My health and well-being will remain my top priority, so in the coming year and beyond, I plan to continue using a portion of my transfers to purchase the necessary medication, refills, and special nutrition I need to maintain and improve my health. Additionally, I intend to keep investing another portion of the transfers in more goats and chickens, with the hope that they will multiply and grow in value. In the future, I can sell some of them to start a business. Due to my health condition, I am unable to do heavy work, so my goal is to open a shop where I can sell household consumables without needing much physical strength. I am hopeful that these dreams will come true, and I am deeply grateful for the support I receive from GiveDirectly.

I have been dealing with some health issues for quite some time, and I thank God that the transfers I have been receiving from GiveDirectly have helped me afford medication and better nutrition. Recently, I used $10 of my transfers to get a refill on my medicine, ensuring I do not miss any doses and can continue taking them as prescribed by my doctors. I am truly grateful for this support because, given my health, I am unable to do manual work. I also spent $25 to buy special food, as recommended by my doctors, to help maintain my health. Additionally, I used $18 to buy food for my family, adding to what we already had so we would not go hungry. To lift my spirits, I treated myself to a new shirt using $4 of the transfers. Finally, I used the remaining $45 to buy a goat and some chicken, hoping they would multiply and grow in value. My hope is to eventually sell some of them in the future and invest in a business. I am incredibly grateful for all the support.

Taking care of my health is still my top priority because it is a major worry. I intend to keep utilizing my transfers to pay for the treatments and medical costs I need to get well again. It is important that I regain my health, and I pledge to put all of my resources to this quest. I want to continue concentrating on healthcare and using my transfers to buy more animals, such hens and goats. I hope that as time goes on, they will multiply and become more numerous. In the future, when I am fully recovered, I can then sell these livestock and use the proceeds to start a business of my choosing. This investment in livestock will provide a valuable safety net and source of income to support my family's needs. Once I have regained my health and established a reliable income stream from the livestock sales, I plan to use those funds to start a business that aligns with my interests and goals at that particular time. By taking this approach, I can create a sustainable future for myself and my family, where my health, financial security, and entrepreneurial endeavors all work in harmony to improve our overall well-being.

I have been unwell since August last year, and I am truly grateful that the transfers have been helping me manage my health and get the required medication. I spent $13 of my transfers on these essential medications, and I am thankful to see the progress in my health. To further support my health, I was put on a specialized nutrition plan. I spent $48 to buy the required food for this diet, as proper nutrition is crucial for managing my health condition. In addition to my health-related expenses, I also allocated $15 to purchase a goat. I am hopeful that this goat will multiply and increase in number and value over time. In the future, I plan to trade these goats for cows, which will also grow in number. When the time is right, I can sell the cows to help support my family. I also bought $8 worth of chickens, with the same expectation that they would multiply. To ensure the chickens' health, I spent an additional $4 on chicken feed. To further build my livestock holdings, I saved $10 in our local savings group, which I intend to use to buy more goats when the funds mature. Finally, for my own personal welfare, I bought myself a shirt for $3 and cell phone airtime for $1 to stay connected with my loved ones.

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.