In the upcoming year, my main goal is to launch my own clothing business. I chose this venture because I have noticed its popularity and believe there is a sizable market for it in my area. To get started, I need at least $300, so I have been diligently saving the wages I earn from working at the local grocery store. Additionally, I am a member of a local savings group, where I set aside money every month intending to take a loan next year to boost my savings. With this loan and my savings, I plan to open a clothing business. This will be a significant step for me, as it will provide a stable income and help me achieve financial independence, not only for next year but for many years to come.

I am a mother of one, and while my husband takes on casual jobs to provide for our family, I work at a grocery store. With the recent three transfers amounting to $102, I carefully planned how to meet the needs of my family. First, I spent $6 to buy a new school uniform for my daughter because the one she had was worn out. It was important to me that she felt comfortable and confident in school. I also decided to grow my livestock, so I used $50 to buy two goats, adding to the four I already owned. In addition, I purchased three chickens for $9, bringing my poultry count to fourteen. This investment will help us generate extra income and provide food for our family in the future. In August, I fell sick and had to spend $15 on medication to regain my health. After that, I used the remaining $22 to cover other essential needs. I bought food for $17 to ensure my family had enough to eat and set aside $5 for my daughter's school fees. Even though she's in lower primary, her education is a top priority for us, and I want to make sure she stays in school. These transfers have allowed us to grow our assets, take care of our health, and provide for our family's daily needs.

In the coming year and beyond, I have a plan to start a grocery shop within our village. It's a venture with great potential for success, as many of us here depend on vegetables and other grocery items for our livelihood. Additionally, I plan to include maize, which will attract more customers. To achieve this goal, I have begun saving in our merry-go-round group, intending to use my savings for this initiative. Once the shop is established, it will provide additional income, enabling me to meet my family's basic needs. Furthermore, I aim to build my own house. Currently, I am living with my parents in a small space that does not comfortably accommodate us. To achieve this dream, I am planning to take a loan from our chama group. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for their support, as I rely entirely on these transfers. I used to work, but I experienced a health issue and have been unwell since then, hence unable to perform heavy work.

Due to my health condition, I lost my job and now require monthly medical treatments. From my most recent transfer, I set aside $15 for medication expenses. I have two school-going children, and I allocated $25 to pay their fees, which also cleared an outstanding debt. The remaining funds, totaling $32, were used for essential food expenses. Additionally, I invested $30 in purchasing a goat to secure my financial future. Before receiving support from GiveDirectly, I relied entirely on my parents for financial assistance. However, these transfers have reduced some of the financial burden from them.

I've already taken the first step towards building our future. By investing in purchasing land, my goal is to construct a home for my family. Furthermore, I plan to start a grocery shop within our village, it's a venture with great potential for success. I am determined to provide my child with education ensuring they receive the best. With the support of these transfers, I'm hopeful that I will create a better life for us.

I'm a single mother of one; my husband and I separated a while back. I work as a house helper, earning $70 a month. During these hard times, I decided to invest $30 in purchasing livestock as an additional source of income. After securing our income, I spent $4 on food, ensuring my family didn't go hungry. I then paid $53 for my child's school fees. With the remaining $15, I sought medical care when I fell ill. Despite the challenges of being alone after separating from my husband, I'm grateful for the stability that the GiveDirectly transfers have brought into my life.

I have exciting plans to start a small business selling vegetables, which will significantly boost my income. This additional source of earnings will contribute to our overall financial stability. I am pleased to share that my quality of life has improved significantly. I now have the means to take better care of myself, which is reflected in my appearance. Gone are the days when I had to make do with worn-out clothes. Now, I am able to dress well and maintain a more presentable appearance. I am incredibly grateful and appreciative of the financial support I have received thus far. It has provided me with the opportunity to make positive changes in my life and pursue my entrepreneurial aspirations.

