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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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Newsfeed > Katsuheni's Profile
Katsuheni's family
Katsuheni
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
62
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($427 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?
I aim to invest in livestock specifically goats. I chose goats over cows because goats can survive without water for a longer time compared to cows. Again they are cheap to maintain and they have read markets since they are affordable and thus can be converted to monetary value anytime the need arises. Through this investment, I will be able to sustain my family without straining.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly has uplifted the lives of many community members and ensured that they move out of the pathetic situations they were in. On my side, I had never dreamt of having a livestock investment in my life but GiveDirectly enabled me. I am also thankful because the organization empowered me to get an investment. All these could not be possible if it were not for GiveDirectly. So far, I cannot fault GiveDirectly because I am satisfied that it does well and it did commendable work.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received the money for the second time, the first thing I thought of was a nice sleeping place. I used to sleep on small traditional beds with some empty sacks as bedding which were not comfortable. Instead of waking up relaxed and restful, I used to wake up exhausted. Therefore, I opted to spend $90 to buy a modern standard bed and a mattress. As of now, I am very happy because I usually wake up strong, refreshed and ready to pick up the day's activities. I also bought 5 galla goats as an investment. I chose goats over cows because of the climate condition in our area. Goats can survive in harsh conditions while cows cannot cope. Therefore, I spend $300 on the goats and used the rest to buy some food for the family.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($495 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9 am, I was at my home preparing to go to the field to graze my goats. I received a Mpesa message indicating that I had received the transfer from GiveDirectly. I could not believe my eyes after verifying my account balance it shows KES 55,000. I handed over my phone to my helper who confirmed that I had received my transfer. I felt extremely happy that day since I had never imagined I would receive such an amount of money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Able to boost my livelihood by purchasing 6 more goats is the biggest difference in my daily life that I had never imagined achieving for such a short time. I am currently a happy farmer after seeing my goats rearing job enhanced. I thanked GiveDirectly for the transfer that had transformed my life for the better.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 36,000 to boost my goat's rearing activity by purchasing 6 more goats. This is my future investment for the family, once they reproduce I will be able to trade-off for oxen which will assist me in ploughing my farm to produce enough food for the family. Currently, we are experiencing drought in our area and most of the cows die due to lack of pastures. I also spent KES 5000 to educate my 3 grandchildren who are still in primary school. For the remaining amount, I bought building poles to renovate my house by constructing an additional room since it was very small. I also purchased sufficient food for the family.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means improving my living standard. I am living in a one bedroom house which is not spacious for my family. I want to build a two bedroom house at a cost of KES 55000. This has enough space to accommodate my visitors. I will also buy six goats as investment at a cost of KES 36000. I will use the remaining amount to buy food for the family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest Part of the day is in the afternoon. This is because I sell my bags of charcoals during the afternoon hours and get money.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband died five years ago. I had a very young family then. I did not have any job ,we had entirely relied on him. After his death I had a rough time feeding the family. That made my children to drop out of school. That is the biggest hardship I faced in life.