I plan to open a retail shop in the village, taking advantage of the limited local options, as there is only one shop and people often travel far for certain items. I will continue selling my vegetables outside the shop while using the income to start crop farming in the future. This will help me achieve financial stability. With crop farming, livestock production, and the business, we will have multiple sources of income. I will also be able to support my husband as we work together to meet the needs of our children.

GiveDirectly excels at providing unconditional support, which allows me and other recipients to plan for our own needs. Unlike other organizations that target specific needs, GiveDirectly recognizes the diverse challenges we face and empowers us to address them independently. I appreciate their flexible approach and encourage them to continue with it. I also suggest they maintain the same amount of financial assistance as they expand to support more people in need.

I currently have about twelve goats. I started this investment with just three goats about nine months ago, and watching them grow in number has been very motivating. The last time I bought milk was in February, but since then, I’ve been getting milk from my goats. With my final transfer, I spent $250 to buy an additional five goats. My goal is to eventually sell some of them to cover expenses like my children's school fees in the future. Additionally, last year, we constructed a three-bedroom block house, but our funds ran out before we could complete it. We moved in with the floor still unfinished, which left the house dusty. I had to sprinkle water on the floor every day to keep the dust down, which was a tedious and difficult task. I’ve wanted to cement the floor for a while, but money has always been a challenge. My vegetable business brings in limited income, and my husband's construction job has been inconsistent. I used the remaining transfer to cement the floor, and now our house is free from dust, so I no longer have to sprinkle water. Thank you, GiveDirectly.

We have a three-bedroom block house that I started constructing five years ago. We couldn't complete it, and it's about 80% done because we ran out of funds, but we have been managing like this. It has been challenging to maintain because I have to sprinkle water daily to avoid dust, and we have to buy water since there is no nearby source. My wish has always been to complete it. If I get funds, I plan to finish the pending construction areas, including plastering the walls, cementing the floor, and painting.

What I like about GiveDirectly's mode of operation is that they send money directly to our phones, allowing us to plan on our own. This has enabled me to address my own needs independently. The follow-up from the officers is good because it encourages responsible spending, ensuring that people spend the money wisely. I would encourage the organization to continue with the follow-up process to ensure responsible spending. Additionally, I encourage more home visits during follow-ups to verify spending and minimize any chance of misuse.

For two years, we survived without our own toilet and had to share it with a neighbor. It was embarrassing, especially when we had visitors and had to send them to use the neighbor's latrine. I wanted to build our own, but I couldn't afford it. I sold vegetables, earning $10 a day, but not consistently. My husband is a plumber, earning $20 when he could find work, which was rare. We prioritized urgent needs like fees and food with our earnings. With my second transfer from GiveDirectly, I spent $240 to construct a latrine. Additionally, I used $50 to buy food, especially maize, rice, and beans, to sustain us until we harvest our crops. We also do small-scale crop farming for our subsistence. I bought three plastic chairs for $30, adding to the four we already had, so we don’t have to borrow them when we have visitors. I also bought clothes for my family worth $40 because ours were old, and it had been a long time since we bought new ones. This made everyone happy, especially my children, as they usually only get new clothes during Christmas. I bought a smartphone worth $40 to keep memories of the trends we encounter. I had been dying to have one, as I always borrowed phones from others, but the photos remained with them, and I found no ownership. Furthermore, I saved $30 for emergencies and used the remaining money on other household needs.

I was at home in the evening, sitting in my house after the day's activities, when I received a message on my phone. When I checked the message, I couldn't believe it at first. I thought it was a scam message. However, upon further reading, I realized that it was an M-Pesa notification informing me that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was so happy to receive the transfer because I finally had the opportunity to build a toilet, a project I had wanted to do for a long time.

For a long time, my family and I used our neighbor's toilet because we couldn't afford to build our own. While we were grateful for the help, sharing a toilet with many people made it difficult to keep it clean and posed a risk of contracting diseases. Unfortunately, I couldn't do much about it until I had the means to build our own toilet. The lack of financial resources made it impossible for me to afford the materials needed. However, things changed after I received the first transfer. I was able to purchase the necessary building materials such as iron sheets, poles, and bricks, and finally built our own toilet. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for enabling me to complete this project, which has significantly improved our living environment. Thanks to this support, we no longer have to share a toilet with others, and I don't know how long it would have taken us to achieve this without the transfer.

I have always wanted to build a toilet that could serve my family. However, due to my financial situation, I couldn't afford the necessary materials for this project. As a result, my family and I have been using our neighbour's toilet, which has been a challenge for us. I was concerned about the health risks of having many people share one toilet. When GiveDirectly came with assistance, I was grateful because building a toilet was my greatest need. Upon receiving my first transfer, I used it to purchase 5 iron sheets, nails, bricks, and poles, which cost $80. I built the toilet, which not only eliminated the health risks but also improved our living environment. I also spent $50 on purchasing new clothes for myself and my two children. The remaining amount was spent on buying foodstuffs, ensuring that my family had enough to eat. This reduced the burden on my husband, who is the breadwinner of the family and relies on casual jobs. Now, even when he's unable to find work, we still have enough food to eat, and affording three meals a day is no longer a struggle for us.