I used to have a small one-room house, and when we spoke last month, I had plans to build a more spacious one. Unfortunately, the walls had become weak, and one day it collapsed due to heavy winds. After this happened, I informed my spouse, who lives away, about the situation. I had to relocate to my parents' house, as there was nowhere else to seek refuge. Looking ahead, my spouse and I remain determined to acquire a plot of land and build a larger house that will provide us with the space and comfort we need. Although I don’t currently have a job, I plan to save diligently from my transfers. Our family relies solely on my husband's income from his work in house construction, and he is also saving what little he earns to support our dream of owning land and a home. I remain optimistic that we will achieve this goal.

I had been sick, but I’m now feeling much better after seeking medical treatment. I’m really grateful to GiveDirectly for their financial support. With my most recent transfer, I used $16 to travel to my husband’s place for medication when I was very ill. This made things much easier for me, as I didn’t have to rely on others or beg for support. I’m glad I received the treatment I needed, and I’m now recovering well. I also used $34 to pay school fees for my six children, dividing the amount among them to cover the remaining balances, as I didn’t want them to be sent home. Additionally, I allocated $10 to boost my vegetable business, which I recently started to generate a little income to support my family, ensuring the business doesn’t collapse. With the remaining $42, I bought food for my family, as we had none in the house.

I am currently living in a single room that lacks enough space together with my family, and it's becoming very challenging as my children are growing very fast. I am determined to acquire a plot of land and build a larger house to provide us with the room and comfort we need. Despite not currently having a job, I plan to save diligently from my transfers. Our family relies solely on my husband's income from his construction project. A larger house would offer us the space and privacy we need as a family, and that's what I'm aiming for.

As a mother of six children, three currently in school while the others have completed, my priority upon receiving my transfers is ensuring my children's education remains uninterrupted. I allocate $20 to settle their school fees, ensuring they aren't sent home due to unpaid dues. Afterwards, I devote $10 to purchasing food, bringing immense happiness to my family and ensuring their fed well that week. With the remaining $4, I fulfill my commitment to church by paying my tithes.

My aim for this year is to acquire a plot of land and build a larger house for my family. Currently, we reside in a cramped single room that does not meet our needs. I plan to save and utilize future transfers towards achieving this goal. A bigger house would provide my family with adequate living space, alleviating much of the strain we currently face. I am thankful for the assistance received as it has significantly improved our quality of life.

Currently, I do not have a job, and I rely on my husband who works as a casual laborer to support our family of eight. I used to sell pastries before but had to stop because the business was not profitable. However, with these transfers, my life has become much easier. I can now buy food and pay school fees for my children, whereas before, they would stay at home due to lack of school fees. With the transfers received, I allocated $20 for Christmas celebrations, buying food and clothes for my children. I then used $14 to restock my pastry business, which unfortunately had to stop because it was not doing well. Another $58 was utilized to clear a pending school fee debt, ensuring my children would resume their studies on time. The remainder was spent on purchasing food for my family as we had none. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for these transfers, anticipating a brighter future ahead.

In the future, I hope to build a more spacious house. Currently, my husband, our six children, and I all share a one-room structure, and there's simply not enough space for everyone. I believe that having a two-room house would be the best solution, with one room for the children and the other for us as parents. I hope that the remaining cash transfers will enable me to make this aspiration a reality.

I primarily used the cash transfer to start a business making and selling donuts, pay my children's school fees, and buy food. My husband, as the main provider, depends on house construction to support our family of six children and me. He carries a heavy burden of responsibility, and it can be challenging for him to cover all our needs with his limited income. So, I spent $18 to purchase utensils like pans, wheat flour, and cooking oil to kick-start my donut-making business. I had tried running this business before, but it did not do well due to a lack of customers. I'm hopeful that it will do much better now, especially with the increased number of households in our area. I also used $20 to pay off my children's school fees, as they had accumulated some debt and were at risk of missing school. The remaining money was used to buy food. I'm pleased that this ensured my family had enough to eat, and my children did not miss their studies.

With a deep longing for a better living situation, I have embarked on the mission of constructing a two-room house for my family. Currently residing in a single room with my six children, the need for more space has become a pressing concern. Fueled by determination and love, I am taking on the challenge of building a sanctuary that will provide comfort, privacy, and room for our dreams to flourish. To achieve that, I am really doing my best to save enough so that I can easily and confidently embark on my house construction process.

Brimming with gratitude, I joyfully offered a tithe of $4, symbolizing my deep appreciation to God for the blessings that had graced my life through a recent transfer. A sense of unwavering dedication to my children's education stirred within me, as I diligently allocated $20 to cover the school fees of my child in class five and another in class three. With careful consideration, the remaining $10 underwent a remarkable transformation, culminating in a delightful meal that nourished both body and soul. Thank you GiveDirectly for everything, I sincerely do appreciate all the sacrifices and support you have given us.

I have a lager family and the house that we currently live in is a small one roomed house. My plan is to build a bigger house that would accommodate my entire family well. Therefore I plan to look for a job and with the income that I would be earning together with the transfers would help me achieve my goals.

I had 3 children who were sent home for school fees and I did not have the money to enable me take them back to school. Food was also another challenge for me, luckily, I received transfers from GiveDirectly that enabled me to settle the school fees arrears, I paid KES. 1700 for school fees and bought food with the remaining amount of KES. 1770.

Givedirectly has helped the villagers have plans for the future. A lot of group saving has been happening which enables one to start a business.

Before receiving this transfer, I was making charcoal and selling it at the nearby market. In 2019, I was diagnosed with asthma and the doctor recommended I stop with the charcoal business. Since then, I have been a stay-at-home wife. My husband is the breadwinner of the family, he takes care of me and my six children. He works as a masonry getting a wage of $10 a day. This money helps buy food and pay school fees for the children. I used the recent transfer to buy Maize flour at $10 and paid school fees for my children at $20.

I received the message confirming that I had received my transfer at around 9 pm. We were almost going to bed when the message streamed in. I had to hand the phone over to my spouse to confirm if indeed there was money in the account. For a moment we stared at each other in silence then burst into laughter. It was such a happy moment for us.

Being able to purchase food for my family is the biggest difference in my daily life. My spouse who is the main income earner was not successful to get the construction work he does for two weeks before we received the transfer. Having a child who needs home-based care, I can not engage in economic activity since I have to be there for him. Raising money for our meals was a challenge by then and in most cases, we skipped some meals. It would not have been any better without the transfers.

I have a son with a chronic illness that he developed while he was in class seven. He is currently twenty years old but does not walk. Despite seeking medical attention in various hospitals, his condition keeps worsening. Most people have severally recommended that I should invite a given spiritual doctor whom they believe does miracles but due to lack of funds, I could not. Therefore, when I received the first transfer, I spent KES 800 on the same. Healing is a process, and I am positive that he shall get better with time. I also spent KES 400 on two packets of cornflour for my family.