In the coming year and beyond, my greatest goal is to build a new house because the one I currently live in is very old and too weak to withstand the fierce winds that often sweep through our area. I dream of providing my family with a safer and more stable home, free from the constant fear of damage or collapse. To achieve this, I plan to save $20 each month from my GiveDirectly transfers, as long as no unexpected challenges arise. With determination and careful planning, I am confident that this goal will soon become a reality, bringing lasting security and comfort to my family.

I am a widow, and I rely on my son who works in town, though I am not sure what kind of job he does. With the last three transfers I received from GiveDirectly, I felt a great sense of relief and responsibility to use the money wisely. First, I spent $22 on food for my family. This brought much-needed relief to my son, who works tirelessly to provide for us. Knowing that I could ease his burden, even for a little while, brought me peace of mind. After that, I used $16 to buy clothes. My old ones were tattered, and replacing them not only improved my appearance but also boosted my confidence and dignity. The most important part of the transfer was setting aside $64 to save aiming to build a new house because the one I have has grown too weak to withstand the fierce winds we often face. Investing in a new one would protect my family and provide us with a safer and more stable shelter.

My accomplishment in the coming year and beyond is to complete the renovation of my house. I have so far purchased the sand. I plan on saving more from my subsequent transfers to purchase stones and cement. Once I have all the building materials required, I will commence the renovations. This will make my house safe to stay in and ensure it lasts long. I am very appreciative of the financial support in helping me achieve this goal, especially given that I do not have a steady income source.

I heavily depend on my son financially. As an elderly person, I keep myself engaged by raising livestock. Without a steady source of income, it's been very difficult to take care of some of my needs and achieve my goals, which require financial support. My current house is in a dilapidated condition; the iron sheets are old and rusty, and the mud walls have developed huge cracks and are almost collapsing. With the help of financial cash transfers from Give Directly, I allocated $68 to purchase building sand. I plan to buy stones and build stone-walled pillars around the house to reinforce it and cover the cracks, making it safe, strong, and permanent. Additionally, I spent $27 on food, ensuring that I had enough to eat and never lacked food. I also purchased a new pair of clothes for $7, which has made me look and feel good and presentable. I am very appreciative of the financial transfers, which are helping me live a better life than before.

My objective is to acquire additional iron sheets to fulfill the quantity needed for a comprehensive renovation of the entire roof. Upon securing the necessary sheets, I will proceed to obtain new building poles and address the repairs needed for the walls. The assurance of a secure dwelling brings profound peace of mind. I am deeply grateful for the assistance received thus far, which has been instrumental in advancing my endeavor to restore my home.

My home, in a state of disrepair, begins its deterioration at the roof, adorned with weathered red iron sheets. The mud walls, nearing collapse, are weakened by aging support poles. Utilizing my received transfers, I procured essential building materials and embarked on significant repairs to avert impending disaster. Eight new iron sheets, purchased for $80 from previous transfers, mark a significant step in this endeavor. Additionally, $11.5 was allocated to procure new clothing, uplifting my appearance from the tatters of old garments. Further funds, amounting to $12, were allotted to food purchases and personal essentials like detergents and body oil. The progress achieved toward enhancing my living conditions brings me considerable satisfaction, with gratitude extended to Give Directly for their invaluable financial support.

My current dwelling has been in a state of disrepair for several years, causing persistent concern. Regrettably, I lacked the necessary financial means to embark on any renovations, and the lingering instability of the house has been a constant worry. However, upon receiving these recent transfers, I made a firm commitment to address this issue. My plan is to gradually purchase at least two iron sheets every month, with the ultimate objective of acquiring a total of 20. This accumulation of iron sheets is the first step in my endeavor to restore my home to its former state of decency. Once I have amassed the required iron sheets, I will then focus on procuring the necessary building poles to initiate the renovation process.

My current residence has deteriorated significantly over time, with weakened walls and a leaky, unstable roof that worsens during rainy weather. To address this issue, I've made a commitment to save some money each month, allocating $13 to purchase at least two iron sheets. My ultimate objective is to acquire a total of 20 iron sheets and several building poles to undertake a comprehensive renovation of my home and restore its dignity. Furthermore, I recently expanded my farming efforts and enjoyed a bountiful harvest. However, my existing living space couldn't accommodate the entire maize harvest, causing me considerable concern. Fortunately, with the funds I received from recent transfers, I used $34 to purchase building poles and iron sheets to construct a granary for storing my harvest. This decision has brought me peace of mind, knowing that my harvest is safe. Additionally, I also spent $60 of my transfer to acquire two goats, which I am currently raising. This addition brings my total goat count to four, and I view them as valuable assets that can provide financial security if the need arises. My aspiration is to nurture them and facilitate their reproduction, ultimately establishing a thriving goat herd.

