Now that I have completed the construction of my son’s house, I have a new goal of starting a business selling small fish and vegetables like tomatoes, kale, onions, and cabbage. Previously, I was selling cassava in a nearby town, but I found that business to be tedious and seasonal. For now, I want to focus on this new venture, especially since vegetables are in high demand due to the prolonged droughts we are experiencing. I plan to use the upcoming transfers and my small savings from the cassava business to kickstart this new endeavor. Once it succeeds, I won’t have to trek long distances anymore, and I believe that as this business grows, it will be easier for me to provide for my family, as it has great potential for profitability.

I have been sharing the same house with my youngest son for a while, and since he is now a teenager, I felt it was time for him to have his own house, as our culture suggests. Luckily, through his casual jobs, he was able to buy a few building materials, but he got stuck along the way due to a lack of funds. So, as I received cash transfers over the past three months, I channelled $102 to buy iron sheets for the house he was constructing. I am glad that the construction is now underway, and very soon, this house will be completed. I can imagine the joy it will bring to my son's life, as sometimes he felt embarrassed to sleep in my house and would seek shelter with his friends. I felt this as a parent. He needed his privacy, especially now that he is a teenager, and this situation has lowered my dignity and pride as a parent. I am happy that through the support of GiveDirectly, my son's dreams have become a reality, and I will be forever grateful.

With the upcoming transfers on the horizon, I've been formulating a plan for the future. My aim is simple: to invest in goats. Owning livestock holds immense potential for wealth-building and securing a steady income stream for my family, extending far beyond the duration of these transfers. The prospect of nurturing a herd of goats fills me with excitement and hope for financial stability. As the herd grows, I envision selling them to meet our evolving needs, ensuring a brighter tomorrow for us all. I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity these transfers present and remain optimistic about the journey ahead.

I have been ailing for a while, my health gradually deteriorating until I could bear it no longer. With the arrival of the cash transfer, I seized the opportunity to seek medical help. The diagnosis of stomach ulcers brought relief and apprehension in equal measure. Relief, knowing the cause of my suffering, and apprehension, wondering how I would afford the treatment. Yet, the timely intervention of the cash transfer alleviated my worries, enabling me to focus on my recovery. Each day, I feel a bit stronger, a bit more hopeful, grateful for the chance to regain my health, and trusting in God's grace. In addition to prioritizing my health, I directed part of the funds towards securing my daughter's future. Investing $40 in her college education, specifically in a tailoring course, was a decision rooted in love and determination. I couldn't bear to see her struggle, as she did before, burdened by financial constraints. Now, with the means to support her dreams, I witness her flourish; her smile is a testament to the opportunities ahead. Furthermore, I ensured the sustenance of my family by allocating $28 towards food supplies. As someone reliant on seasonal farming jobs, the stability provided by this investment eased our daily struggles, granting us a sense of security amidst uncertainty. Though challenges remain, the transformative power of the unconditional cash transfer has ignited a spark of hope, guiding us towards a brighter tomorrow.

I am eager to allocate my upcoming transfers towards investing in livestock. Acquiring livestock will not only contribute to building wealth but also serve as a sustainable source of income for my family beyond the transfer period. I am profoundly grateful for the financial assistance from these transfers and hold a positive outlook on achieving financial stability as the livestock herd expands and I begin selling them.

Last February, my daughter enrolled in college to pursue a tailoring course, with completion slated for next month. Monthly, I've diligently provided financial backing, allocating $20 from my transfers to facilitate her skill acquisition. It brings me joy knowing that her acquired skills will empower her to secure income and achieve independence. Over the past three months, I've allocated $60 towards her education, while the remaining $42 was spent on purchasing food. As peasant farmers, my husband and I face challenges generating income from farming, making the financial assistance from Give Directly crucial in meeting our needs. I am deeply grateful for the ongoing support from Give Directly.

I am planning to utilize my upcoming transfers to invest in purchasing livestock. Given the difficulties I have experienced with farming, I believe that investing in livestock is a more secure and sustainable way to generate income and support my livelihood. The beauty of livestock is that they have the ability to multiply, allowing me to accumulate wealth that will provide long-term benefits in the future. Despite the challenges I have faced, I am grateful for the financial support I have received thus far. It has made a significant positive impact on my life, enabling me to experience an improved standard of living. The assistance I have received has been instrumental in helping me navigate through difficult times and has opened up new possibilities for a better future.

My husband and I are both peasant farmers, and we have been facing significant challenges in our farming endeavors. Over the past few years, the unpredictable weather conditions have made it extremely difficult for us to achieve substantial yields from our farms. This has resulted in considerable struggles for both of us. In order to address our immediate needs, I made the decision to allocate all of my August transfers to purchasing food. With the funds received, I was able to buy twelve packets of maize flour, tea leaves, and vegetables. This provision of essential food items has brought a renewed sense of hope and stability to our lives. I am truly grateful for the financial support we have received. It has provided us with a fresh start and has alleviated some of the financial burdens we have been facing. The assistance has made a significant difference in our lives, and we are now able to meet our basic needs more comfortably.

