I am currently living in a small one-room house with a severely leaking roof due to termite damage to the *makuti* roofing, which has created gaps. The space is also too small for my needs, so I am planning to build a more spacious house with a verandah, even if it’s just a single room since I live alone. To achieve this, I intend to save part of my transfer to fund the construction. Having this new house will provide me with a comfortable living space, free from the constant worry of leaks during rain, and allow me to work towards a better future. For now, there is no food, so I am using part of my transfer to buy food while hoping God will bless us with rains this season. Once I have enough food, I will redirect the funds toward building my house. My current roof leaks badly, and when it rains, I get soaked. I also plan to support my building project with the income I earn daily.

We have been facing drought since last season, and up to now, we haven’t experienced any rain. As a result, there is no water, and food has become scarce and expensive. Because of this, whatever income I get is spent on buying food and water. I live alone since I am not yet married, and I have to provide for all my basic needs, as I don’t depend on anyone for support. I work as a casual laborer, but finding jobs has become difficult because many people are struggling due to the drought. I want to thank GiveDirectly for the financial support. It has allowed me to plan wisely, and I’ve never gone to bed hungry thanks to the transfers. With my most recent transfer, I spent the entire $102 on food because I didn’t want to starve. Having enough food allows me to keep going as I continue hustling to find other sources of income during this challenging drought season.

I am currently living in a small one-room house with a seriously leaking roof because the makuti roofing has been damaged by termites, creating gaps. The space is also too tiny for my needs, so I want to build a more spacious house with a verandah, even if it’s just a single room since I live alone. To achieve this goal, I plan to save part of my transfer to fund the construction. Having this new house will provide a comfortable living environment, free from the worries of leaks during the rain, and help me work towards a better future for myself.

It is unfortunate that my farming investment did not yield any harvest this season due to the extreme heat. This left us without food, but I am very thankful to GiveDirectly for their financial support, which ensures that we do not go to bed hungry. When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $101 to purchase maize flour and other foodstuffs to build a stock that will sustain us for a while as I continue to work hard. Additionally, I used the remaining $1 to buy a pair of sandals, as I did not have any.

I am currently aspiring to venture into chicken farming as a means to improve my living conditions. While I don't yet have any chickens, I am actively seeking employment opportunities to change my circumstances. With part of my transfer, I plan to invest in purchasing chickens, believing that they will hatch and provide a source of income through sales. Additionally, I have a dream of building my own home. I currently have one small house, but I recognize that the current conditions make it challenging. However, I remain determined to pursue my goals and work towards creating a better future for myself.

It's been quite some time since the last rainfall, and life is becoming increasingly challenging for those of us who rely on farming for sustenance and income. I am struggling to put food on the table, let alone enjoy three square meals a day. Living alone, I often find myself borrowing essentials like flour, sugar, and cooking oil from a shop near my home, repaying the debt as soon as my transfer comes through. Fortunately, with my recent transfer, I was able to settle a $45 debt, making it easier for me to borrow again in the future. Additionally, I allocated $57 to purchase food, stocking up my house with things like flour and sugar to sustain me for the coming weeks.

My primary goal is to re-enter the business arena, driven by a deep passion for entrepreneurial endeavors. Specifically, I aspire to engage in poultry farming, with a focus on raising chickens, as it appears to be a lucrative venture. I plan to use forthcoming transfers to turn this ambition into reality. The prospect of establishing a steady income stream through this venture holds the promise of restoring a sense of normalcy and fulfillment in my life. I am content with the progress I have made so far and am optimistic about the journey ahead.

I used to make a living by selling rafters and building poles, but due to a downturn in business, I had to shut it down. Financial constraints led me to venture into farming, and I am pleased to see progress in this new endeavor. While anticipating the harvest, I allocated all my transfers, totaling $102, to purchase food for sustenance. This investment ensures I can sustain myself until the crops are ready for harvest. The transition from selling construction materials to farming has been a significant shift for me, and the support from GiveDirectly has played a crucial role in sustaining my livelihood during this transition. I look forward to the upcoming harvest and am optimistic about the continued positive changes in my life and the lives of others in the community.

