In the upcoming year, I am committed to taking control of my health, particularly because I am struggling with my vision and hearing. I am determined to seek the appropriate medical care to restore my sight and hearing, which will bring immense joy and freedom into my life. This journey towards improved health is essential not only for me but also for staying connected with my loved ones and remaining an active part of their lives. I understand that it will require effort, time, and perhaps a few sacrifices, but I am resolute in investing in myself and my well-being so that I can once again fully experience life with all my senses.

I am elderly and unwell, and the monthly transfers from GiveDirectly have been a lifeline for me, especially now that drought has devastated our area. With no other source of income, I depend on these funds to sustain myself. The last three transfers I received have been crucial in helping me meet my most pressing needs. The first thing I did was pay off a debt of $30 at a local shop, where I had been taking goods on credit for a while. The relief that washed over me after settling that debt was immense, as it lifted a heavy burden off my shoulders. I no longer had to worry about the shopkeeper demanding payment, and I regained my peace of mind. With the remaining $72, I carefully allocated $62 to buying food, which has been my priority given the harsh conditions we are facing. Food prices have risen, making it harder for many in my community to get by, but these transfers have ensured that I haven’t gone hungry. I also used $10 to buy some personal effects that were long overdue. This money has kept me going. Each month, I find comfort in knowing can feed myself and take care of some basic needs, all thanks to the help I receive from GiveDirectly.

This year has been a whirlwind of emotions. My house, battered by the relentless winds of this season, stands on the brink of collapse. Every night, I sleep with a heavy heart, fearing that the walls might not hold until morning. With the funds I will be getting from now on, my primary goal is to begin renovating my home. I want a safer house where my family and I can sleep peacefully, free from the anxiety of falling walls. Beyond this year, I hope to create a lasting refuge, a place that will protect us and become a symbol of our resilience and newfound stability.

For a while, I have been sick, unable to work due to problems with my eyes and ears. These ailments have rendered me unable to hear or see, making daily life challenging. Having retired from my job as a driver at the Kenya Port Authority, I have been relying on my retirement benefits for survival. With my most recent transfers, I decided to invest in something that would improve my quality of life. I bought a new bed and mattress, costing $50 and $65 respectively. Since the total amount was $115, I had to top up the remaining $13 from my savings. Previously, I slept on a broken traditional bed that left me feeling exhausted every morning. This situation added to my discomfort and fatigue, making my condition worse. Now, with the new bed and mattress, I sleep well and wake up feeling much more refreshed. This small investment has made a significant difference in my daily comfort and overall happiness.

My primary goal is to repair my house, which was constructed a long time ago. As it is a mud-walled house, the wooden poles are beginning to weaken, and caving in. Ideally, I would prefer to replace each wall with bricks, but financial constraints make this challenging. Since I share the space with my two wives, who also receive cash transfers, we have decided to collectively contribute to the repair of the house. Our initial plan is to build a concrete skirting around it to strengthen the foundation. This step will help stabilize the structure. As our financial situation improves, we hope to replace the mud walls with brick walls in the future. This collaborative effort among us will contribute to the long-term durability and safety of our home.

In the months leading up to the recent rains in our village, my household grappled with the prevalent challenge of hunger. As an elderly man facing physical challenges, I rely solely on my son, who works as a conductor, to provide for me. His meager income is barely sufficient to cover daily meals and keep the children in school. During those difficult times, I directed most of the cash transfers towards purchasing food. This ensured that my family never went to bed hungry, and I also received proper nutrition that sustained me. I am pleased that the rains allowed us to harvest enough food to last through the first quarter of this year. That's why I have been saving $10 towards building my house. Both my wives and I are contributing to replacing the mud walls of our house with bricks as they are stronger and more durable. The remaining $24 goes towards my personal needs, such as hospital expenses and buying sugar, allowing me to enjoy tea with my family.

In the coming year and beyond, my goal is to repair my house. It was built a long time ago, and as it's a mud-walled house, the wooden poles are beginning to weaken, and some of the walls are caving in. Ideally, I would have liked to replace each wall with bricks, but I lack the financial means to do so. Since I share the space with my two daughters-in-law, who are also cash transfer recipients, we have agreed to start contributing to the house's repair. To begin with, we plan to build a concrete skirting around it to strengthen the foundation. Later, when we are capable, we can start replacing the mud walls with brick walls.

