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.
Stages:
 
Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Kadzo's Profile
Kadzo's family
Kadzo
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
workCampaign
Kenya Basic Income
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Kadzo's next check-in.
 
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($26 USD)
access_time 4 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
In my small, leaky-roofed house, my ultimate goal is to utilize a portion of my transfers to construct a respectable dwelling for my family. There's a deep-seated desire to provide my loved ones with a safe and comfortable home, free from the worries of leaks and inadequate shelter. With each transfer, I'm driven by a sense of determination to make this dream a reality, infusing every step with passion and purpose. It's not just about building a house; it's about creating a haven where my family can thrive and flourish, imbued with warmth, security, and the promise of a better future.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I live in a small leaking grass house which is not enough for our family thereby forcing my elder child to find a place to sleep from the neighbors. My biggest dream is to have a two-roomed house which will be spacious and conducive for my family. To achieve this dream, I've been saving gradually from my transfers. I put $60 of my transfers into savings, intending to use them in the future to buy building materials for a decent house where we can live happily and comfortably, without worrying about the rain leaking through. Additionally, I purchased 2 iron sheets for $18, taking another step towards building our dream home. With our food supplies depleted, leaving us with nothing to eat, I spent $14 on food to ensure we wouldn't go hungry. Lastly, I used the remaining $10 to cover school fees for my child, ensuring he can continue his studies without the burden of unpaid fees.
 
18th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 8 months ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
In November I saved $10 to my village savings group, I bought clothes for 2 children at $15 and in December bought two of my other children at $15. I used the rest of $9 to buy food. In December I bought my own clothes at $6 and used the rest of the cash on toiletries and food. In January I saved $10 to my village savings group, I used $10 to pay school fees for my children, I also got three chicken at $6 and sugar at $2, the rest of the cash is still unused and I plan to use it when my children have emergency school supply needs.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My family of six, myself , my husband and my four children live in a one room, grass thatched house. Every time it rains the room leaks massively and this has made our lives unbearable over the last rainy season. I would want us to move into a new tin roofed house. I have bought 11 iron sheets which I am still adding to with the savings from my savings group and I hope to finally gave enough to build a two roomed tin roof house which is bigger and can accommodate all of us as well as not have a leaking roof.
 
13th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($24 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have been working on my house project, gradually accumulating one metal sheet at a time, each costing me only $0.95, and thanks to GiveDirectly, I have acquired ten of them now. I bought a chicken for $0.50 and added it to the existing ones. A portion of my transfer, $10, was dedicated to covering my children's school fees. I made sure to set aside $0.50 for savings, and the remaining $0.45 went towards purchasing soaps and lotions for my family. It's been quite an eventful journey, managing my expenses while taking care of my home and loved ones.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
As a mother of four, we live in a deteriorating grass house. I am determined to secure a brighter future for my family, so I have already obtained ten metal sheets and plan to acquire more. This is all for the sake of providing my loved ones with a better home and a better life.
 
5th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($28 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The roof of my tiny, mud-walled, grass-thatched house is terribly leaky. Our village has experienced significant rainfall for the past two weeks. The rainfall is a disaster for me because it gets inside my house through openings on the roof and damages my property. My temporary solution of covering the roof with a polythene bag has failed because the bag cannot retain the water for an extended period of time. This is the reason I made the decision to gradually purchase some iron sheets so that I could construct a new home. I spent $16 to purchase two pieces of iron sheeting for my family's new home after receiving my transfers for December. I bought two pairs of clothes for each of my two sons last month during the holiday season in addition to the iron sheets. I'm happy that my kids finally got to wear new clothes after a long time. Last but not least, I used the $8 left over to buy food for my family, which we consumed over the holiday season. Since my husband and I both work as casual workers, we hardly ever have enough money saved to cover all of the family's expenses. I am appreciative to the organization for the financial assistance.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($25 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly is one of the many organizations that has made it possible for people to have plans and objectives and work towards them. They have given me a way to plan to own a home at the end of the support program.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Paying school fees has been one of the major challenges and this is because I am unemployed and mainly depend on my husband. He is unemployed and we survive from hand to mouth. As soon as I received my cash transfer, I used $8 to pay for school fees for my two children who are at school and bought a layer with the remaining $2. With plans to build my home; I used $13 to buy 4 pieces of iron sheets and the remaining cash went to food.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($10 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We are currently a family of three, I and my two children. My husband is a casual worker and does not reside in the village. I burn and sell Charcoal to fend for my family. For the past few weeks, the business has been slow and meetings my family's basic needs has been a struggle. A few days before receiving the transfer, my children were sent back home due to having school fees arrears. I didn't have any money to enable them to go back to school. You can imagine the excitement I had after receiving the transfer. I immediately paid kshs.500 for their fees and spent kshs.670 on foodstuff.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I'm so grateful for the support, without the transfer my children would have not gone back to school, and they would still be at home without food. The transfer has brought a huge difference in our lives. My charcoal business has been slow for the past few weeks and this made it challenging to meet my family's basic needs. Having met my family's most basic needs is the biggest difference in my daily life.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was very happy and thankful when I received a message from GiveDirectly that confirmed the receipt of my first transfer. My children had been sent back home for school fees which got me worried because I had no means of raising the fees. The transfers were sent right on time.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I do not have a proper structure to live in. My house is quite old with washed down walls that are hanging from the corner cracks. The grass thatched roof is also leaking that we even had to reinforce it with polythene paper. I'm always scared every moment I spend inside because you can't tell when it's going to collapse.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Honestly the year started on a low note for me and my family because we had a lot of projects that required money but we were broke. However, I felt truly happy when I had about GiveDirectly's intentions to also register our village. I know this is a good project because I have seen how it has boosted status of some of my friends from a neighboring village.
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I'm a mother of three living with my children in the village while my husband lives in Mombasa town where he trades on scrap metals. In the village I burn and sell charcoal to supplement my husband's income. Out of the three children I have, two are already schooling with the last born yet to join. I pay about 1500 for the two in one academic term. This has been quite costly on the family to an extent that we haven't paid much attention to the condition of our current house; It's nearly collapsing with washed down walls and a roof that is partly grass and partly polythene paper. Getting this money will afford us a new structure as I want to start by buying building materials in small bits whenever I receive my transfers until I'm able to build a house.