I currently do not have a new goal besides using the transfers on meeting my basic needs like food. I am relying on the monthly transfers to do a shopping of adequate foodstuffs every month that can last for weeks. I am also doing farming which I believe if I succeed to have a good harvest, I will be able to channel my transfers to other ventures like buying livestock such as goats to keep in my homestead.

I spent my most recent transfers on buying daily food such as maize flour and vegetables. I am happy that my family is now able to take three meals a day, unlike before when we could stay for days without food. My son who has been the breadwinner recently lost his job and now relies on manual jobs which are hard to get. He also has children to take care of and it would have been difficult for me to afford the basic needs in my own. I am grateful to GiveDirectly because I am no longer struggling to provide for my family courtesy of the transfers. I also spent a portion of the money to pay fees for my grandchildren when they were sent home. They had some fee arrears which I paid and they were allowed to continue with their studies without interruptions concerning fees.

This year, my main goal is to use my transfers to pay fees for my daughter. Currently, she is undertaking a tailoring course on design and fashion. I hope this will enable her to gain skills that can later help her run a self-owned tailoring shop. As a result, she will become self-reliant and thus can support me, and her family comfortably. In addition, I am planning to spend some of my transfers on food since we always have the challenge of famine. Periodical crop failure has posed food scarcity challenges in our area, hence it will be needful for me to plan well on how to be obtaining food to support my family. It will supplement the income from my husband's income from livestock keeping.

In December of last year, my youngest daughter finished her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams. She did well on the test, but we were unable to pay her secondary school tuition due to the family's financial situation. It was good news for her when I was enrolled into the program and received my transfers early this year because, she decided to enroll in a tailoring college to learn practical skills that will enable her to support herself. I recently paid $10 in tuition for her to continue taking her course at school when I got my transfer. Finally, I spent $20 on twelve packets of 2 kg maize flour, along with $1.5 and $1.2 for a kilogram each of beans and sugar. My husband builds homes as a means of support. He has had a difficult year because he has had trouble finding work, which forces him to spend his time at home doing nothing. I make a very meager living by farming and selling charcoal, which I use to provide for my family. My family had plenty to eat thanks to the money, which was a great help.

I mostly rely on my farm as a source of money and food for my family because I am a subsistence farmer. I haven't worked on the farm in the past three years since the drought started. My son, who is in his final year of secondary school, is dependent on me for financial support, but I lost the source of income that allowed me to do so. In contrast to when I used to raise vegetables and maize for my family to eat, food purchased from a store is highly expensive. It is for this reason that i have failed to pay his school fees on time. Because of three years' worth of accumulated school fee arrears, my son is frequently sent home. His learning and performance in class have been hampered by his inconsistent attendance at school. I paid KES 1000 to settle a portion of the school's fee arrears after receiving my transfer. To keep my family from being hungry, I also used the remaining KES 2000 to buy food.

In my own opinion GiveDirectly has really done an incredible job because before I could go for days without having a meal, I was almost convinced I'd perish from starvation and nothing else. Now with the funds I barely ever miss a meal and for that I am grateful. I no longer have to burden my children with my needs because now I too can take care of myself.

I have always wanted to grow my farm especially considering that livestock back here in the village is highly marketable and valued. So when I got my funds from the program, I decided to buy a goat because the money I had could not afford an animal like a cow since they were way more costly and I lacked the funds for doing so. The goat cost me about KES 2,500. I planned on rearing and breeding the goat so that incase I had financial hardship then I could always sell and cater for my needs. I was left with about KES 500 where I used KES 405 and bought three packets of maize flour and used the remaining KES 95 and bought sardines. Food was my second priority because at the time I had completely ran out.

I was home all alone with my grandchild that day who is still toddler. I normally watch over him as the mother is a teacher and leaves for work every morning. After realising I had finally received the funds from GiveDirectly I was ecstatic about it because my child was soon sitting for her final exam in order to join highschool and yet she had been kicked out of school and I had no money to pay her tuition fee. Therefore the money could not have come at a better time in my own opinion.

This funds helped me make sure my daughter's education was not stalled for too long especially since she really needs to pick in class due to the fact that she is soon joining high school and she cannot afford to miss class. Plus were it not for the transfers I do not know how long she would have stayed home for but I am sure it would have taken us a while before we afford to clear the debt and send her back to school

After I received the money my first responsibility was to send my child back to school, because she had been kicked out of school and had me home for approximately two days in a row because I had no money to finish paying the debt. I therefore took KES 1,000 and paid the debt and the next day she was back in class. The balance I remained with was KES 200 and so I decided to but a kilogram and a half of maize flour since there was barely any food left in house, so at least we would not have to worry about going hungry that night.