My priority for now is to continue saving the monthly cash transfers to accumulate enough to buy more materials and complete the construction of a safe and comfortable home for my family. My current house is no longer adequate and is on the verge of collapsing due to its old age. It has been embarrassing, especially when I have visitors, as I can’t host them properly, and it always makes me feel bad. I am hopeful that by the end of this year, my house will be completed, as I am focused on saving every month for this purpose. Once the new home is finished, it will provide my loved ones and me with a warm, secure place to live and protect my properties which are currently at risk

For years, I have depended on the charcoal business to support my six children. However, this has never been easy, as there is a scarcity of wood in the forests, and even getting a daily meal sometimes feels like a nightmare. I have also faced a significant challenge with the state of my house, and I didn’t have the money to repair it. Since I can't afford to buy all the building materials at once, I have been saving $20 from the transfers over the past few months with the goal of having enough to build a new house. I trust that by early next year, I will start this project, and I will no longer have to worry about my children's safety. Additionally, I paid $8 in fees for my son, who is in the lower grades, just in time to prevent him from being sent home. I also used the remaining $24 to stock up on food for my family, as food insecurity has been a constant problem, especially since we haven’t harvested in a while due to the droughts.

My initial priority was to complete the construction of a safe and comfortable home for my family. I am overjoyed that my house is now fully built. This provides my loved ones and me with a warm, secure place to reside. Having a stable living situation is a crucial foundation for my family's well-being. Now that this crucial task has been accomplished, I am shifting my focus to a new goal - acquiring a cow. As a first step, I intend to use a portion of my GiveDirectly cash transfers to buy goats. I am hopeful that these goats will multiply and increase in value over time. Once I have accumulated a sufficient number of goats, I will then trade them to acquire a cow. Owning a cow is a significant milestone, as it will provide milk, potential offspring, and the ability to sell the animal when needed. Obtaining a cow holds deep personal meaning for me. It represents a transition towards a more self-reliant and resilient future for my family. I am excited to embark on this new phase of building my livestock farming aspirations.

I have long aspired to own cows that can be used to plow my farmland. To turn this dream into reality, I have been strategically saving my GiveDirectly cash transfers in a local savings group. I allocated $80 of the transfers to this savings initiative, with the goal of accumulating enough funds to purchase cows once the savings mature. In addition to investing in livestock, I recognize the importance of education for the children in my family. To ensure they can continue their studies without interruption, I spent $18 of the transfers to pay their school fees. Finally, I used the remaining $4 to purchase soap and body oil. This small investment in personal hygiene helps keep my family clean and refreshed, contributing to their overall well-being.

Thanks to financial support from transfers, I was able to repair my dilapidated house, focusing on fixing the roof. With this crucial improvement completed, my attention has shifted to investing in livestock, recognizing them as valuable assets and a potential income stream for the future beyond the transfer period. As my livestock numbers increase, I intend to capitalize on this growth by selling some to generate additional income, which will be utilized to meet my family's needs. I am deeply appreciative of the support I've received, as it has enabled me to make significant strides towards achieving my goals.

I work as a casual laborer, earning my income by producing and selling charcoal. Meanwhile, my husband sells locally-made toothbrushes crafted from medicinal trees. Unfortunately, neither of our businesses brings in substantial earnings. However, the money we receive from transfers has been a lifeline, especially in meeting our family's needs, particularly our children's education. Earlier this year, I faced a challenging situation when my children were sent home from school due to outstanding fees amounting to $29. Thanks to the transfer money, I was able to settle this debt, allowing them to return to their studies promptly. Additionally, I contribute to a savings group comprising 15 members, where I managed to save $50. Last year, after diligently saving for a year, I achieved a significant milestone by purchasing two bulls and three goats for a total of $480. This was particularly fulfilling for me, as it fulfilled my long-standing desire to own bulls, which are crucial for tilling my land during the rainy season. Moreover, I allocated $25 towards purchasing essential food items and detergents for laundry purposes. I am genuinely grateful for the financial support provided by GiveDirectly, which has significantly improved our livelihoods.

My primary objective is to construct a larger and more comfortable home for my family. Our current house is old and dilapidated and does not provide adequate protection from rain and other harsh weather conditions. I firmly believe that by saving at least three months' worth of transfers, I can initiate this project without delay. The prospect of accomplishing this brings me great joy because it signifies that my family will reside in a secure and safe environment, ultimately granting me peace of mind.

