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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 > Kadzo's Profile
Kadzo's family
Kadzo
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
35
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($517 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I now have a pair of oxen to use in my farming. I did not have any before then and I was hiring from neighbours during the planting season. With the pair of oxen, then I won't be hiring again since I have my own. I do my farming timely through this lair for a good harvest. The money has also enabled me to enroll my children in high school and college. They would other wise have stayed at home and not reaching their educational goals since I do not have the resources to take them to school. Its only through the transfer that helped them to join college.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well in uplifting our living standards through this financial support since it has enabled us to build new homes and buying livestock which we keep in our region. I do not see anything that GiveDirectly does not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent my second transfer on paying school fees for my two children, in high school and college. They are now comfortably in school having cleared the arrears. Apart from this, I did some shopping on the remaining amount on buying foodstuffs and other household basic needs and paying for some household expenses.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($545 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Owning the pair of oxen to me is the biggest difference for I was hiring from neighbours during the planting season which was costly to me. I am happy through the transfer from GiveDirectly, I acquired my own pair hence no more hiring instead, I will be hiring out to them at a fee which means an income to me.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was filled with happiness the moment I saw the message from GiveDirectly on my phone that my first transfer had finally been sent into my Mpesa account. I could not believe them at first due to past experience with other organizations but seeing the money in my account did away with every doubt and I realised that they had fulfilled the promise they had made to us.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent the transfer on buying a pair of oxen. I had desired for a long time to have my own and receiving the transfer was the greatest opportunity for me to acquire the pair. I have been hiring from neighbours during planting seasons though it was expensive and I could not meet the full cost of cultivating my whole acreage. The pair will aid me in ploughing by ensuring that I do it timely so as to increase my acreage for robust yields. I will no longer be hiring instead I will hire out to my neighbours at a fee thus generating an income during the season of cultivation. I also bought a goat to keep alongside the pair of oxen as an asset and which I expect to reproduce and have many of them. I also gave a portion of the transfer to my son to complete building his own house that he had began but came to a halt due to inadequate building materials. I spent the rest of the transfer to pay for my children's school fees balance so that they would be allowed back in school and comfortably enjoy their studies without any interruptions.
 
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
This money will not only provide economic stability for my family but also earn us a good social standing in our village. In a pastoralist community such as ours, lack of livestock is equated with poverty. I am happy that with this money, I will finally own livestock, scale up farming by acquiring oxen and oxplough. I will also have a dairy cow and some goats for rearing. I believe with these, my family will comfortably feed, educate our children and even save for the future.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening hours marks the happiest part of my day because it is the only time that I get to rest after a tedious day out in the farm and performing household chores the whole day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My biggest hardship is financial instability. My husband earns so little from his water vending business and yet he is the sole breadwinner to the family. As parents, we value education and so seeing our children drop out after primary school has been so painful. We feel like we have failed a whole generation.If only we had money, life would be so different for them.