As the years have added their weight upon my shoulders, I've found myself facing challenges I never thought possible. Old age crept in like a thief in the night, bringing with it a severe ailment that has crippled me, leaving me unable to move without aid for the past three months. Yet, amid this struggle, there glimmers a beacon of hope which is GiveDirectly. With each bit of support they offer, my goal becomes clearer. I long for the day when I can stand on my own two feet again, unaided by crutches or the helping hands of others. My wish for the coming year and beyond is to use the funds I receive from GiveDirectly to seek the proper medical care I so desperately need, to reclaim my independence, and to once again walk freely on this earth.

As a widow, I strive not to burden my son, who toils in irregular jobs to sustain us, as he still has his future to shape for his family. To ensure our sustenance, I engage in subsistence farming, recognizing that at my age, securing food is paramount. In my recent transfers, totaling $102, I allocated $60 to plow my two-acre farm as well as hire individuals to sow maize seeds, recognizing my limitations in physical labor due to age and health. However, the onset of old age has brought its share of challenges, notably a severe leg ailment that has rendered me immobile without assistance for the past three months. Realizing the urgency of medical attention, I allocated $34 towards seeking treatment, though the results have yet to show improvement. Despite these hardships, I remain resilient, using the remaining $8 to purchase detergents for laundry.

Now that I rebuilt my kitchen structure with the recent funds, My focus is on repairing the walls of my house, which were also damaged by the rains. To avoid burdening my son with the cost, I plan to use the upcoming cash transfers for the repairs. Once that is complete, my goal is to resume buying goats. I had previously purchased two with the transfers, and they have given birth to two kids. Now, I aim to expand my herd, hoping that in the future, selling them will provide funds for my necessities such as food and medication.

After heavy rains at the end of last year, my kitchen structure collapsed due to soaked mud walls. Cooking became challenging, and unfortunately, the maize produce I had stored there got rained on. In the past three months, my top priority was to rebuild and reinforce the structure with concrete to prevent future damage. I spent $70 on cement and labor for the reconstruction. I'm relieved that the house is now stable and better protected against heavy rains, ensuring the safety of my maize produce. Additionally, I used the remaining $34 from the transfers to buy a new mattress, replacing the old one that was causing discomfort during sleep. The transfers have significantly lessened my reliance on my son, providing for my needs without burdening him. I appreciate GiveDirectly as they have become like a financial guardian to me.

I have a desire to raise livestock as a source of income. Specifically, I want to venture into goat and chicken farming since these animals tend to multiply relatively quickly. With two goats secured from previous cash transfers, my goal is to purchase more and expand the herd by the end of the year. Currently, I have a total of ten goats, and I would be delighted if this herd continued to grow. In the future, I can sell these goats to generate funds for contributing to the education of my four grandchildren and covering medical expenses when I'm unwell. I hope that the cash transfers will allow me to buy as many goats as possible because they are my sole source of income at the moment.

Due to my advanced age, I'm not able to take on physically demanding tasks to support my family. I mostly rely on my son to provide for my basic needs, like food and clothing. However, he recently had an accident that injured his leg, making it difficult for him to earn enough money to take care of both his four children and me. Thankfully, my other son who lives in town has stepped in to help and contribute to our household expenses, although it's occasional. The cash transfers have been a lifeline for my family. In the past three months, I used my cash transfers to purchase a pair of bedsheets for $15 because I was struggling with the cold. I also saved $34, which I plan to use for plowing my three acres of land. I can see that the rainy season is approaching, and I want to be financially prepared for when we start preparing the land. The remaining funds from all three transfers were used to buy food for the family, ensuring that we never missed a meal during that period.

Looking ahead to the future, my aspirations include expanding my livestock holdings beyond the two goats I acquired through previous cash transfers. By allowing these animals to reproduce and increase in number, I aim to establish a dependable and sustainable source of income. As the livestock multiply, I will have the opportunity to sell them, generating funds that can be utilized for various purposes. The income generated from selling the livestock will enable me to purchase food and ensure that everyone in my household has enough to eat. In addition to addressing our immediate needs, I also aspire to utilize the income from the livestock sales to contribute towards my grandchildren's education. 

