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.
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Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Khadija's Profile
Khadija's family
Khadija
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
workCampaign
Kenya Basic Income
Upcoming Stage
Next Payment
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Follow to be updated on Khadija's next check-in.
 
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($24 USD)
access_time 2 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Since joining the program, I've acquired three goats, each of which has subsequently given birth, doubling my herd to six. My intention is to utilize future transfers to further expand my goat farming venture. As the goat population grows, my plan is to sell some and use the proceeds to purchase a bull, essential for plowing my farm during the rainy season. I am immensely grateful for the financial assistance provided by Give Directly, as it has significantly improved my quality of life and contributed to my financial stability.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I sustain myself through the buying and selling of hens in the market, a business fraught with its own set of challenges. However, I find solace in knowing that the financial assistance I receive bolsters my business during lean times. Recently, I invested $34 from my transfers to expand my inventory of hens, thereby augmenting my potential earnings. Witnessing a notable upturn in business, I remain optimistic about its future growth and the subsequent increase in my income. Moreover, a substantial portion of my transfers amounting to $53 was allocated towards settling my children's primary school fees. With all six of my children actively engaged in their education, I am immensely gratified. Furthermore, my eldest son completed his secondary education and anticipates enrolling in college later this year, I allocated $15 to assist him with his course applications. The financial support provided has not only revitalized my business but also ensured the continuity of my children's education, a circumstance for which I am profoundly thankful.
 
18th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 7 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My goal has always been to rear broiler chickens because they mature faster and can provide a good source of income. Unfortunately, financial constraints, such as school fees for my children, limited me from realizing this dream. So, I decided to invest the initial cash transfers in purchasing four indigenous hens. These hens later gave rise to another 14 chickens that have now matured. Having this flock of chickens motivates me to continue keeping livestock because I can sell them to generate funds for my family's needs. Additionally, another goal of mine is to exchange some of these chickens for a calf in the future. Once this calf matures into a bull, I can use it for plowing activities on my farm. This will save me the struggle and expenses of having to hire an ox-plow and will be a valuable addition to my agricultural activities.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I arranged with my husband to use my cash transfers to support the education of my son, Issa, who is in his first year of high school. My husband, who works at a butchery, primarily covers the school fees for our two children in form four and the other three in primary school. From the recent three cash transfers, I allocated the total amount of $102 to pay my son Issa's school fees. There was an outstanding debt that the school administration had been reminding me about. I was worried that my child might miss out on his studies due to the debt. Fortunately, we had just harvested, and our finances were not constrained by food expenses, so I used the entire amount to clear the school fees. Since I started benefiting from the cash transfer program, there have been significant positive changes in our lives. Without these funds, I don't think I would have been able to enroll my son Issa in high school. Furthermore, my relationship with my husband has improved as he has become more involved in supporting our children's education.
 
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($25 USD)
access_time 11 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
As I progress to receive my transfer, my goal is to save it in the merry-go-round. That will enable me to get some money that can help me to buy cows. I have been longing to keep livestock, which I could not do due to the financial constraint I have been experiencing. I hope to accomplish early next year because that needs about $300 that I can get based on my savings then.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have been saving $10 a month with my transfer. I use the remaining money on my kids' school expenses and groceries. Because I can always afford the monthly fees, my children who attend school are always at peace and spend more time there than before. They have experienced an improvement in their performance. Since we rely on casual jobs, paying their fees on time had been difficult for years. I always spend $10 on food each month to augment my other income because of the high cost of living. I intend to purchase animals with the money and start raising them.
 
