provide for my large family of 8. The situation worsened when 4 of my children had to stay home from school due to unpaid fees. However, my worries were alleviated when GiveDirectly stepped in to help. With the recent transfers I received, I was able to pay $20 for my children's school fees, ensuring they could continue their education. The remaining amount of $14.70 was spent on purchasing food for my family. This support brought me immense happiness and relief, knowing that my children could pursue their studies and that we had enough food to take us some days.
 
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($26 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?
Education is a matter that is deeply important to me, and I am of the opinion that ensuring my children receive an education is the most significant investment I can make in their future. It is my desire that they acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue their careers successfully. To that end, my goal is to invest a substantial portion of my monthly stipend towards paying their school fees. By doing so, I believe they will be equipped to attract gainful employment, which will guarantee a bright future for themselves, as well as the ability to support me in my old age. This year and beyond, I will prioritize their education by investing in it.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The death of my husband during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant setback for me. As the sole breadwinner for my four children, it has been a challenging struggle to make ends meet. My income from doing casual labor jobs is meager, making it impossible to cater to all my family's needs. My children are the hardest hit, as they are often sent home from school due to outstanding fees that I am unable to pay on time. Therefore, when I received my March stipend, I immediately allocated $20 towards clearing school fee arrears to enable my children to resume their studies. Witnessing my children attend school, like their peers, brought me immense relief and joy. With the remaining $14, I purchased food and water, which have become exorbitantly priced, making it a challenge to provide daily meals for my family. I am deeply grateful for the monthly stipends I receive as they provide the financial boost I need to ensure a comfortable life for my children and me.
 
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($28 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 have four children. Two of my children are going into grade 1, one is in grade 4 and another is headed to grade 9. I am a single mother as I lost my husband during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was the sole breadwinner working as a houseboy in an copmound owned by an Asian. She lost her husband during Covid period. He was working as a gardener in someone's home. She hopes to be able to educate her children courtesy of the Givedirectly tansfers that she has recieved and will be receiving from Givedirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I lost my husband two years ago. We had nine kids by the time of his passing. Four children are still in elementary school, two did not continue their education after finishing primary school, and the other three are still very young. The $4 I make each week from selling charcoal, which is what I do for a living, is insufficient to support us. Since we started receiving it, I have been able to pay for my children's tuition and buy them food, so I am grateful for the support I have been getting from Give Directly. I used $15 of the last three months' payout to pay the tuition arrears they owed the school, and I used $79 to buy enough food to keep us nourished. Every parent wants the best for their kids, and seeing my kids regularly attend school inspires me to work more. They no longer skip lessons because they can't afford the tuition, and I owe Give Directly credit for that. I have faith that the help will enable them to finish their secondary studies.
 
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($26 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
As soon as I received the transfers, my first thought was to ensure that I used the money to pay tuition fee for my five children especially since they had been put of school for almost over two days since I has failed to settle the debt in school fees. I paid KES 2,500 in school fees so that they could finally resume school just like other children. Then after that I was left with about KES 500 with me and I ended up using it by purchasing three packets of maize flour since they was barely any food left in the house for my children and I.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($26 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I think everything was perfectly done and I want to comment you for work well done and your dedication towards helping the less fortunate in the society.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When my husband passed away two years ago, I knew it won't be easy to raise our nine children alone but I never thought it would be this tough. Then, I was a housewife but I had to engage myself into charcoal burning and selling business for me to be able to provide for my family. Within my locality, trees have been depleted and for me to get some wood to burn charcoal, I have to dig deep the tree roots which were left out after the tree were cut. It hasn't been easy digging up the tree roots in such a dry land with temperatures as high as 39 degrees centigrade but what keeps me going is my children. In a good week I can sell charcoal worth KES 1000 but this is very little to cater for all the family responsibilities. I have been thriving in debts and my wish was to have alternative source of income such as having livestock which I can sell. Since I was unable to buy livestock on my own, being enrolled in the program was such a good opportunity for me to start investing in livestock. I spend KES 1000 to buy two chicken which are capable of laying eggs, KES 1400 to buy maize floor and 600 to buy other food stuffs. I'm looking forward to buy some more livestock which I'll be able to sell and pay bills in future.
 
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?
I was at home fetching water when I received the funds from give directly, this made me feel so happy so I started planning on how to use them. My first thought was to reduce my children's school fees. So, the following day I went to school to reduce the arrears by KES500.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I have not noted any difference in my life ever since I started receiving these funds. since this is my first transfer. I also missed out on my second transfer and currently I'm behind on my bills. Even so, I believe with my coming transfers, there will be some difference that I will be able to point out.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
In April 2019 I lost my husband. At that time, the Coronavirus pandemic was at its peak. Life became very hard for me because I was left alone to fend for my 9 children. I then started working as a shepherd where my daily pay was KES150. When I received the funds, I had school fee arrears of KES3000 so I used KES500 to reduce the bill. The remaining KES700, I used to purchase food with.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
The death of my husband 13 months ago was the genesis of misery and suffering in my family. Getting food has been impossible and I rely on his brother to survive. The GiveDirectly transfers came at the right time and I am planning to use the transfers on school fees, food and renovation of my house. The roof of my house has been leaking whenever it rains and with the current rains experienced in my village, the house will no longer be conducive for anyone to live. I will use 30,000KES to pay school fees for my children, 40,000KES to buy food for my family and 20,000KES to repair my leaking roof. Doing all this will make me a happy and and independent woman in the village.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Whenever I get my pay after selling the little charcoal I make, I feel happy because I will buy food for my children.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The death of my husband 13 months ago has made me struggle to raise my family. I was forced to resort to charcoal burning to raise my family of eight something I was not used to. This occupation has been difficult and tiresome and sometimes I only manage two 90kg bags of charcoal selling at 900KES. I feel ashamed that my husband's brother has been forced to chip in to rescue my family.