I'm eager to break free from the confines of my grandson's house and reclaim my independence by focusing on completing the construction of my own home. With determination fueling my every step, I will diligently work on purchasing the remaining materials needed, piecing together my dream house bit by bit until it stands tall. This is about carving out my own space, a shelter where I can thrive and be myself.

I have been sleeping at my grandson's place since my house fell last year. It's been tough, especially as a widow, trying to build a new home. But thanks to the monthly transfers from GiveDirectly, things have started looking up. For the past three months, I've used the money I received to construct my house. With the burden of food eased by our maize harvest, I could focus on getting my shelter back. Right now, the perimeter walls are up, and all that's left is the roofing. According to the contractor, we need 22 pieces of iron sheets to finish it off. I'm thrilled by the progress we've made so far, and I'm determined to see this through. Having my place again will bring me peace of mind and a sense of freedom I've been missing.

Looking ahead to the upcoming year, my goal is to address the state of my house. The heavy rains have caused extensive damage, eroding the mud walls and leaving behind substantial holes. I endure considerable discomfort during the nights due to the cold and chilly weather penetrating through the damaged structure. The financial assistance from the transfers will enable me to repair my house and finally experience a comfortable night's sleep. I am sincerely grateful for the ongoing financial support that I am receiving, as it has significantly improved my quality of life.

As an elderly individual, I am heavily dependent on my son for both financial support and assistance with my basic needs. However, the burden on my son to take care of me is immense, and he often struggles to meet all of my requirements. His livelihood primarily relies on raising livestock, which unfortunately yields meager earnings. With my recent transfers, totaling $102, I allocated the entire amount towards purchasing food for my family, consisting of nine members, including my son, daughter-in-law, and six grandchildren. I am immensely grateful that we no longer go to bed on empty stomachs. We have experienced a significant improvement in our meals, now enjoying three meals a day compared to our previous circumstances when we barely managed one meal. Thanks to the transfers, I have even gained some weight, highlighting the positive impact on our overall well-being.

The condition of my house is in a state of disrepair, with a portion of the wall riddled with large holes that allow cold air to permeate inside. In a previous endeavor, I acquired some poles with the intention of constructing a two-bedroom house. Looking ahead to the end of the year and beyond, my objective is to accumulate sufficient funds from my monthly transfers. With these savings, I aspire to construct a larger and more secure dwelling that provides both safety and warmth.

As a blind individual, I heavily rely on my relatives for assistance with mobility and household tasks. The primary source of income for our family is my son, who works as a livestock farmer. However, his earnings from this occupation are meager, leaving him struggling to support his own family and take care of me as well. The monthly transfers I receive play a pivotal role in alleviating our financial burdens, particularly when it comes to purchasing food. In June, upon receiving the transfers, I allocated $9 towards buying essential groceries. The situation has significantly improved compared to the past when hunger was a common occurrence. We rarely go to bed on empty stomachs these days. Furthermore, I was able to fulfill a long-held aspiration by purchasing a goat. Owning livestock has been a cherished dream of mine, but financial constraints had prevented me from doing so until now. I am delighted that these transfers have allowed me to finally realize one of my lifelong aspirations.

It's been my desire to own more goats which to me are financial security for the family. Thus, my current goal is to buy a goat every month and keep them in my compound. I do not have a source of income that I can depend on currently. I believe that once the goats reproduce and increase in number, I can readily sell them to cater to my financial needs.

I spent my most recent transfers on purchasing a goat at $20, buying foodstuffs, and saving part of it at our local merry-go-round. Having livestock is one of the best investments that I can boast of currently. Owning the goats is a saving for the future and I can readily rely on them in case of financial need. I also saved $10 every month over the past four months in our local merry-go-round to accumulate the savings to start a profitable project soon. I am also grateful because since receiving my recent transfers, I have been able to buy food daily for my family. I did enough shopping for maize flour and vegetables to ensure that my children enjoy three meals a day.

I was really happy to realize that the Organization had finally sent out the transfers, especially because at the time nourishment was quite a challenge. Therefore, I went ahead and spent KES 2,000 by purchasing ten packets of maize flour, three kilograms of beans, sardines and also drinking water because it was scarce due to drought. I ended up remaining with a balance of KES 1,000 which I proceeded to put away in my savings account because I was hoping after the money accumulates I could eventually do some renovations to my house since it was almost collapsing.

GiveDirectly is giving us an opportunity to elevate ourselves from situations of utter and complete poverty. I am very grateful I volunteered to be apart of this life changing program although on the beginning I was hesitant because I had never come across such an organisation. Thankfully it proved me wrong and so many others. I am most grateful for the opportunity.

Fortunately I did receive the funds from GiveDirectly ams I am most definitely very grateful. I have yet go ahead and used my transfers but as soon I do manage to withdraw the money I intend on focusing more on beginning the project on growing my farm. I would love to buy a goat since it is one of the farm animal I can afford which fall on the price range of the funds I received which is KES 3,000. I plan to rear and breed the goat so that I could has my own herd and perhaps later on sell for the purposes of financial benefits.

I was in my house with my son, trying to share some ideas on where to get some money. I needed to go to the hospital since my eyes had swollen, teary and full of tears. The previous night I did not sleep because of the pain I was feeling. While conversing with my son, my phone rang out loud and my son checked it and told me I had received my first transfer. I felt joy in my heart, though I was still in pain. I prepared myself and we headed straight to the hospital.

Yes, the transfer has made a big difference in my life. After the treatment I received, I feel much better, and the optician expressed confidence that with constant medical checkups I would eventually regain my sight. It is through the transfer that I have hoped to see again in the future

Two years ago, I fell ill and after my recovery I started lost my sight of one eye. Since then, my life has completely changed. I have severally visited hospitals to seek proper medical attention but to no success. Recently my other eye begun losing its sight and I now cannot seething clearly. With the blurred vision, I cannot work and have to depend on my son fully to provide for my needs. My son earns very little since he sells charcoal and raises livestock for other people to pay. When I received my first transfer, I was thrilled. I spent half of it KSH 600 to pay for my eye treatment. The other half I spent it on buying food. Currently being unable to work it has been challenging for me and the through my spending on the transfer I could attend to my most pressing needs since I did not have any money.