I had planted some maize but since I planted before the rain and the plants wilted since the rains came much later. I am trying to secure seeds now to use now as I am beginning to plant to ensure I can feed myself. If I am unable to get them on time the transfers will remain fully to be used for securing food. However if I get seeds and i am able to harvest I will use the transfers to buy animals such as goats of chicken to keep as an investment.

Our area has suffered a long standing drought and this has affects a lot of people. Most people are focusing most of their finances to getting food. My work is to sell building poles and timber for building. I have not had much traffic with people interested in building due to the financial constrains caused by the lack of food. On my end I have directed all the money I get in paying for food taken on credit and buying food. My transfers have not been used for anything else.

I have been sheltering in a grass-thatched house for years, during which I had to replace the grass almost every month. My dream was to rebuild my house using more durable iron sheets. I could not afford them but currently, through the monthly transfers, I want to buy at least one iron sheet every month. Having an iron-roofed house will relieve the stress of replacing the roof every time, which is tiresome. My goal is to buy a total of 20 pieces of iron sheets as I continue receiving the transfers.

I spent my most recent transfers on buying foodstuffs and other household expenses. With the prevailing drought that has left us helpless and unable to farm, the transfers have come in handy. I have been able to overcome the challenge of food shortages in my household. To ensure that my family enjoyed three meals a day, I did enough shopping for cereals to last us a few weeks. I have been relying on casual construction jobs to fend for my family, earning a meagre income. However, the harsh economic conditions have made it impossible even to secure a casual construction job. I am now relying mostly on monthly transfers. I am grateful to GiveDirectly because, despite the financial hardship, I can still provide adequately for my family.

By the time I received the transfer, I was deeply in debt at the shop where I had been getting food on credit for the previous two months. My business of buying and selling building sticks was struggling at the moment, owing to the current low demand for building materials. The rate of constructing houses in my area has recently decreased dramatically because of the high cost of living and most people would rather spend their money on food. So, the most I can make in a month is $30, which barely covers a week's worth of food for my family of 10 (my mother, my brother, his wife, their six children, and I). Even if my brother contributes to the household's requirements, what we both offer is still inadequate. That is why I am always obtaining food on credit. So, I was compelled to utilize $20 of the transfer to repay the debt and $4 to buy more food. In addition, I spent $10 on two pairs of jeans because my old ones were worn out and ripped from repetitive use; I would wear the same pants for five days in a row. Although the monthly cash transfers help us with basic needs such as food, I believe they are not enough for needs like building houses. As we speak, I need around $200 to build a new house, but I'm not sure how long that will take.

I am going through a tough time taking care of myself and my family members (grandmother, mother and brother). For the past three months, I have been unsuccessful in securing a job because the jobs are scarce. This has contributed to skipping meals and often sleeping on an empty stomach. When I received my transfer, I paid off a debt of KES 1500 I owed to my friend. He lent me the money at a time I had no money to buy food for my family. I bought food with the remaining KES 1500 to add to the depleting stock of food in the house. Buying food in bulk assured me I would not go hungry soon before I can secure a job.

Give directly has done very well through cash donations as most of us can now work on some of the projects that we had put on hold. Personally, I can now build a new house for myself and also buy some food. However, if there's a possibility of getting the cash in bulk it will be of great benefit. For instance, I need 30 iron sheets for the construction of the residence. This I cannot do at once using a single transfer.

I sell tree logs for a living and each goes for KES 50. In a month, I would make between KES 400 to KES 1000. I have yet to take on a wife, leaving my mother the only dependent I have. Since I had not made any sales that week, I lacked the funds to purchase food. So for 3 days, my family and I had gone to bed on an empty stomach. Therefore, when I got the money from give directly, I used it all to purchase some nourishment for us.

Receiving this money made me very happy and that my prayers were answered. At the time, I was working so I may earn to fend for myself. So, when I saw the message, I stopped what I was doing and immediately rushed out to buy some food for I was hungry.

These funds really came in handy at a time when I did not have any food in my household. Even so, I am yet to note any difference in my life since it is my first transfer.

I sell building materials for thatch houses for a living. In a day, I make KES300. This has been manageable for me since I still have not taken in a wife. Other times, when I do not make any sales, I lack the funds to buy food. On this very day, when I received these funds, I was without food. So, I used the whole amount to purchase some food for myself.