I had initially planned to start a business to ensure a steady income for our family. However, unforeseen circumstances arose, compelling us to reconsider our plans. The land that was passed down to us by our father in law was acquired from a relative with an agreement to make payments. Regrettably, the original promise was not upheld, and our father in law passed away after distributing the land among his three sons, including my husband. Consequently, the landowners approached us to reclaim their property, issuing an ultimatum to either pay or vacate the premises. As a family, we decided to split the amount among the three households and make a collective contribution to settle the dues. Therefore, my husband and I have committed to saving a portion of our monthly income to raise the required $600 to secure our title deed. This decision led me to shift my focus from launching a business to working towards owning this piece of land.

Upon receiving my most recent transfer, I had three pressing priorities. First, I allocated $130 to pay off my child's school fees, as there was still some outstanding balance. Besides, I wanted to ensure she wouldn't be sent home, disrupting her studies. I also purchased food for the family worth $29, which was especially timely as our supplies were running low. Lastly, I set aside $60 to contribute to our merry-go-round savings group. My spouse and I plan to utilize this fund towards purchasing the piece of land we are currently residing on. I appreciate GiveDirectly for the financial support.

Currently, I am at home without a business, but I am planning to start selling second-hand clothes to my neighbors to raise enough money. I am saving diligently in my merry-go-round, and once I receive my savings, I will be ready to launch my business. In addition to my clothing business, I aim to diversify into farming, growing crops such as potatoes and tomatoes.My ultimate goal is to purchase half an acre of land once I have saved enough from selling second-hand clothes. I have previous farming experience from my parents' home, although my husband's area is less familiar with farming practices. I will be able to teach them my farming skills and help most of my neighbors.

Upon receiving transfers from GiveDirectly, I eagerly joined a merry-go-round. My aim is to save enough money to establish my own business of selling second-hand clothes. So far, I have accumulated $60 through the merry-go-round. Currently, I have two children: one who is not yet of age to join school and another who is attending school. Out of the transfer, I allocated $30 towards clearing his school fees to ensure he wouldn't be sent home. The remaining $14 was spent on purchasing food for my family for the week, which brought them great joy.

As I care for my child at home, a strong desire to pursue entrepreneurship comes within me. I envision creating a successful business focused on selling second-hand clothing. Through strategic savings cultivated from my merry-go-round contributions, I am determined to turn this dream into reality. This venture captivates me due to its accessibility and the continuously growing demand for sustainable fashion options.

On Friday, the 16th, at around 9:00 am, while my phone was charging, I received a pleasant notification about my monthly transfer from GiveDirectly. Excitedly, I shared the news with my husband and proceeded to withdraw the transfer. After withdrawing it, I set aside $10 for our monthly savings group, which supports our efforts to improve our lives. Since we have one child who is currently in school, I spent $10 on buying her a new uniform because her old one was worn out. With $14 left, I purchased some healthy food items to improve our diet and lead a healthier lifestyle.

I have a dream to begin a small boutique. I am saving $30 monthly in a savings group to achieve this. My husband is our primary breadwinner, He burns charcoal and sell firewood to make ends meet. I have not been able to contribute much to this but starting that business will open me to the getting income and getting more opportunities to be sought out for.

We started an informal savings group after receiving transfers from Givedirectly. I have personally been making a monthly contribution of $30. I pay $30 to the group to allow me achieve a good amount to take care of my family. In these months, I too used this transfers to buy food for my family at $4. I have used this cash transfers in this way.

With the anticipation of receiving my savings from the merry-go-round, I'm bubbling over with excitement to launch my own business. Picture this: a clothing store that caters to both genders, where style meets affordability. This new venture has my heart racing, not just because of the potential profits, but because it's a chance to chase my passion. As a devoted mother of two, I'm determined to create a brighter future for my family, and this business is my ticket to success. With a background in farming, I'm ready to embark on this thrilling new chapter that will let me explore my love for fashion and entrepreneurship. The possibilities are endless, and I can't wait to leave my mark on the world, one fashionable piece at a time.

Currently, I am actively participating in a merry-go-round arrangement. This delightful tradition commenced in May of last year when we began receiving transfers. Within our merry-go-round group consisting of thirty six individuals, we graciously distribute the received funds among ourselves. As part of this cycle, I decided to contribute $30 towards the merry-go-round, setting aside the remaining amount for food. With the remaining $4, I happily invested in purchasing food to fulfill the immediate needs of myself and my family. Engaging in this merry-go-round brings a sense of unity and shared prosperity, making it an enriching experience for all involved.

Because the charcoal burning business is strenuous, I have been looking for an alternative source of income. With the security of a monthly transfer, I have a goal of starting a business dealing with the sale of second-hand clothes. Every month, I have set a goal of saving $20. As a result, I will have sufficient capital by the end of the year to venture into that business. I will be able to support my family and my husband's land purchase plan with the proceeds from the business. The current parcel in which we are living is not ours, and we are afraid that the owners may send us away even though we have lived here for a while.

I burn charcoal to raise funds for my four-member family, which includes my husband, two children, and myself. Despite my his struggles with casual jobs, my husband's income remains insignificant because casual jobs are scarce in the village. With my recent transfers, I chose to spend $14 on food. Even though I had some food in the house, it was insufficient to last us a day. In addition, I saved $20 in a merry-go-round saving scheme, hoping to spend it on family projects and clothes selliing ventures when my turn comes. It will pose a noticeable difference in my family's living conditions.

I come from the western part of Kenya but married in the village of Kanyalani. I recently got a baby and drought has affected majorly this place. My husband is currently unemployed and with two children. I cannot look for a job. When I got enrolled in the support program, I joined a savings group to save part of my transfers, but as the year ends, drought and hunger affected the whole village and the savings plan had to be stopped. All our transfers were used to buy water and food. People would walk for over four hours in search of water. As soon as I received my cash transfer, $10 was spent on water and the rest $20 on food because my husband was unemployed and working as a charcoal burner.

Since earlier on, after I began receiving the transfers, I started a routine where I ensured to save a small amount from the transfers because I was hopeful that eventually I could have enough finances to open a business where I planned on selling second hand clothes. That is why as soon as the funds came in this time round I took KES 1,000 and left it my savings account. I then went on to use the remaining balance of KES 2,000 and bought a bag of maize flour that contained twelve packets because we barely had any food in my home and at times we would go hungry for days, which was a situation I was trying to avoid.

In my opinion GiveDirectly has done well by giving us the monthly funds which are helping us to meet our daily needs.In addition the provision of phone has really made it easier to communicate within ourselves.

I spent my transfer of KES 1200 for food and saved KES 1000 through a sacco I joined recently after being enrolled in the program. I remained with KES 800 which am using for my daily expenditure because I currently have a 2 month old baby and my husband is unemployed.

I was very happy when I recieved the transfers from GiveDirectly. It went a long way in assisting me to buy food. As a matter of fact, when I recieved the transfer, we didn't have any food and wondered what we'd eat. However, with the transfer, I was able to buy food.

The biggest difference was when I recieved the transfer, I then had food. We did not have any food at that time, so I used the money to purchase some food. Hadn't I recieved the transfer, we'd probably not have had food.

KES 800 from my first transfer was spend on food. My husband is not part of GiveDirectly's program; which means, I have to chip in on the financial expenses such as food as he caters for the rest. I then used KES 400 on household items such as soap.