I am currently undergoing medication that requires me to attend frequent check-ups, which is quite costly. In addition to covering the medical expenses, I also have to pay for transportation expenses to get to the appointments. I do not have any income of my own and I am relying on the monthly transfers for my medication. I sometimes get some support from my brothers but it's been limited as they also have their own families to take care of. Due to my condition, I am unable to work and spend most of my time at home. My goal currently is to prioritize my health by attending checkups, taking my medication on time and ensuring that I am eating a balanced diet, as I am hoping for recovery.

Since October of last year, I have been grappling with diabetes and hypertension, which has weakened my entire body. I have been under special medication and frequent checkups and x-ray scans, which have been very expensive. Before the illness, I used to do casual jobs such as going to construction sites and burning and selling charcoal for a living. Currently, the disease has even affected my ability to walk, and now I spend most of my time at home. It would have been hard for me to get the necessary treatment if it wasn't for the financial transfers I have received recently. Thanks to these transfers, I was able to cover my medical expenses, and I am really grateful that I am getting the specialized treatment that I need. My prayer is to recover from this condition and get back to my normal life. Additionally, the transfers also covered my travelling expenses to the hospitals, and I can now afford to eat a balanced diet as advised by the doctor. My brothers also help me with my needs, but they have big families to support, and I feel relieved receiving the transfers, as it has reduced the financial burden for them too. For me, the money has restored hope, as far as getting medication is concerned. If it wasn't for the support, I would be forced to beg people for help, which has never been the case, and I thank GiveDirectly for extending their helping hand to me.

In my upcoming transfers, I intend to proceed with my initial plan of investing in livestock. My improving health each day gives me hope of realizing my dream of owning livestock. This endeavor will ensure that I have a sustainable source of income even after the expiration of the transfer period. I am grateful for the financial assistance from the transfers, which has contributed to improving my quality of life.

Since the start of August, I have been unwell, and my health has been deteriorating significantly. This has led to frequent visits to the hospital. I used my entire $102 transfer to cover hospital bills, transportation costs to and from the hospital, and purchase medication. I am grateful that my health has improved, although I am not fully recovered yet. My condition has improved compared to the past three months. Before falling ill, I used to contribute $30 of my transfers each month to a savings group formed with my relatives. I had planned to use the money to purchase livestock, such as goats, which I see as a future investment due to their ability to multiply. Once sold, they will generate a good income for me. I am thankful for the transfers that have helped me regain my good health by covering the hospital expenses.

Livestock farming has a profound personal significance to me, and I am eager to venture into this project. With the skills and knowledge I possess, I am confident in my ability to excel in raising livestock. As the herd expands and flourishes, it promises to become a reliable source of income through profitable sales in the market. Moreover, the bulls will play a valuable role in preparing my land during the rainy season, adding further value to this endeavor.

Ten members from our family and neighbours came together to form a savings group. Each member contributes $3 every month, and the accumulated money is given to one member of the group. The recipient is then free to utilize the funds for any projects of their choice. As of March this year, I have been consistently saving $3 from my monthly contributions to the group. By the time December arrives and I receive the lump sum of $300, I plan to invest it in purchasing at least two bulls. The timing is crucial since the livestock prices are relatively low during this period. This investment holds significant importance for me, as the bulls will be essential for tilling my land and generating additional income by offering their services for digging on other people's farms. The financial boost I have received from the group has set me on the right path towards a more stable and promising financial future, and for that, I am immensely grateful.

My biggest accomplishment this year and in the future will be to increase my savings so that I can purchase livestock. I can be sure that if I venture into livestock raising, I'll make enough money to meet my needs. I'll buy more goats and enough animal feed with the money from my monthly stipend. This will guarantee that the herd of animals will multiply and have plenty to sell at the market.

I applaud the organization for its good deeds in providing cash stipends to the poorer members of society. This is a well-thought-out plan in that it allows us, the beneficiaries, to plan how we can use the funds to best meet our individual needs. I enjoin the organization to keep up the same spirit of helping and improving people's lives in our community.

I used a sizable portion of my transfer to pay $28 for a goat. As a casual worker, I make a living by doing sporadic odd jobs. I don't make much money from the jobs I do, so occasionally I can't take care of my basic needs, like buying food. I decided to invest my monthly stipend wisely by purchasing a goat. I spent $4 on two hens in addition to the goat. I'll sell some of these animals once they multiply and become more numerous, and I'll use the proceeds to take care of myself or even to purchase dairy cows. I'll sell the milk I get from the cows and supplement my income.

It was in the evening around 3:30 I was leaving the farm where I was working on uprooting some stumps that I could use to burn and make a charcoal. This is what I do to make a living. My phone rang and I knew I had received a message, but, I thought they were Safaricom promotional messages so I had hesitated checking my phone. When I took my phone from my shirts breast pocket, I was checking to see if it was a message for okoa jahazi or such kind of a message but when I saw that the message was from Givedirectly I felt like flying, jumping and dancing but I was the ground so I couldn't do that(Laughs).

The main difference was joy. I can see currently people have joined savings groups , some are pooling cash and buying each other goats and this is a good thing but if you have not received the money and cannot participate in this investment schemes it makes you so sad, you feel so sick and feel abadoned. I was now able to think of even joining my mates in doing this things they had already began. I bought a goat of my own and my hope is with the money that comes in in the subsequent months I will be able to invest and even do much more as these have been doing before now.

This was the first time receiving money from Givedirectly. I had made plans on things I wanted to use my money to do. When I saw that I had received the money I was so excited. I knew it could not take care of all the things I had hoped to achieve but I was sure I could do afew things. I do not have solar powered lights hence I depend on petroleum lamps for lighting, I took $1.5 dollars from the transfer and bought petroleum oil that I could use to light my lamps. I then took the remaining $13 since the money came on a Thursday and the market day is Friday I took the cash and went to the market and bough a kid goat. This size of goats are usually sold out of desperation since they would normally just have stopped breastfeeding. Since I have a plan of rearing goats I bought this and added to my three other goats.