In the months leading up to the recent rains in our village, my household faced the prevalent challenge of hunger. As an elderly man with physical challenges, I depend solely on my son, who works as a conductor, to provide for me. However, his meager income is barely enough to cover daily meals and keep the children in school. During those difficult times, I directed every penny from the cash transfers towards purchasing food. This ensured that my family never went to bed hungry, and I also received proper nutrition that sustained me. In addition to using the cash transfers for food, I managed to save $10 for any future emergencies. This money may prove useful, especially for medication if the need arises.

My objective for the remainder of this year and beyond is to secure the repair of my deteriorating residence and guarantee our safety. I am constantly concerned about the possibility of my house collapsing, which would leave my family and me without a home. To prevent such an outcome, my aim is to save sufficient funds to reconstruct and fortify the house, ensuring its longevity. Additionally, I aspire to support my daughter's college education in computer skills, enabling her to acquire the necessary knowledge to navigate life's challenges successfully.

Due to my old age, physical disability, and blindness, I rely heavily on my two wives to care for me as I am unable to work. Both of my wives support our family through farming and selling charcoal. However, their income is not sufficient, causing them to struggle to meet our family's needs. Consequently, I used $14 from my May transfers to purchase food for us. Unfortunately, the high prices at the shops make it difficult for us to have an ample food supply, and we often miss or skip meals to help cope with the situation. Nevertheless, I am grateful that my family now has something to eat for a week because of this contribution, considering my inability to provide for them due to my inability to work. Additionally, I used $20 from the remaining transfers to buy building stones. The current state of our two-room house is in disrepair, with weakened building poles and cracks that indicate a potential collapse. By acquiring the stones, my intention is to strengthen the house's pillars and ensure its safety, alleviating my worries about becoming homeless in the near future.

I have goals for this year. I'm hoping that the money I'll get over the coming months will allow me to finish building my house. I'll use the funds to purchase further building supplies, including bricks, lumber, and any other tools I'll require. Additionally, I will use some of the funds to purchase food because, as I previously indicated, the drought makes it a constant hardship for us.

As soon as I had the chance to take money from my phone, I went ahead and spent KES 1,500 to purchase 15 pieces of timber. I made the decision to purchase the lumber in the hopes that I would finally be able to renovate my home, which is in danger of collapsing. After that, I made the decision to spend the KES 1,900 that was left over on food because it had been difficult. I spent that money on two kg of sugar and eight packs of maize flour.

After the arrivals of the funds I decided to use KES 2,000 out of the transfers I went on to buy a goat. This is because I planned to invest in my farm by buying a couple of farm animals most preferably goats since cows were quite expensive. Afterwards I was left with a balance of KES 1,000 which I decided to spend on nourishment and bought half a dozen packets of maize flour since I barely had any food in the house.

In my opinion, Givedirectly did well for sending directly cash aid to the less fortunate people in the society. Additionally, being an unconditional transfer, I had the freedom to plan on how to spend the transfer. I do not see anything that the organization did not do well

I spent KES 2500 to purchase sufficient food for my family. This is because I can no longer work because of my sight problem . I have been total depend on my wife who is a local wine vendor to raise and upkeep the family of 5 members. This activity is temporally, and providing food for the family has been a challenge, but since the coming of the Givedirectly, our lives are much better. I also save KES 500 for any financial challenge that might arise in the near future. I am planning to use the next transfer to renovate my house which is collapsing and very dangerous to our life. I am always worried that it may fall at any time rendered me homeless.

Due to my health condition, I hardly wake up very early in the morning. While still sleeping inside my nearly crumbling house, I heard my daughter’s voice call me from a distance. I woke up to exciting news that I had received my first transfer. Lol! I could not believe my ears. I pinched myself just to make sure it was not a dream. A broad, toothy smile filled my face as I asked her to go withdraw the money on my behalf.

Living in my dilapidated house has been challenging. I have the fear that the house might come crumbling down while taking a nap. I have also had to bear with the chilly weather during the night because of the condition of the house. Buying the building poles is the biggest difference in my daily life as I start the preparations to improve the state of the house. This will ensure I have peace of mind while sleeping and my property is safe from the rain.

Heading towards the rainy season, my biggest fear is my house collapsing. Not long ago, we received some light showers and the damage it caused to my house was catastrophic. The house started sinking because the ground was marshy. The old iron sheets are seriously leaking, damaging my property inside the house. Because of my old age, I cannot work and save enough to build the house well. My wife, who I depend on, is struggling with her business selling palm wine. The drought has dried up the coconut trees, leaving very few coconut trees. The few trees remaining produce very little palm wine, hence affecting the income she earns. She uses the little she makes to buy food and pay school fees for my daughter. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I spent it all on buying new poles to be used in improving the state of my house.