My primary goal is to enroll in a driving school, a dream that has been on hold for far too long. Currently, I'm diligently saving $10 a portion of the transfer every month. I intend to accumulate $100, then I will be ready to start my training. This endeavor is not just about acquiring a driving skill; it symbolizes a step towards securing employment and establishing a sustainable source of income for my family. The support from GiveDirectly has been a game-changer, and I am sincerely thankful.

My current house, weather-beaten and frail, stood as a testament to the struggles my family and I had endured for almost three years. The rainy season was particularly challenging, and the leaks in the roof seemed to multiply with each downpour. As a casual laborer, my earnings were meager, and my wife, who diligently tended to our farm and sold vegetables, often had to resort to burning trees for charcoal selling to make ends meet. Determined to improve our living conditions, we decided to invest the monthly cash transfer wisely. With careful consideration, we allocated the funds to purchase nine iron sheets and essential building materials, amounting to $102. The transformation began, and as the new roof took shape, the promise of a more secure and comfortable home became tangible. The impact of this assistance extended beyond shelter; it provided a sense of stability that allowed us to go an extra mile by investing in livestock for a sustainable future. I am genuinely grateful for the support and assistance that GiveDirectly has provided, turning our aspirations for a better life into a reality.

As I said my house has delapitated roof and this has meant that my family has had to sleep on wet beddings.I am not happy with the state of things and my hope and goal for this year is to finish buying enough iron sheets which is 10 iron sheets and hire a mason to replace them. I am planning to try direct my transfers to this course to ensure that the year does not end while we are still in this state as this has had an effect on myself and my children.

My iron sheets have been leaking, I have required 10 pieces of iron sheet to repair the section of my house that is leaking because most nights we are forced to endure a leaking roof with my family.I used my June transfers to buy 3 sheets of iron at $11 each. I also was able to buy a goat in July for $30 and in August I bought clothes worth $15 and food worth $19.

My hope for this new year is to use the Givedirectly transfers as well as my earnings to complete my roof. My roof requires 24 iron sheets to complete and I have only been able to replace 3. One sheet is 9 dollars and it will take a while before I am able to afford the 220 dollars to complete the entire repairs. I hope to buy periodically over the years, the iron sheets, to ensure I complete this project before the next rainy season. I also bought a number of goats which my transfers. I hope to add a couple more to the ones I have. I want to gain enough goats to help facilitate my own college and my children's education using this animals. I want to go to school and learn how to drive that I can open myself to better job prospects.

I am a motorcycle rider with a stay at home wife. I have two children who are also fully dependent on me. I am a rider that is employed by someone and I earn $3 on a bad day and 5 dollars on a good day. My family has been living in a house with a rotten roof which during the rainy season leaks and allows for Mosquitoes to get into the house. This has been a deplorable condition. When I started receiving Givedireclty transfers I promised myself I will change this and I used 3 dollars of my January transfers on repairing a portion of the roof to allow people in the house sleep under it as it now does not leak. I have also managed to buy food over the last three months at about 4 dollars monthly to cover the family for a while as I work to make ends meet. I have also added a goat using my November transfers which I want to add to. My children were also able to enjoy a new set of clothes during the festivities which made them happy since its while since we bought them clothes.

After finishing form four, I was forced to look for a job because of the financial constraints that made me not join any technical or college. I intend to start saving money so that I can enroll in a driving school. I want to learn how to operate a truck so I can get a job as a truck driver. I want to be transporting specialized loads to Mombasa as I have seen there are a lot of things that need to be transported and not enough drivers are available.

I work as a motorcyclist. I borrowed a bike from someone and whether I make money or not, I am required to pay the owner $4 at the end of the day. Most times I make $5 dollars but when I give the owner $4 dollars I am left with $1 to survive on a day. With this kind of economy, life is becoming so unbearable and affording to buy anything is becoming impossible.The moment I received my transfers, I was able to buy 3 metal sheets and fix my old leaking roof. I am planning to build my family a new house because the one we have is very old. The remaining $7 I bought food for my beloved family who have always appreciated all my little efforts.

I received my transfer when there was no food in our family. The situation had been contributed to by the failure of crops due to inadequate rainfall in the previous season. Unfortunately, my parents do not have a job. They rely on making charcoal and engaging in unreliable casual jobs that pay low wages. With the transfer, I opted to spend $20 on buying maize flour to sustain our large family of 12 members. Occasionally, it had proved very difficult for my parents to meet our educational needs and offer meals for their children. In addition, I spent $10 on buying a new set of clothes. My previous clothes were old and unpresentable. I am glad that I am smart.

In comparison to other NGOs, GiveDirectly does so well in enrolling potential recipients in its program without subjecting them to any form of discrimination. For instance, the GiveDirectly's staff visit every household, and all who qualify to be enrolled always receive their financial support. In my opinion, this is unique and better, unlike other organizations and government programs that tend to be skewed towards helping specific individuals. So far, I have not yet observed what GiveDirectly does not do right.

I have not had both a mattress and a bed for a couple of years. I have therefore been forced to sleep on maize sacks. This was an uncomfortable situation because I could always wake up feeling pain in my ribs. This more often subjected me to discomfortable situations which I had to bear with all the time. Painfully, even all my 6 children were experiencing the same challenge. As soon as I received my transfer, I spent KES 2,800 on buying a new mattress and I am glad that there is an improvement in my life. I also spent the rest of the transfer, KES 200 on buying food since I did not have sufficient food. My motorcycle taxi business has been less profitable in the recent past due to a hike in fuel prices.

It was at night almost 10pm when I was getting to bed when I heard a message beep tone and I decided to read the message,as I was reading the message I was filled with so much joy that made me laugh loudly ,My wife noticed my laughter and asked me to share the joke as I was sharing the Mpesa message she also reached for her phone and noticed the same message. It was interesting as we could hear neighbours waking each other to ask them to confirm if they had received the GiveDirectly funds. It was a happy night not only for me and my wife but for the whole village.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that am able to repair and improve my roof. I have postponed this for so long.I have a goal of going for a mechanical training once have finished repairing the roof.The training will cost around KES 30,000 and am hopeful that at the end of my training am able to get a job in the nearest town.My research is working as a mechanic on good days I can make as much as KES 5000 in a day which I believe will enable me support my family including my young brother and sisters.

The issue of improving my roof has been postponed due to my financial status. I have always wanted to improve the leaking rusty roof and upgrade my living standard. I spent a large portion of my transfer of KES 1800 to buy two pieces of ironsheets.Due to lack of food in my household ,the rest KES 1200 was spent on food items for my family.Currently I have one child but have been supporting my younger brothers and sisters.Working as a motorcycle rider is a challenge when the business is on the low, am forced to go home with nothing because at the end of each day my employer expects a consistent portion of KES 200 per day