My home was in dire need of repairs, which can be quite costly. To address this pressing issue, I allocated $19 from my GiveDirectly cash transfers to purchase iron sheets for roofing purposes. This investment will help protect my family and improve the overall condition of our living space. Recognizing the importance of education, I then spent $7 to pay school fees for my children. Ensuring they have access to quality education is crucial for their future success. To build a sustainable source of income and food security, I used $28 to purchase a goat. My hope is that the goat will multiply and increase in value over time. In the future, I plan to sell the goats or their offspring when in need, providing a valuable safety net for my family. Acknowledging the ongoing hunger crisis, I allocated $14 to buy food for my family. This ensures they do not go hungry and have access to nutritious meals. Finally, I fell ill and needed to seek medical attention. I used $34 of the transfers to cover the cost of treatment at the hospital. I am grateful that I am now in better health thanks to the care I received.

My current living situation requires major repairs, which are only a temporary fix. In the long run, my goal is to construct a larger, three-bedroom house for my family. To achieve this, I have devised a strategic plan using my GiveDirectly cash transfers. Rather than directly allocating the transfers towards home construction, I intend to use a portion of the funds to purchase more goats. My hope is that these goats will multiply and increase in number and value over time. In the future, when I have accumulated a substantial herd of goats, I plan to sell them. The proceeds from these sales will then be used to fund the construction of a new, larger home for my family. This approach of investing in livestock as a means to eventually build a new house holds deep personal significance for me. It represents a pathway towards a more stable and comfortable living situation for my loved ones. I am hopeful that this plan will come to fruition, as it would mean so much to provide my family with a spacious, well constructed home.

I'm currently in the process of acquiring new iron sheets as I plan to construct a new house. The current house I inhabit is in a state of disrepair, with the supporting poles weakened and incapable of sustaining the structure's weight. To facilitate this endeavor, I've allocated $20 towards the purchase of two iron sheets. Additionally, $30 has been allocated to cover school fees for my three children, the eldest of whom is enrolled in junior secondary school. Earlier this year, prior to his enrollment, I spent $20 on a new school uniform, bag, and pair of shoes for him. I'm pleased to note that this financial assistance has facilitated his educational pursuits. Furthermore, I've invested in two ducks with the intention of raising them for future profit. With the remaining funds, amounting to $9, I procured four packets of maize flour for sustenance. I am deeply grateful for the financial aid that has enabled me to embark on the construction of my new home.

Next month, I'll use my future transfers to buy new building poles and the rest of the iron sheets I need. Once I've gathered all the materials, I'll start constructing the house. This new house will provide me with safety and peace of mind, knowing it won't collapse on me. I'm incredibly grateful for the financial assistance that has allowed me to achieve tasks that were previously out of reach due to financial constraints.

I used to earn a livelihood as a charcoal seller, but unfortunately, I began experiencing ulcers, and the doctor advised me against engaging in strenuous work. Consequently, I turned to small-scale farming to make ends meet for my family of seven. With five children enrolled in school, covering their educational expenses has posed a significant challenge, especially since my husband, who is employed as an artisan, is unable to contribute to these costs. Nevertheless, I am grateful that the transfers have lightened this financial burden. I allocated $91 specifically for school fees, as my son, on the verge of sitting his final exams, had been sent home due to a lack of funds. This allocation enabled him to resume his studies without further interruption. The remaining $11 was utilized to purchase two chickens, which I plan to keep for future use. I extend my gratitude to GiveDirectly for providing hope to my family, particularly in easing the financial strain associated with school fees.

In the coming year, my main focus is to complete the repairs on my house. After years of neglect, the house is in total disrepair, and the roof leaks during heavy rains. Although I began purchasing iron roofing sheets, I couldn't start renovations due to an urgent school fee debt that needed immediate settlement. With my son finishing school soon, I plan to use next year's transfers for this purpose. Renovating my house will ensure my family lives in a safe space, bringing me peace of mind. I'm grateful to GiveDirectly for providing me with the opportunity to transform my life.

I have two children enrolled in secondary school, while two are in Primary School. As a family, we do not have a regular source of income hence we struggle to raise their school fees. My husband does casual jobs with low wages that are insufficient to support the family. Consequently, we learned to bear with situations with lots of inconveniences. However, courtesy of the transfers, I always put aside $15 to help with fee payment while the goes into the food program.

I have been saving towards buying iron sheets. I intend to acquire more and consider building a spacious house. I live in a small house that does not comfortably accommodate my entire family. Therefore, despite the high cost of living now, my goal is to prioritize saving my transfers to fulfill the new house-building plan in the next year. That will save my family from the extreme cold during the rainy season because the current house leaks. I also aim at focusing on my children's education.

I am very thankful for GD transfers as they have been a big help in facilitating my children to go to school. In December I used $20 for my form four child to settle his school fees arrears, I also paid for him $10 in January for his exams. I had another of my children who had cleared class eight join form one where I used my February transfers to get him school uniform at $13.50, a bag for school at $6, a badge for the school at $1.5 and shoes at $5. I also cleared the fee balance at his primary school so we could get his papers. I was also able to clear entry exam fees for my children in class 6 and class 4. In December the transfers also bought the food we had during the festivities at $10 and I bought a chicken for rearing $4.

I used to collect stumps and burn them for charcoal but in December I got an accident that has one of arms in constant pain. I was hit buy a cow which also tramped on me, my hand was in a cast for months but even after the cast was removed I still feel a lot of ain that means I am taking pain killers all the time. I am now unable to engage in this and so I do not have an income. I had hoped to use this money to help improve my house but since I have children in school and a form four who will be finishing school this year I have that plan on pause. I however want to use this money to buy animals such as goats which can reproduce and give more animals that I can sell for money so that I am able to educate my children especially the one in form four.

My husband is a casual laborer. Together, we have six children. Every day he goes to different villages looking for any job, including farming, fetching water, assisting in any construction project, or any job that he can do with his hands. I am unemployed and my work revolves around our home, which is mainly cleaning, cooking, raising livestock, and taking care of the children. Finding a hands-on job is very hard and lately, it has been a struggle to make money from his earnings. When I received my funds, I used $25 to pay for my children’s school fees, and the rest $5 went to my medical treatment. I had an incident with one cow while I was on my normal routine of feeding the cows. I got hit by a bull and fell, breaking my arm. The funds came in at the right time because I had to be attended to immediately

GiveDirectly has done well to enroll our village, which has many poor families. The support funds have ensured that the children are back in school and most of the families without homes have built their own homes

My family is dependent on my husband and son, who do odd jobs such as selling scrap metal and doing house construction.  When things become unsuccessful from their tasks, we are forced to skip meals or, worse, sleep hungry. I started selling charcoal to avoid becoming a burden to them, but my weekly earnings of KES 500 are insufficient to support my five children. I am occasionally forced to borrow food or money from friends and neighbors with the understanding that I will repay them later. So, I spent the entire amount on food because the family had gone to bed hungry the night before. The food I obtained lasted our family of 18 for a day while we waited for our providers to raise funds. 

Prior to the transfer, my family would occasionally run out of food, forcing us to sleep hungry. However, the transfer enabled me to purchase food. Although it only lasted a day, it gave my son and husband enough time to raise money for more food. Since then, we have never gone to bed hungry.

I was in my house at around 8 pm when I heard a message alert on my phone.  After checking what it was all about, I confirmed that Give Directly had sent my first transfer as promised. I could not hide my happiness and danced with joy. After sleeping hungry the night before, I was relieved that my children would have something to eat the next morning.