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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 > Kalume's Profile
Kalume's family
Kalume
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labour
faceAge:
50
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($521 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have always struggled to pay school fees for my children who are in both primary school and secondary school. They have always been sent home on a monthly basis because I was not able to raise money in time to pay for their arrears. It was my goal to give the best to my children in terms of education so that they can not end up uneducated like me. I have struggled without a good income because I did not get educated. I would not want my children to go through the same thing I have gone through. I know when they get a good education, they will get good and well-paying jobs so that they can have a better future to support me and their families.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GD keep their promise to us, was the best thing I really liked about GD. I did not know at first if they would have done as they had promised and I was surprised they kept their word. There is nothing GD did not do well. They should just continue the same way.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent my transfer on paying school fees arrears for my children in primary school. They had carried forward last year's fees balance and the principal had threatened to send them home if I had not paid the arrears especially latest year's arrears. When I got my second transfer, The first thing I thought of was the fees arrears. The rest I have saved to use when I have the need for it. Currently, I do not have an urgent need and I am still weighing the best option to use the money to help me now and for the future. My rough idea is to start a business.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($548 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
My son had been staying home for weeks because of the huge school fees arrears. When I got my transfer, I managed to clear the pending fee balance. To me, this is the biggest difference in my life. He was the only one who got the privilege of reaching secondary school. I have always been wishing to see him prosper. Seeing him miss some important exams which were affecting his academic performance made me worried. I always made every effort to enable him to go back to school but failed most of the time due to lack of money. The story has totally changed now because my son is now at school and I am sure there will be no disturbances of being sent home every time, I believe this will make him improve on his academic performances
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was preparing myself to go out for the daily casual jobs as usual when I heard my phone vibrating continuously. It was an indication that there was a new message. I decided to check what the message was all about. When I realized that my transfer had been sent, I was happy and changed my plans to stay at home since I was somehow confused. I had never received such a lumpsum amount of money in my life and so I wanted to stay calm to avoid attracting anybody who could have snatched me the money.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying a pair of oxen and some three goats at 32000 KES. I opted to buy the oxen purposely for my agricultural activities. I have been hiring from friends and sometimes I could not afford it. When I did not have money, my land could lay fallow till the next planting season since being old, I was not able to use my own hands in digging. With farming being my main interest, I had to priorities buying oxen. I also managed to clear school fees for my son who is in secondary school. He has been staying at home for weeks due to fees arrears. The exams were approaching and I had been worried that he would miss the exams. I thank GiveDirectly for giving me a helping hand when I needed it most. I then bought foodstuffs for my family and some other household items.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
For my years, my biggest desire has been to Invest in livestock rearing. At the moment, I rear other people's cattle, and it demotivates knowing that at any moment their owners may take them back. Having known their monetary value out there in the market, this will be my first priority once I receive my transfers. This will serve as a long term investment plan that will help in educating my 13 children with much ease. Apart from that, I intend to put up a kiosk business that will generate a daily income for the family. Having these up and running will give me inner peace to adequately care and provide for the family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening is the happiest part of my day, unlike other parts of the day, it is at this moment when I have less work to do. Usually, I wake up very early to graze livestock, before undertaking other activities like charcoal burning.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of reliable sources of income has been the biggest hardship in life. At the moment I depend on charcoal burning business, and given that I have 13 children under my care, it is difficult to sustain their needs. My greatest worry has been how to meet all of their educational needs, thankfully, Give directly has come at the most opportune moment. I now feel relieved knowing that my desires will be met.