Despite experiencing setbacks in farming endeavors last year, I am determined to give it another try this year. With the funds I have received, I intend to hire someone to plow my two-acre farm for maize cultivation. Additionally, I plan to allocate the remaining amount to pay laborers who will assist me in weeding the farm. As my physical strength diminishes with each passing day, I recognize the necessity of seeking assistance to manage the farm work effectively. A successful harvest would ensure an abundance of food for my family, eliminating the need to purchase from shops and allowing us to allocate funds towards acquiring livestock and enhancing our quality of life. I am grateful for the financial support thus far, as it has been instrumental in facilitating positive changes in my life.

Living with my three grandchildren in a household of six, I find myself often stepping in to assist my son, who serves as the primary breadwinner through sporadic casual labor jobs. Despite my advancing age, I strive to alleviate the family's financial strain by contributing towards essential expenses, particularly food. Recently, I expended $72 on various food items, including maize flour, sugar, tea leaves, and cereals. Last year, despite facing health challenges, I actively participated in farming endeavors with the aim of securing an ample food supply. Unfortunately, our efforts were thwarted by floods that swept away all the maize we had planted, leaving us with no harvest from the previous season. Consequently, we had to resort to purchasing food from local shops. In addition to procuring food supplies, I invested $20 in a goat and $10 in two hens. Tragically, the hens succumbed to Newcastle disease, leaving only the goat. Nevertheless, I remain hopeful that the goat will multiply, offering a potential source of income for emergencies in the future. The financial relief provided by these purchases has significantly eased the burdens we previously faced, enabling us to afford food, a luxury we once struggled to obtain.

My objective is to expand my livestock holdings, particularly by focusing on acquiring more goats and chickens. Currently, I have successfully obtained three goats and a number of chickens that I am raising. Given my lack of a stable income, I view the ownership of livestock as a promising investment that holds the potential for substantial returns in the coming years. The multiplication of these animals allows me the opportunity to sell them, providing a reliable means to address my financial needs.

I've primarily utilized the funds from my transfers to cover my medical expenses, significantly contributing to the improvement of my health. The ability to consistently afford necessary treatments brings me great satisfaction. Moreover, the transfers have been instrumental in covering the costs associated with traveling to the hospital, a financial aspect that would have been challenging for me to manage without this support. In addition to addressing my health needs, I allocated $30 towards the purchase of a goat and a chicken, both of which are now part of my living assets on my homestead. With a total of three goats, I anticipate that their reproduction will serve as a valuable asset for meeting future financial obligations. Without a stable source of income, my reliance on subsistence farming for family consumption makes these livestock investments crucial. They provide a potential source of income in the future, offering a means to address any unforeseen financial requirements. Furthermore, a portion of the transfers was used to acquire daily food supplies, ensuring that my family had an ample and consistent food source. Making the well-being of my family a top priority, I find comfort in knowing that the transfers have also enabled me to sustain our nutritional needs.

I am filled with hope that our household will be abundantly supplied with food due to the copious rainfall we have experienced over the past two months. We have cultivated various crops on our farm, including maize, beans, and cassava. This implies that I will have sufficient funds to save up for the purchase of livestock, which has been a long-standing desire of mine. By engaging in livestock rearing, I will accumulate considerable wealth, thus attaining financial stability.

I became extremely ill a fortnight before receiving my May transfers. My health significantly deteriorated, and due to lack of funds, I resorted to using local remedies consisting of bitter herbs. However, my health did not improve. The arrival of my May transfers brought immense relief as I was able to utilize $17 to settle a substantial hospital bill that had accumulated. The diagnosis revealed severe malaria, requiring hospitalization and rehydration due to significant fluid loss. I'm grateful that my condition has improved since then, thanks to the transfers, and I am now able to perform light tasks. Apart from covering my medical expenses, I used the remaining funds to purchase food. Currently, my daughter-in-law, who is a farmer, is our main source of support during the rainy season. In drier periods, she sells charcoal to sustain us. However, her income is inconsistent, and there are times when we have to choose between skipping meals or going to bed hungry. The food I bought with the transfers played a crucial role in my speedy recovery, and I am tremendously thankful for that.

Over the course of this year, my main objective is to use my monthly transfer to purchase additional iron sheets until I have the necessary 14 pieces to completely replace the roof. Knowing that I won't face any obstacles during the rainy season will give me peace of mind. I also intend to spend a significant amount on food. This will lessen the difficulties that my daughter-in-law faces as she tirelessly finds money to buy food for the family.

My home's roof is in bad shape, which causes significant rainwater leakage. To combat this, I've been purchasing one piece of iron sheet every time I get a transfer, which will help with a complete roof renovation. I spent $7 on the iron sheet after getting my January transfer. I'm looking forward to having a new roof because it will make me feel better. I can't work because I'm too old, so the money from the transfer has helped me buy food. Due to the meager income she receives from selling charcoal, my daughter-in-law, who is the only provider, struggles to make ends meet. Last but not least, I bought a hen in the hopes that it would procreate over the coming months and bring in some money when I sell some of the chicks and eggs at the market.

I was quite Overjoyed when I received the transfers and this is because at that time I was gravely ill suffering from constant migraines and body pains so I knew the arrival of the money meant that I could finally see a doctor. The following day I went to the hospital and I ended up using a KES 1,000 for the medication and treatment I received. I ended up remaining with a balance of KES 2,000 which I decided to proceed to use on nourishment because starvation was literally one of our biggest problems. Therefore I ended up buying a whole bag of maize flour which contained a dozen packets, two kilograms of sugar, two kilograms of beans and groceries.

The organisation is doing a great job if you ask me because I clearly see changes in my day to day life in a very short span of time since I knew GiveDirectly. For instance I have slept on the ground for close to two years but through the funds I received from the program I finally managed to get myself a new bed which makes me so happy.

For over two years now I have been sleeping on a mat on the ground in my house because I had no money to either buy a bed or a mattress. So when I received the funds this time round I decided to finally buy myself a bed because sleeping on the ground was quite uncomfortable and I had been doing it for almost over two years. The bed cost me KES 2,500 from the funds I had received but I can definitely promise it was worth it because I finally had somewhere better to sleep. Lastly I was left with KES 500 which I used it by purchasing two hens since I intended to begin poultry farming.

My helper assisted in confirming the transfer's receipt that day. There are no words to describe the joy that filled my heart as I realized our hunger problem would soon be over. I am extremely grateful to Give Directly for fulfilling their end of the bargain and sending me funds.

Since I received the transfer, the frequency with which my family consumes food has changed dramatically. Previously, due to a lack of funds, we would go without food for an entire day and sleep on an empty stomach. We eat every day and have never run out of food since Give Directly sent the transfer, so the situation has improved.

Due to my advanced age, I am no longer actively involved in providing for the family's needs. We rely on my son, who hustles on different casual jobs, including house construction, to raise money for household consumption. Before I got the transfer, there were times when we ran out of food and had to go to bed hungry because he had earned nothing. That is why I spent about KES 900 on maize flour to ensure that meals were always available. I am relieved because we have had more than enough to eat since then. I put the rest of the money aside to help pay for my grandchildren's school fees later.