Currently, I work as a housekeeper in Mombasa town. Although my earnings are modest, they are sufficient to cover the daily expenses for both myself and my daughter. However, there is very little money left over for any significant improvements that could enhance the quality of our lives. Fortunately, the monthly transfers I receive are enabling me to take significant strides towards achieving financial stability in the years to come. To invest in our future, I decided to purchase two goats for a total of $60. These goats hold strategic value as they have the ability to multiply. Once they do, I will have a sufficient number to sell, providing me with funds to address my various needs. Furthermore, I recently bought new clothes and a fresh set of school uniforms for my daughter, which cost a total of $8. Due to an unfortunate circumstance, I had to spend $25 to settle a hospital bill and secure my release. I had fallen ill with an infectious disease and required medical treatment. I am grateful to have received the necessary care, and my health has significantly improved since then. After being discharged from the hospital, I invested $9 in purchasing nutritious food to aid in my recovery. This support has been instrumental in helping me regain my strength and improve my overall well-being. I am incredibly thankful for the financial assistance I have received thus far. It has played a pivotal role in helping me lead a better life.

My main goal is to have a business that would help generate income for my family. My husband and I currently do not have reliable sources of income, therefore I plan to start a retail shop business selling a variety of food items. To achieve this, I would like to take a loan in my savings group amounting to $120 for a start-up capital by the start of next year and I believe that this kind of business would be a great help.

I had always wanted my family to have a better future life free from financial challenges. My husband and I currently do not have a reliable source of income and we have been relying on odd jobs to make ends meet, a situation that always keeps me worried about our future life. I therefore decided to venture into livestock keeping; something that I believed would be of help in terms of income generation in the future and with my most recent transfers, I managed to buy a goat worth $30 and added to the ones that I had bought with my previous transfers. I also bought food for my family with the little amount of $4.70 that was left and so far I am grateful knowing that my family’s future is bright.

After having a lot of issues living with my in-laws, my biggest headache was buying land and leaving my marital home. After accomplishing this, I'd love to accumulate enough savings to launch a kiosk business. Given that he only makes a meager living as a mason, I will support my husband by using the profit from the business to pay the rising expenses. Starting a business will be my most notable accomplishment this year and beyond.

Thanks to the financial assistant and the regular transfers from Give Directly, which allowed me to buy three acres of land, I'm in a very good mood right now. Due to the ongoing family disputes that have prevented peaceful intergenerational coexistence, I have not felt at peace since getting married. The only choice I had was to buy new land, where my husband, son, and I would begin a brand-new, trouble-free life. The only issue was our ability to pay for the land because my husband is a mason and makes very little money and I don't. I gradually paid for the land out of my monthly stipends, and I'm relieved that I was able to pay it off in full. I'm looking forward to building a lovely home and living the happy life I've been missing for a while.

I am married to a large family with sixteen sons. They are all without a steady source of income. As a result, they are reliant on the family plot of land. I chose to look for my family's piece of land because the parcel is small and cannot be subdivided among them. I have started paying for three acres of $550 land. I owe the owner $450 because I made a $100 payment. I immediately saved $30 in a merry-go-round after receiving a transfer. I am planning to borrow $300 early next year to make a second payment before requesting its occupancy while I look for the balance.

Nutrition has been one of the greatest challenges that my family and I experience on the daily especially due to lack of rain, which has led to severe drought and starvation back in the village. At times we go for days on end without a meal which is quite horrible especially considering the children. So as soon as I received the funds I decided to buy a bag of maize flour which contained a dozen packets for KES 2,400 and then used the remaining balance of KES 600 to purchase cooking oil, salt, greens which includes lakes, spinach and tomatoes and lastly sardines.

Being unemployed, I could not contribute towards the payment of my family's bills. so, all the financial responsibilities were left to my husband. Now that I'm receiving these funds, I have the means to meet some of the expenses and also make some savings. in my opinion, give directly has done very well and there's no area for improvement.

I received 1,200 shillings on my first transfer. At the time, I had run out of food in my household. so, I used the transfer to purchase five packets of maize flour and an African print scarf. Using the second transfer, I saved KES1500 in a chama and the remaining amount I used to purchase food for my family.

It was in the morning around 8am as I was cooking some porridge for my baby when my phone notified me of an incoming sms .On checking the sms I was very happy to see that I had received my first cash transfer from GiveDirectly. I could not wait until in the evening to share the good news with my husband who was happy for me.

The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving this transfers is soon I will be able to have my own home.I am newly married and still living with my inlaws in the same home.I am planning to join a sacco and contribute KES 2000 per month which with time will allow me secure a loan of KES 50,000 and buy a small piece of land which will be enough to build my house and also allow me to do farming.

When I received the cash transfers I bought the African print scarf for KES 550 and bought maize flour with KES 600.I was so happy because it was long overdue to have my old scarfs replaced by new ones.