I am a mother of six children who rely on me to provide for all their needs. Raising them has been quite challenging, as the income from my charcoal-selling business falls short of covering our expenses. Fortunately, my life took a positive turn when GiveDirectly arrived in our village. I am happy to report that with the transfers, I can now address some of my needs and take a much-needed break from the strenuous task of producing and selling charcoal in Mariakani town. With the funds I received, I allocated $28 to settle a school fee debt that had accumulated over time. Additionally, I used $26 to purchase a chicken and a goat, which I plan to raise to maturity as a valuable investment that will endure beyond the project's duration. Another $25 was utilized to buy a bed for my children, as they had been sleeping on the floor, which was detrimental to their health. I used the remaining $23 to purchase medication for two of them who had fallen ill and acquiring essential household items that had been depleted.

One of my aspirations is to fix the deteriorated tin roof of our house, which allows water to enter whenever it rains. I would be thrilled to build an entirely new house that can offer a fresh and sustainable shelter for my family. In the next few years, I hope to construct a three-room structure with mud walls and an iron sheet roof. I am confident that with the cash transfers and the income I earn from my charcoal-burning jobs, I can work towards making this dream a reality.

My husband and I earn a meager income of around $3 a day from our casual jobs of making charcoal and selling chewing sticks. This amount is barely enough to provide daily meals for our family of six children and ourselves. There are times when we go to bed hungry due to a lack of money for food. Meeting our other needs has always been challenging as well. For example, I had been sleeping on a broken sisal-twined bed with torn ropes, resulting in uncomfortable sleep and leaving me tired every morning. Thanks to the cash transfers, I was able to acquire a decent wooden bed, and I spent $22 from the recent transfer to purchase a fitting mattress. I am delighted that I can now enjoy a comfortable sleep. I also used the remaining $12 to buy a young goat. With the help of cash transfers, I have managed to secure a total of four goats so far. As these animals reproduce, they will become a valuable source of income in the future. Even when the cash transfers come to an end, I will be able to sell them to provide for the needs of my children.

My attention is currently on securing more livestock, specifically goats and chickens, and letting them reproduce and expand the herd. In the future, after the cash program comes to an end, I could sell these goats to generate funds that will allow me to provide for my family’s needs such as food and school fees. Since I already have one from previous transfers, I hope to increase the number to five by the end of the year. 

As the family’s breadwinner, my husband makes and sells chewing sticks for a living, where his earnings are too low to cover the family’s necessities. To support him, I usually make charcoal to raise school fees for our six children. This still does not hold much water as my children sometimes miss school and we occasionally sleep hungry due to lack of money. Luckily, not only do the transfers enable me to meet some needs, but they also allow me to invest in livestock keeping. In December, I used $7 and $27 to buy three chickens and food respectively. From January’s transfer, I spent $25 to secure a goat, $3 on my son’s school fee, and $6 on food. Recently, I bought a wooden bed worth $30 since my sisal-twined bed was broken, paid my daughter's school fees of $2, and spent the remaining $2 on food. Thanks to Give Directly, I now have a decent bed to sleep on, livestock to generate money from, food on the table, and my children rarely miss classes. I could never be more grateful. 

I am appreciative of the unconditional transfers I am getting from GiveDirectly. The money is essential to lifting my standard of living out of poverty. Thanks to the transfer, I now have livestock, and as they grow and multiply, my initial investment will increase. I'll be able to supplement my current charcoal-selling business with this, giving me a different source of income that will help me meet the needs of my expanding family.

It is difficult to make any sales now that the sale of charcoal, which is my main source of income, is in decline. I make an average of $1.5 per day, which is insufficient to meet all of my family's needs (paying school fees, buying food and clothes). My husbands business is in turbulence since he does not sell a lot of the local tooth brushes back in town. Our five school-enrolled children have racked up enormous debts as a result, which we are unable to pay. I spent a sizable portion of my transfer, which came to $28, on purchasing livestock (a goat and a hen) as I explored for alternative sources of income to increase my income. This is a wise investment because they will quickly multiply and double my original investment. I can eventually sell some of them and use the proceeds to take care of my immediate needs. Last but not least, $2 went toward buying stationery to make it easier for my kids to learn.

When I got a text message on my phone, I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. When I examined it, I was shocked to see that I had already received my first transfer. I smiled widely and leapt up and down in joy. My spouse was delighted when I told him the good news. My husband and I bowed our heads and prayed a silent prayer of appreciation to the Lord.

The transfer helped me buy food for the family, which had a significant impact on my life. Due to my erratic source of income, I have found it difficult to feed my family. I'm grateful that I got the money and that my family had food. I'm hoping the money would spur me on to work hard and support my family.

I bought food and two hens with my initial transfer, which used up all of my money. I work as a casual laborer and make my income by selling charcoal. I am unable to meet all of my family's needs since I make so little money selling charcoal. We have only eaten one meal a day for the past three months to get by. On our worst days, we go to bed without eating. In the town, my husband sells tooth brushes, but business has not been good. Having no money makes it challenging to support the family. I'm grateful because when I was struggling financially, the unconditional transfers allowed me to purchase food for my family.