With the arrival of the ongoing rains, cold nights have become a challenge for me. The lack of proper warmth during sleep exposes me to the risk of cold infections and disrupts my rest. To address this issue, I decided to utilize $8 from the cash transfer to purchase a heavy bed cover. This investment has provided me with the necessary warmth and improved my sleep quality, ensuring I stay healthy. Fortunately, my son has been able to provide enough food for me, and my needs for the week are met. With this in mind, I decided to allocate the remaining $26 from the cash transfer to buy a goat. I intend to rear the goat and build up some wealth for the future. By engaging in livestock rearing, I hope to create a source of income that will eventually reduce my dependence on my son and provide a more stable financial situation.

To reduce my dependence on my son and actively contribute to the family’s needs, I desire to own and rear livestock as a stream of income. Particularly, I wish to venture into goat and chicken keeping, as these animals tend to multiply faster than the other kinds. Having already secured two goats from previous cash transfers, my aim is to buy more and expand the herd by the end of the year. I hope that the transfers will allow me to buy as much as I can because they are my only source of income at the moment. 

Due to my advanced age, I can not take on strenuous tasks to fend for myself. I mostly depend on my son, Charo, to provide for my needs such as food and clothing. However, he recently had an accident that injured his leg such that there is not much he can do to raise enough money to take care of both his four children and me. Gladly, the cash transfers have proved significant in buying food on days when he is unable to work and also allowed me to own livestock. In the last three months, I have used my cash transfers to acquire two goats for $60. I believe that rearing these goats will multiply my wealth in the future which I could use to raise funds and count as my source of income. I spent the remaining $42 from all three transfers to buy food for the family. At least, my family never missed a meal during the entire period. 

First and foremost, I would love to express my gratitude towards the generosity that I have received from the organization because these funds have been quite transitional to my day-to-day life. This year I plan to use the transaction to add more farm animals because so far I have managed to acquire two goats. Nutrition is also a priority for me because I am quite old and can hardly do any work that will provide me with the funds I require to care for myself. At times, I rely on one of my children, but they have their own families and are frequently sick, so this money has allowed me to meet my needs without the assistance of my children.

The moment I realized that I had received the transaction from the organization, I was so excited especially because I was almost on the verge of starvation. That is why I after I withdrew the transfer I ended up using KES 1,500 and purchased five packets of maize flour, two kilograms of beans and also drinking water since it was scarce. I also ended up using KES 1,000 by buying timber because I have been stacking up building material with each transfer that I have receiving in order to renovate my kitchen since it is almost collapsing. Eventually I was left with balance of KES 500 which I ended up using to settle a hospital bill for my son who had fallen ill.

GiveDirectly has offderd me tremendous help with the finances because were it not for the money I probably would not even have been able to renovate my kitchen because I have no job since I am quite old but luckily I get to receive financial help from the organisation.

I have wanted to renovate my kitchen for quite some time because it needed some fixing since it look like it almost going to collapse at anytime. The kitchen was made from mud and timber but it was quite old and the foundation job had been done poorly no wonder it was almost falling off. Therefore I planned on fixing it so when I received the transfers I decided to buy a pair of iron sheets worth KES 1,400 because I planned on renovating the roof as well since the one that existed at the moment was grass thatched and it was always in need of fixing. Afterwards I used some part of the balance I was left with and bought timber worth KES 600. I used the remaining KES 1,000 for nutrition purposes because there was barely any food left in the house do I ended up buying around four packets of maize flour, a kilogram of sugar and sardines.

I was sitting outside my house in the morning enjoying the warm sunlight. My son ran towards me while holding my phone, shouting that had I received my transfer. Upon confirming I became very excited, and I quickly knelt down and prayed to thank the Lord for the miracle. I then joined my relatives, who had also received their transfer in celebrating as we ululated and sang songs of praise. 

I have suffered a lot when it pours. I cannot cook for my family since water accumulates in my kitchen. This has forced us to sleep hungry due to the lack of an alternative place where we can cook our food. Receiving this money has made a big difference in my daily life since I will build a spacious kitchen and won't have to worry about being unable to cook for my family because of the heavy downpour.

For the longest time I've always wanted to build a proper Kitchen, however, due to my poor financial state, I could not do so. The cooking place is currently in a terrible state since when it rains, water accumulates in the area, making it difficult for me to cook. The poles used in building the kitchen have become weak and are slowly collapsing. My greatest fear is that soon the structure may collapse on me when cooking and Jeopardize my safety. Upon receiving my first transfer of KES 1200, I saved it all to buy iron sheets and building poles. With the spacious kitchen, I will store my utensils and jerry cans of water, which currently can't fit in my tiny house that is almost full and out of space.