My aspiration for the coming year and beyond is to enhance our living situation by constructing a new house. This will provide ample space for my family of four, ensuring we all have privacy and comfort under one roof. Another important goal of mine is to secure enough funds to support my children through secondary school and eventually university. Given my current situation without a stable job, I will rely on the incoming transfers and the support from my elder son to achieve these goals. Once accomplished, my family will thrive in a secure and comfortable environment, and my children will have a brighter future that supports their personal growth and transforms our entire home.

As soon as I received the cash transfers, I used about $34 to purchase a goat that I am now rearing in my compound. I chose a goat because they thrive well in my region, and their pasture is readily available, so I expect to have many goats in a short period. This will also allow me to sell some of the goats in case my children are sent home for fees, enabling me to send them back to school. Additionally, I saved around $30 in a merry-go-round, and in a couple of months, I will have enough cash to build a new house. The one I am currently staying in is too small to accommodate my family of four. I believe my children need more space and privacy, especially since they are teenagers and seem uncomfortable sharing a room with me. I am confident that soon I will be able to build a new house, providing the privacy they need and enhancing my self-esteem. Later on, I paid $14 in fees for two of my children in primary school and am glad they are settled without having to worry about fees. Finally, with $24, I ensured that my household never ran out of food by restocking. We now manage to have at least two meals a day, which was not possible before, and I can’t thank GiveDirectly enough.

My dream for the coming year and beyond is to enhance our living situation by constructing an additional spacious room in my house. This new room will provide ample space for my two grandchildren, my daughter, and myself, ensuring we all have privacy and comfort under one roof. Another important goal of mine is to secure enough funds to support my children through secondary school and eventually university. Given my current situation without a stable job, these aspirations seem challenging but not impossible. I'm optimistic that with the support of cash transfers and the unwavering assistance of my elder son, who, despite not having a permanent job, has been a pillar of support, I can achieve these dreams. Together, we're working towards a future where my family can thrive in a secure and harmonious environment, filled with opportunities for education and personal growth.

My priority has always been my children's education, so when the unconditional cash transfer came through, I immediately allocated $20 towards their school fees. It's been a constant struggle to keep them in school consistently, but now, with this support, I can see a brighter future ahead for them. With their education secured, I turned my attention to our living conditions. Our single-room house was becoming increasingly cramped for our family of four. Determined to improve our living situation, I joined a table banking group and diligently saved $30. By year-end, I had accumulated enough to start building an additional room. The prospect of having more space filled me with hope and determination to provide a better home for my family. Also, I invested $34 in purchasing a goat, envisioning a sustainable income source. Rearing goats at home not only brings me joy but also serves as financial support. My aim is to build a herd that can support us financially, particularly in covering future educational expenses. Lastly, I used the remaining funds to purchase essential food items, which had previously been a struggle. This purchase brought relief and stability to our daily lives, ensuring that we could focus on our goals without the constant worry of making ends meet. Each decision made with the cash transfers was deliberate, aimed at securing a brighter future for my family through education, improved housing, and sustainable income.

In the upcoming year, my focus lies in bolstering my savings within the group. The funds accrued by year-end will significantly contribute to my endeavor of constructing an additional spacious room. This extension will comfortably accommodate not only my two grandchildren but also my daughter and myself, ensuring privacy and harmony within our familial living space. I am immensely grateful for the financial assistance provided and for the newfound discipline in saving that I've cultivated.

A significant portion of my transfers has been dedicated to savings, particularly through our local savings group, which consists of 25 members. At the close of each year, we distribute our accumulated shares. Last year, I received $80 from this endeavor, which proved invaluable in settling a $40 debt incurred during the purchase of construction materials for my new home. I allocated $20 towards food expenses and utilized the remaining $20 to fund my son's education. This savings mechanism has been instrumental in achieving substantial financial milestones. This year, I've allocated $30 towards savings, of which $20 was invested in acquiring new school uniforms and stationery for my two primary school-aged children, while the remaining $10 covered their school fees. During the holidays, I allocated $34 for food essentials like cooking oil, wheat flour, sugar, and tea leaves, with the surplus used to purchase new clothing for my children, ensuring they look presentable. Additionally, $8 was spent on acquiring personal items such as detergents and body oil. I am profoundly grateful for the financial support that has enabled me to realize lifelong goals, such as homeownership.

My main goal is to build an extension to my house. I recently constructed a one-room house with substantial support from the cash transfers. I had been staying in my brother-in-law's house ever since my own house collapsed. Since my husband couldn't afford to build a new house with his limited income, I decided to use the cash transfers to invest in a new house. However, I still feel the need to extend an extra room to the house because the current single room is cramped for me, my daughter, and her two children. Therefore, my focus is on building this extension to create ample space for everyone. I also intend to start rearing livestock like goats to build up wealth, which will enable me to cover future household expenses such as food and school fees for my two children.

A few months ago, I borrowed $80 from my savings group to help build a new house. Over these months, I've been using $15 from the cash transfers to repay this debt, and then I typically save $5 through the same group. My goal is to accumulate enough money to extend a room to my new house. The current structure consists of only one room, which feels quite small for my daughter, two grandchildren, and me. Although it's a positive change compared to my previous situation where I had to stay in my brother-in-law's space after my house collapsed, I still feel that we could use an extra room to accommodate everyone comfortably. I'm grateful that all of this has been made possible by the cash transfers. My husband, who is the primary breadwinner, couldn't afford to build us a house because his income from working as a casual laborer at a quarry is barely enough to cover our food and our two children's school fees. Additionally, from each cash transfer, I usually allocate $4 to contribute to my children's school fees. I'm pleased that this has enabled them to continue their education. The remaining $10 typically goes toward household expenses, including food and toiletries.

