In the coming year and beyond, my primary focus is completing the construction of my house, a dream I have been nurturing for quite some time now. I have calculated that I will need approximately $550 to fix the doors and window panes, as well as to pay for labor services. To achieve this goal, I plan to save $20 from my subsequent monthly transfers and set aside $7 every month from the profits of my tailoring business.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by providing us with monthly financial support that enables us to meet our basic needs. Additionally, what truly sets GiveDirectly apart is their commitment to understanding the real impact of their unconditional transfers on our daily lives. They don't just hand us money and disappear; they stay engaged through follow-up surveys, seeking to learn how their assistance affects us in the long run.

Upon learning about the upcoming rainfall, I felt a strong motivation to maximize the monthly financial support I receive from GiveDirectly. With the $20 I recently received, I chose to allocate it towards agricultural endeavors. I designated $20 for renting a tractor to till the soil, getting it ready for planting maize. I also responsibly utilized the remaining $9 to meet our immediate requirements. I bought essential items such as sugar, cooking oil, and tea leaves, which I anticipate will sustain my two grandchildren and me for approximately three weeks.

Because life has been so difficult for us, my main focus is now on food security. Next year, I intend to start a small-scale cereal business to supplement my income from my tailoring work to enable me to sufficiently provide for my family. I have set aside part of my earnings which I intend to top up with my subsequent transfers to reach the $50 target for this goal.

GiveDirectly does well by guaranteeing that its beneficiaries receive their monthly contributions on time, thereby allowing us to plan effectively and achieve our objectives. The transfers are secure, convenient, and confidential, making us feel safe whenever we receive them.

Life has become so unbearable due to the high cost of living that affording three meals a day is difficult. To save for other days, we now eat only two meals per day; breakfast and supper. I used my most recent transfer to buy twelve two-kilogram cans of maize for $22 and spent the remaining $7 on sugar, cooking oil, and other groceries for my family of four to save us from going hungry. We have used the maize for three weeks and are still left with six kilograms, which I hope will last us another week. Having enough stock of maize and food has since saved me from incurring lots of expenses when buying food.

In July last year, I started to renovate a house I am currently living in and would still want to continue doing so this year. I intend to continue saving in our merry-go-round group to raise enough money to finish the remaining parts. I will top up the savings with the income from my tailoring business to enable me to actualize this goal.

GiveDirectly does well by sending me money every month even if it is a small amount. When the project began we used to receive our transfers in good time but nowadays they delay making it hard to plan well. I would, therefore, recommend that the transfer be sent early enough (between the fifth to twelfth of every month) to enable proper planning.

My most recent transfers came at the right time, during the Christmas season. There are kinds of meals that we rarely eat because my income cannot allow me to but was privileged to buy them this time around using my transfers. I spent all the transfer to purchase foods that we consider special like beef, chapatis, and fries which we enjoyed during the festive season - this made the family happy.