My primary goal for the coming months is to renovate my house before it collapses. The stress of having a wall on the verge of falling has been overwhelming, especially given my current financial difficulties. To address this, I plan to use the savings from my monthly cash transfers, along with the modest profits from my small business, to fund the necessary repairs. I am hopeful that by the end of the year, possibly by October, I will be able to secure and stabilize our home, providing much-needed peace of mind for my family. I will be immensely relieved and happy as a mother once these renovations are complete, knowing that my children will be safe and comfortable.

My house has been in a poor state and is on the verge of collapsing, which has been a constant source of worry for me as a mother. The deteriorating condition of the house, with walls that have large holes allowing wind to penetrate, has made our nights extremely cold and unhealthy. To address this issue, I joined a merry-go-round initiative to renovate my home. Over the past few months, I have saved nearly $60 from the transfers, and I plan to have enough funds by the end of the year to carry out the necessary repairs. I believe that once the renovations are complete, I will no longer have to worry about the harsh climate or security issues. In addition to that, I used $42 to buy food supplies for my family. This was crucial, especially given that this season has been dry and we did not harvest anything from our farms. Thanks to this support, I can sustain ourselves during this challenging period. Without this assistance, I am unsure how we would have managed, as I rely heavily on my small businesses for our livelihood.

As I look ahead to the coming year, my main goal is to renovate my house before it's too late. The worry of having one of its walls on the verge of collapse weighs heavily on my mind, as the safety of my family is paramount. I fear the potential danger it poses, not just to our property but to our well-being. However, I'm determined to address this issue head-on. With careful planning and perseverance, I aim to use the savings from my mutual fund and the profits from my small business to fund the necessary renovations. While it may seem like a daunting task, I firmly believe that with diligence and hard work, I can turn this dream into a reality. By the end of the year, I hope to have a secure and stable home for my family, providing us with peace of mind and ensuring our safety for years to come.

As soon as the cash transfers arrived, I saw an opportunity not just for immediate relief but for long-term security and prosperity. Investing around $20 into my merry-go-round savings was a strategic move towards acquiring goats, laying the groundwork for a future where I could exchange them for a pair of oxen. With this vision in mind, I could envision a life where farming became more efficient, freeing me from the laborious task of ploughing by hand or relying on borrowed bulls. Alongside this investment, I secured a single goat as an immediate asset, providing a safety net for unforeseen emergencies and a tangible symbol of resilience in the face of uncertainty. Recognizing the importance of maintaining dignity and order in our lives, I allocated funds towards acquiring decent clothing and essential household items. Purchasing a metal box to store our clothes ensured they were protected from damage, a stark improvement from the days of storing them in vulnerable sacks. Additionally, I bolstered my small fish-selling business, leveraging the cash transfer to increase profits and sustainably support my family's needs. As my husband continued to shoulder the responsibility of being the primary breadwinner, the relief brought by the cash transfer was palpable, alleviating the strain on his limited income by providing much-needed resources for food and sustenance. 

My primary objective for the current year is to undertake the necessary repairs on my house. The recently concluded rainy season inflicted considerable damage on the structure, which if left unattended, will pose a serious risk of the house collapsing. I plan to allocate my savings along with forthcoming transfers towards accomplishing this crucial task. Ensuring the safety and improvement of my living space holds a lot of importance, promising not only peace of mind but also an overwhelming sense of joy. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the organization for its invaluable assistance in this endeavor.

Operating a small home-based business where I sell sardines has proven to be a successful endeavor, providing essential support for myself and my family of six. The decision to shift from selling charcoal, a labor-intensive and risky venture, was made possible by the assistance of GiveDirectly transfers. With these funds, I started my current business and ceased the charcoal trade. From the received transfers, I prudently saved $30 in our local savings club earmarked for purchasing goats in the future. Another $28 was invested in expanding my business's stock, reinforcing its growth. Allocating $10 for personal healthcare, I purchased medication to address my health concerns and am delighted to report a full recovery. The remaining $34 was wisely utilized to procure food in preparation for the festive Christmas season. Satisfied with the progress of my business and personal well-being, I eagerly anticipate even more positive developments in the times ahead.

I am eager to broaden my sardine-selling business by incorporating additional products like vegetables and clothing. With the combined profits from the business and the assistance of cash transfers, I am confident that I can achieve this growth. Making an income from the business will allow me to support my husband in providing for the family. Working as a school security guard, the income he makes is sometimes insufficient to cover all the basic needs of our family. Another priority of mine is to construct a protective pillar around my house's walls to safeguard them from rain-induced deterioration. To accomplish this goal, I estimate a budget of around $200, for which I have been consistently saving $10 every month.

After I received the recent funds, I saved $10 through a self-help group and invested $10 in purchasing dried sardines, to boost my stock. I have been operating a small business selling these sardines since January this year to enhance my income. This approach has proven effective in meeting the needs of my family. Previously engaged in charcoal burning, a physically demanding activity, I shifted my focus to selling sardines, affording me some much-needed relief. I am glad that this shift has brought positive changes. My business is also aligned with my goal of building a concrete pillar around my house. Since my house is constructed with mud walls, it is vulnerable to rainfall. The concrete pillar would serve as protection against wall deterioration caused by rain. This is why I have been saving to accumulate enough funds for the exercise. Furthermore, I allocated the remaining $14 to boost the little food that was left in the house. Thanks to the support I have received through cash aid, hunger has become less of a concern for us.

