Owning a solar lighting system has been a significant achievement that I wouldn't have managed without GiveDirectly's support. I do house construction jobs to feed my family, but the income I used to earn was too small to save enough for a solar system. I purchased the solar system on hire purchase and pay the remaining balance in monthly installments. When I received my most recent transfer, I allocated $60 to pay for the solar system. With the remaining amount, I allocated $42 to buy food for my family. I am grateful for GiveDirectly's support, which has made it easier for me to provide for my family and have proper lighting in our home.

Chasing two birds at the same time has never been the right option. Therefore, in the coming year and beyond, I want to focus on paying off my solar loan. I have committed to paying $21 each month from my monthly transfer. The remaining amount is not enough to invest in another project, but it allows me to buy food so that my family also feels the impact of the transfer. I am happy and grateful for the support from GiveDirectly. Without it, I wouldn't have managed to buy the solar system.

My objective in the upcoming months is to make substantial investments in purchasing livestock. I view this as a more promising avenue for generating income, particularly as the herd multiplies and expands. The livestock's substantial profitability in the market will enable me to secure a steady income to meet my needs. I am exceedingly pleased with the ongoing financial support, which has been instrumental in actualizing my aspirations and fostering financial stability.

I became a member of a savings group consisting of four individuals, with each of us contributing $25 monthly. Every month, the pooled funds are entrusted to one member, who then determines the optimal way to utilize the resources. Our contributions commenced in November, and I eagerly await my turn, as I intend to invest the funds in procuring livestock, specifically goats and sheep. I allocated $39 from my transfers as my share in the savings group. Furthermore, I acquired a solar panel through a hire purchase agreement, with a monthly payment of $19, totaling $47 in payments thus far. The solar panel has significantly improved the illumination within my residence. In December of the previous year, I incurred medical expenses amounting to $14 due to illness. The financial assistance from Give Directly has been pivotal in enhancing the quality of my life, for which I am genuinely thankful.

I currently work at a construction site, which provides me with a means of earning a living. Recently, I joined a merry-go-round, allowing me to save $10 each month. With, the transfer I spent $10 on the merry go round and I used the remaining amount of $24 to pay off a debt I had taken from the same merry-go-round. This debt arose from borrowing $150 to initiate my kitchen construction project. I am committed to working diligently to repay this debt.

I am eager to venture into goat farming, starting from scratch without any goats at the moment. My plan is to gradually invest in these animals, with the flexibility to sell them when needed to generate income.

I live in a large family of seven members. We are five siblings, and our mother is since our father is deceased. Since we only live with the mother, I always strive to support her in raising money for my sibling's school fees and our nutritional needs. With the monthly GiveDirectly transfers, getting food has not been a big struggle. Despite the drought that translated to famine, we have not missed food. She struggles to raise school fees for my siblings. I always contribute towards food for my family. Without the transfer, life would be unbearable because of the current hardship in our area.

Even though we live on a plot of land, I constantly feel that it is insufficient for our heritage. We are six brothers, and obtaining a larger parcel of land would be advantageous to us in the long run. As a result, I intend to save money to purchase a piece of property. Because we do not have a father, I believe getting a second plot will be extremely useful to the family. I also want to further my education by enrolling in a mechanic course so that I can consistently support my family.

I have been residing at my cousin's house for a while, and I continue to do so because I still don't own one. The house has been helpful because he works in Mombasa town, but it is usually challenging when he returns for holiday because we now have to share the house, which makes me feel as though I am bothering him. As a casual worker at construction sites, I was unable to buy all the necessary building supplies. I consider myself fortunate to have been accepted into the program because the money made it possible for me to purchase the majority of the building supplies I needed. I supplemented my savings with the transfers from the previous two months and spent $140 on wood, ten iron sheets, and a door. For the house to be built, we still require a few building supplies and labor funds. The house will probably be finished in three months, and I am grateful to GiveDirectly for making it possible. I am so eager to have a home of my own and a family.

I have been saving a portion of the transfer every month since last year. My goal was to build a house since I am staying in my cousin's house. As of now, I have been able to buy some of the building materials required start the construction. I want to complete this project first so that I can live in my own house. Apart from the house, I'd like to save some money to enrol in a technical training college for a certificate in mechanical engineering later in the year. I completed high school in 2019 and since then I have not been successful to enrol in a college. My dream is to get a certificate that will enable me to get employment or start my own repair shop.

Constructing a house for myself was my biggest priority, though this was an uphill task because of my financial constraints. I work has as a construction worker. Initially, I had prioritised building a house for my mother, which I managed. After that, I started saving a little money from my monthly wages to purchase building materials. Upon receiving my last month's money, I used $300 and some of my savings to buy an iron sheet. I am hopeful that I would be able to build a house once I am done assembling the building material. I am relieved that the transfer Has revived my dream that seemed impossible.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly has done amazing work in remembering the less fortunate in society. The monthly cash transform has been a source of livelihood for so many individuals in our village, in that people's needs have been met courtesy of the money. We are forever grateful for the stable source of income that we will be having for the next five years. I have not seen things that need to be corrected in how the organization does its work.

By the time I received the cash transfer I was undergoing a tough time. Being a construction worker, it had been a month since I had earned any house construction contract and I had run out of money. Consequently, my household was running out of food since they mostly relied on me for provision. The transfer timing was also ideal, during a time when food prices had slightly gone down. I took advantage of the situation and bought food worth KES 1,700 to boost the existing stock. I obtained a hen worth KES 500 for rearing, to let it breed into a flock that could potentially generate money in the future when sold. Finally, saved the remaining amount which I used as transport to Mariakani last week when I was called for a house construction project. 

For an entire month, things had been tough on my end. I had not earned any house construction job, which cut short my income flow. This gave me a lot of stress since my family mostly counts on me for sustenance. At least, the cash transfer helped relieve the stress I was undergoing at the time. After a month of waiting, I was able to buy food for my family once more. 

I received a message notification on my phone around 4 p.m. when I was strolling in the streets of my village. Upon checking its contents, I found that Give Directly had sent my first transfer. A wave of relief and excitement rushed over me because I had run out of money, and the cash would help me provide food for my family.