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 > Katana's Profile
Katana's family
Katana
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
workCampaign
Kenya Basic Income
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
attach_money
 
Follow to be updated on Katana's next check-in.
 
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
attach_money
 
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Immediately, I received my transfer. I spent it in buying KSH 720 to buy 6 packets of 2kg maize flour each at KSH 120, 100 KSH to buy soap and detergents, 1kg of sugar at KSH 120 and ½ liter of kerosene at KSH 60. I decide to buy all these because I did not have money and the stock food was getting finished. I sell coconut and one goes at KSH 5 up to KSH 30 depending on the size. Currently, there are few coconuts on the farm and we have little to sell. The money I get from selling the coconut is just enough for a daily food budget. In addition, I saved the KSH 2000 in a Chama. The idea is to save a lot of money and build a new house. The house I am currently living in is a one-room house. I want to build a bigger house with two rooms. The idea of building a new house was born a long time ago. Because of my financial status, I could not do that. Now that I am receiving the money, I want to make the dream come true. The motivation came during the holiday and festive seasons. My relatives often visit me and when they come, there is not enough space for them to spend a night or two. To change this situation, a spacious house will be very important to accommodate my relatives when they come to visit me.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
attach_money
 
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In opinion, GiveDirectly does well in terms of helping the needy and less privileged in the society. Since I started receiving the funds I am now optimistic about life. My problems have greatly reduced. I am now even happy that I am getting empowered and very soon I will be independent too. I like it that GiveDirectly can empower people like us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am now very old and I do nothing to earn a living. I depended mostly on working on other people’s farms to earn a living. Since the drought began there are no jobs and I opted to burn some few pieces of wood to make charcoal that I will later sell. My weak body has been a setback toward finding food for myself. I currently depend fully on my son who is town for my survival. My son does not have a permanent job and at times he fails to send me some money. When I received my first transfer from GiveDirectly I was very happy that on those days when my son will not send me money, the transfer will be of great help to me. When I received my first transfer I spent half in buying some Makuti so that I could repair the leaking roof of my house. The other half was spent to pay the mason who repaired the roof for me. I am now happy the roof is ok and I am looking forward to get more money and repair the walls which have cracked up. I received my second transfer at a time when my son who sends me money for up keep was going through a tough time financially. The transfer greatly helped me in terms of buying food for my family. The festive season had already started and the transfer too came in handy as I was able to buy some wheat flour, rice and other food stuffs that we ate during Christmas and the New Year.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was just home that day because my old age does not allow me to do any tedious work although during the rainy season I do a lot of farming and that morning the message came. I was very ecstatic because before the money arrived I was sad and depressed because I barely had any money on me to even feed the family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Through the funds I received I managed to fix pur kitchen while my wife took care of the nutrition of the family with her funds and I could not be any happier. Eventually my wife and I plan on renovating our house. Plus this money has helped us become sustainable and not over rely on our children who are also trying to make a living.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My wife and I both happened to receive the transfers so we agreed to settle on dealing with different issues in our homestead and I went ahead and decided to renovate our kitchen since it the roofing had collapsed sometime back and we had not managed to fix it because we did not have money. Therefore I bought dried palm leaves which were commonly use as roofing in our village for KES 600. Then used the remainder of the money which was KES 600 to pay the labourer who was meant to fix the roof.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
At my age, I have made several in-laws. It hurts me that whenever they visit me, I am forced to borough sleep for them. It is shameful. I plan to save my GiveDirectly transfers so that I can build a spacious house that will accommodate my visitors anytime they visit me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I feel very happy that GiveDirectly has come to my village. I used to hear stories about the organization from my friends. I feel with the transfers, I will be able to realize my longtime dreams.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am both an agricultural and livestock keeper. However, despite all this, I have had no room to keep my livestock. The one bedroom house that shelters me, is the same that shades my livestock. It is shameful that I cannot sleep with my visitors under the same roof. I feel to have lost my dignity because of my poor housing.