My goal is to start a livestock-rearing project. I plan to buy goats with part of the transfers that I would be receiving where every month. Later, I would sell part of them and buy cows that would be helping me out during cultivation because currently, I struggle a lot cultivating a two-acre piece of land without using any simpler method something that had been so tiring. I also want to improve my house, currently, I live in a mud house, but my wish had always been to have a permanent house, but due to the financial challenges and the inability to afford a permanent house, I would want to change it to a semi-permanent house. Therefore, I also plan to save part of my transfers so that by the beginning of next year, I would have some amount to start off the construction.

I had always had the dream of having a livestock-rearing project, but due to the lack of finances, I had never been lucky to start one. With GiveDirectly coming in to support us financially, I saw that my dreams would finally come true. Therefore, with the most recent transfers that I received, I managed to buy a goat worth $34 and added to the one that I previously bought and I would also want to add more in the coming months so that I sell part of them after they shall have increased in number to buy other livestock such as cows. I was very grateful to GiveDirectly for supporting me this far.

I have always desired to own and grow livestock that might help me generate cash quickly in case of an emergency. However, it has been challenging to achieve this dream in the past due to a lack of money to acquire the animals. Working as a school security guard, my husband is the only one who earns in the family, and his income cannot buy anything beyond food. So, I would not want to pressure him into buying a goat. However, with the monthly cash transfers, I plan on buying two goats, worth $40 each, in the next three months to start my rearing quest. I believe they will multiply into a larger herd in a few years and accumulate enough wealth.

We barely manage to eat three meals a day on our meager household income of $10 per month from the selling of charcoal. Although I am a subsistence farmer as well, the previous three years have seen dismal farm output due to a lack of rainfall. Because of this, I was unable to afford more comfortable bedding. I am thankful to GiveDirectly for making it possible for me to do so. I spent $39 on meals and other personal care items, and $34 of the $94 I got during the past three months went toward buying a new mattress. Additionally, I have set aside $25 in a village-wide rotational savings group for future use. It takes a lot of effort and time to burn charcoal. Thanks to GiveDirectly, I can take care of my family's necessities and, at the very least, I no longer have to exert a lot of energy cutting down trees to make charcoal.

I have an improvised bed made of ropes. The body pains I experience daily whenever I wake up are unbearable. I once contemplated sleeping on a mat on the floor because I could not afford a stable wooden bed. By God's grace, GiveDirectly came to my rescue. I have therefore saved KES 5000 of my last three months' transfers so that I can use it to purchase a wooden bed that is more stable and durable. 2000 KES I saved in a monthly rotational savings group. I am still planning on the best business to invest in once I earn my shares. I also bought 8 kg of corn flour for my family worth 1000 KES and used the remaining 1000 KES to purchase a new dress. I am thankful for support because life would not be any better without it. I make 1500 KES monthly from the charcoal sale but it can not sustain us especially due to the current rise in the prices of food commodities.

We come from a very remote and dry area with food security as the main challenge. Having a meal a day was the norm since there are very few livelihood activities. I am glad this is not the case anymore after GiveDirectly came to our rescue. It was such a great idea to give unconditional cash. There is a great improvement in people's health, and we now have a lively and peaceful community courtesy of the transfers. Everyone in the village is happy and grateful. There are no complaints or discontent about the organization.

Some of my goals when I was enrolled in the program were to invest in goats and improve my bedding. I have a small bed and an old mattress which is not comfortable to sleep on. In addition, goats are more profitable since they reproduce faster hence additional goats which I can sell in the future to settle other bills. I, therefore, joined a monthly rotational savings and loaning group where I saved KES 2000 of my transfer. I will be saving the same amount monthly so that by the time I earn my shares then I will comfortably meet these goals. KES I spent cornflour for the family while the other KES 500 I spent on hybrid maize seeds. We have been planting local seeds in all seasons but the outcome has not been good. Now that we are getting support from GiveDirectly, I want to improve my farming approaches hoping for a better harvest.

It was in the morning and I was busy preparing my farm awaiting for the rains. The scorching of the sun was intense although I was trying to persevere. As I continued with my work, I received a message notification which distracted my attention from what I was doing. Upon checking it, I was so glad to realize that it was my transfer from GiveDirectly. With uncontrolled excitement, I could not work longer but rather stopped whatever I was doing and straightway went back home. Along the road, I was moved with GiveDircerly's act of kindness. Actually, within my heart I was just expressing my gratitude to God for leading GiveDirectly to offer me support.

On the day of I received my transfer, I was really down financially. In my house there was no food at all. I therefore opted to use more than a half of my transfer to buy food. I am so glad that the amount of food I bought were sufficient to take my family for about a week. As a result of the transfer, my husband has received some relief for a week, and his savings will help us to venture into poultry farming.

I am a housewife who has been relying on burning charcoal for sale as a way to supplement my household income. Early last year, I had some pregnancy related complication that subjected me to undergo surgical operations. As a result, I am nowadays unable to engage in vigorous activity. When I received my transfer, I spent KES 670 on buying maize flour and vegetables for my family of three. I am planning to spend the remaining KES 500 on buying a chicken which I shall raise and use later.