By the end of the year, my main objective is to have a sturdy new house that can comfortably accommodate myself, my four grandchildren, and the rest of my family. I have long harbored a dream of constructing a reliable dwelling that can shelter us, but my limited income has been a significant obstacle to achieving this goal. Despite having spent a considerable amount on purchasing food in the past, I am now optimistic about saving more funds. The current favorable weather conditions, with ample rain and successful maize planting, will ensure abundant food. Consequently, I can allocate the remaining money towards the construction of a new house that can accommodate all of us.

I am a widower residing in a small one-room house with my four grandchildren. I support myself as a peasant farmer, which doesn't yield much income, making it challenging to meet my family's needs. When I received my May transfers, I allocated a significant portion, amounting to $22, to purchase two iron sheets. My goal is to construct a new two-room house that can accommodate all five of us comfortably. To achieve this, I plan to gradually acquire the necessary materials, such as iron sheets, nails, and timber, by saving up and purchasing them over time. The current living space we occupy is insufficient, as it has to accommodate all of us as well as my belongings, including domestic animals like hens, clothes, and utensils. Aside from buying the two iron sheets, I used the remaining money to purchase new clothes. Previously, I only had two worn-out pairs of clothes to alternate every two days due to a lack of alternatives. My farming earnings do not allow me to afford new clothes, but I am grateful that I now have presentable attire. This enables me to attend events without worrying about how others perceive me, as I used to wear patched garments.

I now have the ideal chance to fulfill a lifelong goal of mine: getting some livestock. Raising livestock is a nice substitute that I can easily do since I am unable to engage in labor-intensive jobs like selling charcoal. When the herd of goats is large, I might decide to sell some of them to the market in order to make money and meet my immediate needs, such as purchasing food, water, and clothing. I am eager to fulfill my dream, achieve financial security, and free my son from the enormous responsibility of taking care of me.

November of last year saw the collapse of my cooking fireplace. The grass-thatched building has been useful for storing some of my kitchenware and offering a perfect space where I can prepare meals without much difficulty. Since the building collapsed, I have been cooking in the fireplace at my daughter's in-laws' house, which is quite a distance away given that I am elderly and cannot walk very far. The strong winds that blow during the day make it very difficult to start a fire in an open area. I spent $18 on two pieces of iron sheeting to help me create a new, roomy cooking area after receiving my January transfers. I set aside $10 to purchase a goat this month. I've always wanted to own livestock, but due to the poverty in my home, I was unable to make that dream a reality. I finally bought food with the $6 that was left. My son, who I rely on, occasionally fails to send me money so that I can buy food, and the money from the transfer has really helped me in such trying times.

I just recently received the tranfers and unfortunately I have not had time to put them in to use yet. Even though I have not had the time to use the money yet, my plan was to ensure that I focus on nutrition. This is because having a meal has been quite challenging in my home and at times I have to go for days on end without acquiring food. Afterwards I intend to seek medical attention because at the moment I've been suffering from frequent abdominal pains and I plan to visit that the hospital for treatment.

GiveDirectly is definitely doing a good job in my opinion and this is because mainly for sending the funds. I am quite old and I do not have a job either but since getting enrolled I feel like I have gained control once more. I depend on my children on most occasions for my needs and nutrition but I am glad that through the funds I can as well take care of some personal issues for instance now I am in the process of saving up to eventually build my own house.

I did withdraw my funds from mobile banking but I have not yet used the funds this us because I decided to put away my transfers into my savings account because I want to allow my money to accumulate so that I can eventually build a new house. I saved my money because I did not want to misuse the funds and yet building the house will require a lot of money. I would love a new house because I plan on leaving my current house for my grandchildren since they are growing up and maturing and they still live in their parents house yet their house is quite small.

I was sitting beside my bed, praying after waking up. Immediately I finished praying, my phone vibrated and upon checking it, I found out that I had received my first transfer. Wow! I could not hide my joy as I jumped up and down and screamed at the top of my voice. I quickly went out and broke the good news to my daughter-in-law and together we sang and clapped as we enjoyed the auspicious moment. 

For over a year, my son has struggled to take care of the family. As a caring mother, I have always wanted to help in whatever way, but the drought has made it difficult for me to work on the farm. Receiving the money has made an enormous difference in my life since I used it to buy food and I helped take away the burden that my son has been shouldering for a long time.

I am a widow and I fully depend on my son to provide for the family (me, daughter-in-law, 4 grandchildren) needs (food and clothing). He works in Mombasa as a casual laborer on construction sites. Due to the temporary nature of his job, he does not work daily, and the pay is very little (450 per day) to cater to all our family's needs. My daughter-in-law runs a kiosk business and from that, she can help in clearing a portion of the bills. My son has selflessly shouldered the burden of taking care of our extensive family during this hard time when prices of commodities are very high. Therefore, when I received my first transfer of KES 1200, I spent KES 900 On buying 2 kgs of beans, 6 packets of maize flour, and 1 kg of sugar. Buying the food was to ease the burden that my son was going through in providing for the family. Besides buying the food, I spent the remaining KES 300 to buy some clothes since all that I had torn and worn out.