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Currently, I want to make sure that the school fees for my children are paid on time. I wouldn't want them to reach the prior point of dropping out of school. Thank God, I'm currently running a business. In order to avoid financial hardship when the students who are currently in primary school transition to secondary school, my goal is to pay off the existing arrears they owe the school. Once I have done this, I will begin saving $10 each month. They can only be certain of a better future through education. Like any other parent, when I see my kids thrive in life, I will be happy and proud.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Three of our six kids are in secondary school and three are in primary school. The hardest of all our home expenses has been paying for their education. In the past, we relied on my husband, who performed whatever odd jobs he could find in the area. He has not been obtaining these tasks for about a year, which has made it difficult for us financially. One of our sons had to leave school at one time because we couldn't pay the costs. Since I joined in the program, our financial position has improved, thus I am appreciative of the organization. I now sell fruits thanks to the monthly remittances. I fully funded my children's education expenditures using the transfers from the previous three months, and the earnings from the business too have kept us living. Since I began receiving the transfers, none of my children, including the one who dropped out have missed a single day of class. I'm really grateful to GiveDirectly for this.
 
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($25 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I sell banannas , oranges and cassava. In a week I get $15 as the profit which I use to buy food for my family. Receiving this money has enabled me to save $20 in a Sacco where I plan to buy a piece of land in two years. The rest of $10 is used to pay school fees for my children
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($26 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I like the fact that through the funds I get from Give Directly, I paid school fees for my children, which is one of the pressing issues I am facing in my family. I would urge the organization to increment the amount they disburse monthly so that we can plan well and do away with pressing issues that require a lot of money such as paying school fees.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have 6 children. 2 are in secondary school while 4 are in primary school. Towards the end of the term last year, my children had huge fee balances that had accumulated. My husband earns a living employed as a butcher in town. I used to sell cooked food in a kiosk but the high cost of food items forced me to drop the job. I currently earn a living by selling fish, but the business is not doing well at the moment. The earnings from both my husband and I are not enough to cater to all my family's needs. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I spent KES 1000 to clear part of a school debt for my son who is in secondary school to avoid him being sent home. I then saved the remaining KES 2000 in “Chama”. Saving the money will ensure that I get alone and use the money to pay off the school debt that all my children owe to their respective schools.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($10 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
These funds came in when I was in town getting a bursary for one of my children who was joining secondary. I was pretty stressed out at the time but the money automatically changed my mood. I became very excited as I saw the possibility of realizing my goal of starting a poultry farming business. This has not been possible as I am still repaying a KES 20000 loan, I took to settle my children's school fees. I have managed to reduce it by half and with the funds from give directly, I know soon I will clear the debt. This will then allow me to take another to support my project.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before, I would get very tensed and stressed out about how I was going to fend for my children by myself through my catering business. My husband is now very old and fewer people contract him for the services of slaughtering livestock. The money that I will be receiving from give directly will boost our finances and it will enable me to work on the projects I had been yearning to do but never got to as I lacked the funds. One of them being poultry farming. From this, I will be having more money streaming in which will help me pay school fees for my six children and also fend for the whole family. So, there has been a great difference in my life, better yet, I am now calmer and collected
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband's old age has obstructed him from being hired as he used to. His job entails slaughtering livestock. This has now made me the sole breadwinner of the family. Through my catering business, where I sell food to the motorcyclist, I get very little earnings that have not been enough to meet the needs of my nine children, six of whom are in school. To boost my finances, I have plans to start a poultry farming business. To facilitate this, I need KES 20,000. so, I have been saving in the merry-go-round to raise this capital. Therefore, when I got funds from give directly, I added them to the savings.
 
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been running a food kiosk in the nearby town for the second year now. However, the increase in the price of food commodities in Kenya has affected my business and I no longer make handsome profits as I used to before. I am planning to diversify my financial sources so that I can support my family well. I want to start a dairy chicken rearing business which will cost an initial capital of KES 30,000. There is a ready market for chicken given that a member in my village normally takes chicken to a hotel in the nearby city. I will use a further KES20,000 to boost my food kiosk by diversifying the types of foods I sell. Doing all this will assure my family of reliable sources of income to sustain my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The loss of my mother made me go through tough times. I felt lonely and at times sleeping was very difficult. I later managed to join women associations in the village and whenever I meet my colleagues, we share some light moments and this has brought happiness in my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The gradual collapse of my food kiosk has given me sleepless nights for over two months now. This is because this has been my only source of income for my family. The rise in the cost of food products in my country has made it difficult to make profits. Sometimes I use the capital to attend to different family needs which are not acceptable in any business.