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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.
Stages:
 
Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Tabu's Profile
Tabu's family
Tabu
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
29
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($463 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
We have been relying on my spouse who is the main income earner. He sells charcoal but at times he gets overwhelmed by our household demands because he does not earn much from it. I am glad the transfers boosted us, and we managed to sort out most of the pressing household needs. At the moment, he is relieved financially and at least we can save some money from his income. I, therefore, have a new goal of starting up a small business so that I can support him with the household needs. The little savings my spouse has can help us achieve this goal. The moment the business will be in place then we shall be sharing the household expenses.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The thought of enrolling everyone in our village then later we were all given money was such a great move. Letting people decide on how to spend their transfers has led to a great transformation of our village. People have invested in various income-generating activities and at this pace, we are hopeful that by the end of the year we shall have back our trees. Charcoal burning was the norm previously because it was the major source of income which is not the case currently.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My spouse sells charcoal which is our main source of income. With a family of 8, at times meeting the household needs becomes a real challenge, but he has invested a lot in livestock which has always come to our rescue whenever in urgent need of cash. Therefore, when we received the second transfer we could not resist but purchased 7 more goats for 10500 KES. They are a good way of investment because they reproduce hence more of them in the future. I have young children who still have a long way to go when it comes to education and I believe the goats will come in handy when it comes to raising their school fees. 19000 KES I spent on two beds and two mattresses for my household members. We are glad we currently enjoy our sleep with no more body pains due to poor sleeping conditions. We no longer feel ashamed waking up in the morning with all our children sleeping on a mat spread on the ground. The remaining 21000 KES I spent on foodstuffs which is enough to take my household a good duration before we think of budgeting for more.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was exactly 5 AM when I was breastfeeding my son then my phone started ringing so loudly. I asked my spouse to confirm since he had the phone. After going through all the notifications, he realized that they are from Segovia Technology, I had finally received the first transfer that I was promised a few weeks ago. I was overwhelmed with joy and I remember dancing like a small baby. Without wasting time, we started planning on how we could utilize it since we had a lot to accomplish.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am now a proud owner of goats. It has been my desire to at least own one but they were very expensive. I opted for the goats because they take very little time to mature and their pastures are readily available in my region. Being a housewife of six children has been tough all along especially in raising fees for my kids. My spouse is a casual laborer and the little he earns couldn't satisfy all the family's basic needs like food and the fees. Therefore their education journey has been full of ups and downs. For that reason, I had to think of a permanent solution on the same. I am now hopeful that by the time they will be transitioning to secondary schools or even colleges, the goats will have multiplied. I will be in a position to sell some and cater for the school fees and their basic needs. As a mother this has restored my lost hope and joy in life, courtesy of GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying livestock more than nine goats at KES 27000. I have been yearning to own them for years but because of my financial status, I couldn't afford them. Also, I bought some pieces of iron sheets at KES 6750, nails at KES 2000, and a metal door at KES 4500. This was purposely for the renovation of my house since it was in a poor state. To add to that, I bought a new bed and a mattress at KES 8000. I am now so happy because previously I used to sleep on the old traditional beds made of ropes. I later cleared school fees of KES 7000 for my five children who are in primary schools. Currently, they are studying peacefully without any distractions like before. With the remaining amount of money, I bought enough food for the family.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a sustainable source of income. I plan to use this money to do livestock keeping. According to the weather condition of this area, I have realized goats are more resistant to the dry season than cows. So buying more goats will help me have a long term and sustainable source of income. In the future, any need that will arise I will be in a position to sell some of the goats and be able to take care of my family expenses. My husband has no reliable source of income since he just depends on charcoal business which is not lucrative as it was previously.
What is the happiest part of your day?
What has brought joy in my life is the entry of Givedirectly in my village. I had lost hope in my life given the fact that my husband is now jobless and here I have this painful condition of my pregnancy. But the day I heard that Givedirectly is coming, I new my prayers have been answered. Am now very happy and eager to receive this money.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I currently have a challenge in taking care of the safety of my unborn child. Am expecting to give birth any moment from now. Whenever I conceive, I develops persistent pain from day one to the day I will deliver. It's a condition that the doctors have recommended a scan to establish the cause of all the pain am experiencing. I have been worried of how I will deliver my child because this conditions causing a lot of pain. I can not sleep well or eat. It's a very sad situation that I don't have money to visit the recommended health facility.