This year has been a journey of hard work and dreams coming true. I took out a loan to purchase a motorcycle, and I have been working tirelessly to pay it off by the end of the year. Currently, I have an outstanding loan balance of $783, and I am determined to finish repaying it soon. To clear the loan, I plan to use a portion of my transfers in addition to my earnings that I make from my motorcycle taxi business, allowing me to make larger payments and aim for full repayment within the next four months. Once I have cleared this debt, my goal is to take another step forward by acquiring another motorcycle on loan. With this new bike, I plan to employ someone else, creating a job while also generating additional income. This new venture will help me secure a better future for my family, ensuring that my younger siblings have what they need for school and that we never have to worry about food or clothing again. I dream of a life where my hard work today leads to a brighter and more stable tomorrow.

As I mentioned before, this year has been a crucial one for me, filled with goals and targets. One of my main objectives has been to own my own motorcycle and become self-employed. I was fortunate enough to secure a loan, which allowed me to purchase a brand new bike that I now use as a taxi to ferry passengers. While I am starting to earn some income, I am determined to pay off my debt. To help with this, I have been using a significant portion of my transfers; recently, I allocated $90 from my latest transfers to reduce the debt. I am committed to clearing it soon so that I can redirect my transfers towards other investments. Lastly, I spent the remaining $12 on food for my family, adding to our supplies to ensure we stay healthy. Each step I take brings me closer to achieving my dreams and providing for my family.

This year has been a journey of hard work and dreams coming true. I took out a motorbike on loan, and I have been working tirelessly to pay it off by the end of the year. My hope is to finish repaying the loan soon, and then I plan to take another bold step forward. I want to buy a second motorbike on loan, but this time, not for myself. I hope to employ someone to drive it, creating a job for them while doubling my source of income. This new venture will help me secure a better future for my family, ensuring that my young siblings have what they need for school and that we never have to worry about food or clothing again. I dream of a life where my hard work today means a brighter, more stable tomorrow.

As a motorbike rider, I have been working hard to keep up with my loan repayments while also saving for any unexpected emergencies. With the last three transfers I received, summing to $102, I made a strategic decision to allocate the funds wisely. I dedicated $60 of the transfers towards paying off my motorbike loan. This was crucial as it helped me stay on track with my loan installments and move closer to owning my motorbike outright. The ability to make these payments consistently is important for my work, as my motorbike is my primary means of earning a living. I set aside the remaining $42 from the transfers as savings for emergencies. Life can be unpredictable, and having a small financial cushion gives me peace of mind. Whether it’s for unexpected repairs, medical needs, or any other unforeseen expenses, having these savings ensures I am better prepared to handle any surprises. My goal is to finish repaying the loan by the end of this year, and with careful financial management, I believe I can achieve this.

In order to better support my growing family, especially after recently getting married, I realize the need to diversify my income beyond my motorcycle taxi business, which has proven insufficient. One idea I have is to purchase an additional motorcycle that I can rent out. Although this may be challenging due to the high cost of a new motorcycle, approximately $1000, I am determined to make it happen with perseverance and commitment. Since I am not currently part of any savings platform, I have decided to save my transfers by investing in livestock, specifically goats. Goats are affordable and multiply quickly, making them a suitable investment option for me. Each month, I plan to use the entire transfer amount( $34) to purchase a goat. Over time, I will accumulate enough goats to sell and raise a significant amount of money. I understand that due to other financial commitments, this project may take longer than expected to reach fruition, but my goal is to achieve it no matter how long it takes. By diligently saving and investing in goats, I am confident that I can diversify my income and provide better support for my family's needs in the future.

Due to a poor harvest in the last farming season, we have depleted our stored food and are now reliant on purchasing all our food items. This situation has led me to spend approximately $20 of my monthly transfers on foodstuff in recent months, ensuring my family does not suffer from hunger. As a motorcycle taxi operator, my income is modest and barely enough to support my large family, so I have become increasingly reliant on the transfers for our basic needs. During drought seasons like now, we also have to budget for water, which can cost as much as $5 per week which sometimes I budget for using the transfers . Additionally, the transfers have also been of help whenever unexpected expenses arise, such as last month when I was involved in a minor accident while working. The entire amount of my transfers was used to cover my medical expenses. Without these funds, I likely would not have been able to afford the necessary medical care, as I had no savings at the time.

The impact of the cash transfers has been significant in my life, enabling me to support my siblings' education, procure food, and engage in agricultural activities. Looking ahead, my goal is to continue this transformative journey. Right now, I run a motorbike taxi business in the village to support my needs and those of my family. By the time the cash transfers come to an end, I wish to have grown this endeavor further by acquiring another motorcycle. With my current monthly income from the taxi business standing at $50, I believe that adding another motorbike could potentially double these earnings. The estimated cost to purchase another motorbike is around $1400 and I believe I to be able to save some funds from the cash transfers to buy one on a credit basis.