Looking ahead, my greatest achievement would be to complete the construction of my own house. I am thankful that the cash transfers have made this dream possible, as I would still be struggling to find shelter if it weren't for them. Through the savings accumulated from previous cash transfers, I was able to initiate the construction of the new house. As we speak, the builders are making progress, and I couldn't be happier. I am excited to have a place to call my own and the ability to lock it, ensuring the safety of my belongings. Living in someone else's house makes it difficult to have that sense of security because I never know when they might need to access the space. I long for the freedom and peace of mind that having my own house will bring.

Over the last nine months, I have been saving $15 from each cash transfer through a women-saving group in my community. My main goal for accumulating these savings is to eventually build a new house. Ever since my previous house collapsed due to strong winds, I have been relying on the hospitality of my relatives for shelter. Initially, I moved into the kitchen structure, and later I stayed with my brother-in-law, who is still single and generously provided me with a place to stay. However, if he were to get married, it would put my family at a disadvantage. After setting aside the savings, I used $10 to pay off tuition debts for my two children, who had been frequently missing classes due to the unpaid balances. Although the amount didn't cover the entire debt, I am grateful that my children have not missed school to date. The remaining $9 was used to purchase additional food. In the previous week, my family faced hardships and experienced hunger at least three times. While I would work on other people's farms to earn money for food, it was never enough to meet our needs.

My spouse, two children, and I moved into my brother-in-law’s house after ours collapsed, where we have been staying to date. After many years, I am excited at the prospect of building my house, courtesy of cash transfers from Give Directly. When I started receiving my cash transfers, I prioritized saving for this project even if it would cost my family a few meals. The aim is to accumulate at least $500 to start buying construction materials like bricks or building poles, and iron sheets. Then, I will hire a mason later to build a two-room house for my family. 

Since my husband and I are no longer capable of earning an income due to illnesses, most of the cash transfers go toward meeting the family’s basic needs. When I received the recent cash, two of my children had missed two days of school following an unpaid debt. So I spent $5 to reduce the balance and they happily resumed their studies. The household had run out of maize flour the previous night, so I spent $4 to buy more. I saved the remaining $25 through a self-help club in my community. The aim is to accumulate enough money to build a two-room house for my family, as we currently occupy my brother-in-law’s structure. Am excited about the opportunity to own a house, as this was difficult to achieve before due to lack of funds. To achieve this goal I also saved $15 and $20 respectively from January and December transfers respectively. I spent the remaining $19 and $14 on food. Though my family still sleeps hungry at least six times a month, I am happy that the first few days after receiving transfers, there is usually enough food. 

I am most grateful to Give Directly for sending me money every month. This cash enables me to keep my children in school by paying their fees and allows me to save toward my greatest plan of building a new house for my family. From where I stand, I would not say there is anything that Give Directly could improve on.

After my house collapsed two years ago, my three children and I temporarily occupied my brother-in-law’s house. Although the plan was to construct a new structure immediately, financial constraints weighed on my husband and me. It breaks my heart that our family is still inhabiting his brother’s space to date. My spouse mines building stones in Tezo for a living, and despite my support through charcoal burning, our earnings barely cover food and school fees needs for the children. This is why leveraging the cash transfers from Give Directly is our best bet for building the family house. So, I saved $20 from the transfer through a self-help group. Though hunger is a major concern in my household that leaves us starving more than we eat, the house project is my priority now. My plan is to set aside the same amount from each transfer to fund the construction of a three-room brick-walled and tin-roofed house. Next, I directed $5 towards a school fee debt for two of my babies that had accumulated for two academic terms. Also, the household had run out of food the previous day and I spent the remaining amount on maize flour. 

We had no foodstuff in the family when I receive the first transfer. I had just arrived home at around 4 pm carrying vegetables that I had borrowed from a neighbor who has a kitchen garden. Immediately my daughter came running holding my phone so excited. She immediately informed me that GiveDirectly had sent us some money. This was the happiest day of my life. I knelt and thanked God for the money. It was a lifesaver. I later sent her to withdraw it so that we could purchase food for the family.

With the transfers, I was able to purchase a piece of iron sheet. It is only one but I already have the hope that soon I will raise enough to construct a house. I stay in my kitchen after my house collapsed and now I want to own a two-room house which will accommodate the 8 of us in the family. The hope that one day I will own a house is the biggest difference in my daily life.

Out of the 3000 KES I received from GD, 500 KES was deducted immediately after the transfers hit my account to clear the debt I had borrowed through mobile money services. Of the remaining 2500 KES, I used 1100 KES to purchase a piece of iron sheet. My house collapsed 2 months ago leading us to sleep in the kitchen. It is a small hut with crevices all over hence not safe. We could not afford a new house since both my spouse and I do whichever available casual work but the income from them can only sustain our meals, at times only two meals a day. Besides that, I paid 500 KES in school for my primary school child so that I could reduce the fee arrears. He still owes the school 1200 KES which I believe I will clear with the coming transfers. 900 KES I spent on 9kgs of corn flour for the family.