I invested $10 in purchasing seeds and allocated $20 to pay for plowing services on my family's farm, where I had been granted one acre by my father for farming. With the ongoing rainy season, I see this as an opportune time for a successful farming endeavor. To address the persistent issue of hunger in my family, I spent $38 on food. The family relies on my three elder siblings as the main providers. Their ability to contribute varies from time to time, leading to occasional challenges in meeting our needs. That is why I usually contribute to such needs when needed so that my family may not suffer from hunger. Furthermore, there was a time when my sister's studies were on hold for an entire week due to unpaid tuition arrears. To ensure she resumed back to school, I utilized $18 to settle her school fees, allowing her to resume classes. The remaining $16 was used to purchase school uniforms for my younger siblings.

I am currently working on saving money to buy a motorcycle, which I intend to use as a taxi. By August, I expect to have saved enough for the initial deposit and fuel expenses, at which point I plan to purchase the motorcycle on hire purchase. Hopefully, I will be able to pay off the loan within a year. After that, I will start making further plans.

For nearly a year now, I have been setting aside around $25 per month, from the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly. As of now, I have managed to save $250. My goal is to buy my own motorcycle through a hire purchase agreement in August, once I have enough money for the initial deposit. I have prior experience working as a motorcycle rider and I believe I understand the business operations well. I am eager to pursue this venture using my own motorcycle. By having my own motorcycle, I anticipate earning more income per day compared to being just a driver, where all the earnings go to the owner of the motorcycle and I only receive a small portion. Using my most recent transfer, I saved $25 and utilized the remaining portion to contribute towards household food expenses.

In the next one year and beyond, I would want to have a better life. I have always been struggling with commuting to my school of study due to the lack of money to cater for my daily transportation cost. I would want to own a motorcycle to ease my transport to and from the school and with the transfers that I have been receiving, I have been saving some portion to help me acquire the motorbike.

I received the transfers at a time I was feeling so unwell and I did not know where to get money for medication. Upon receiving the transfers, I felt relief because I spent a greater amount of the transfers of $15 to pay for my medical bills. With the remaining amount, I spent $4 to buy chicken for rearing and saved an amount of $15 to help me purchase my dream motorcycle that would help me during my movements. I currently feel better in terms of my health and thanks to GiveDirectly.

I am a form two student in secondary school. My parents are retired and most of the time they are at home raising livestock. My father who is the primary provider rears livestock and sells them whenever my siblings and I need money for school fees. It has been a challenge watching my parent struggle to cater to our needs. I am passionate about the transport business in particular the motorbike industry. When I was enrolled I was happy that my dream would come true. I have been saving $18 from the money I have been receiving monthly since July 2021 and I plan to continue until January 2023. A new motorbike costs $1364. Whenever I am in school I will let my brother hire it and I get a cut from the earnings. Which will help me pay for my school fees. I used the remaining $9 to pay for my medical expenses.

GiveDirectly, in my opinion, does a good job of providing direct cash to all of its recipients. An approach that is only unique to it, and as a result, many of us have our hopes restored.  Before enrolling in the program, I was on the verge of giving up on my education because my parents were struggling to raise even KES 500 for my tuition fee. Furthermore, several households have found it simple to obtain daily meals, which was previously extremely difficult. In terms of the benefits I derive from GiveDirectly, I have not found anything that it does not do well.

I had a school fee arrears amounting to KES 1,000 and my parents were unable to raise the said amount. They have no formal job but rather rely on peasant farming which had not been viable following prolonged drought we had been experiencing. With the transfer, I prioritized to pay off the fee arrears. I am glad that I have ample time for my study with minimal disruption. In addition, I opted to save KES 2,000 with an aim of acquiring other learning materials as well as school uniform should what I have be unsuitable for use.

Normally whenever I come from school, I would always help out my father with his charcoal manufacturing business and other times farming. On this very day, we were busy cutting down trees so we could produce some charcoal. I got a message alert and upon checking, I saw that I had received funds from give directly. I couldn't hold back the excitement so I shared the news with my father who celebrated with me. All that came to my head was to add another source of income that would help out in meeting some of the family's needs, especially schooling, both my sibling and I, thus, the decision to start poultry farming.

My life has always been a struggle. Before we started receiving this money, it was very hard to even put food on the table, and often we would go to bed hungry. My father, who is the sole provider for the family, could not pay our fees on time. This led to my siblings and I being sent home due to fee arrears. But after we started receiving these funds, he was able to reduce the fee to KES 850. It has also been a while since we lacked some nourishments. I am now more hopeful that I will be able to realize my dream of becoming a doctor, as the funds will help in generating more income through poultry farming that I recently started.

Even though I come from a humble background, my dream of becoming a doctor has never faded. I am now in class 8 which requires me to put more effort so I would secure a good school in secondary. Often, I would have challenges when it comes to paying my fees and, in a week, I would be sent home twice due to arrears. My father who works as a farmer and a charcoal manufacturer earns very little to support both my elder brother (who is in form 2) and I. To help out, opted to start poultry farming which I believe would grow and I would be able to buy goats and cows using the profit. Through this practice, I will attain enough to assist in putting us through school and meet the family's needs. So, I used the funds to purchase 5 chickens.