My main goal for the coming year is to repair my house, which is in urgent need of attention. The iron sheets on the roof are old and full of holes, allowing rainwater to leak inside whenever it rains. To make this happen, I’m planning to grow maize on my farm, hoping for a good harvest. If all goes well, the maize will provide enough food for my family, which means I won’t need to spend as much money buying food. With those savings, I plan to purchase a few iron sheets each month until I have enough to start the renovations. Once I’ve gathered all the materials, I’ll be able to fix the roof and improve our living conditions. I’m incredibly grateful for the financial support, which has given me the stability to not only meet my family’s day-to-day needs but also work toward long-term improvements in our lives.

Before I started receiving cash transfers, I worked as a casual laborer selling charcoal, a tedious job that yielded very low returns. With such a meager income, providing for my family of six was a constant struggle, as I carried the sole responsibility of ensuring our needs were met. Determined to improve our situation, I started a small business selling food commodities like sugar. Over time, the business grew, and the profits have made it much easier for me to take care of my family's needs. Recently, I spent $22 to purchase a sack of sugar to meet customer demand, ensuring the business stays strong. Additionally, I spent $23 on food for my family, making sure we had enough to eat without ever going hungry. With my savings from the business, I also bought a goat for $45, adding $9 from my savings. This goat joins the three others I previously purchased with the cash transfers. As the goats multiply, their value increases, providing a safety net for emergencies, allowing me to sell them when urgent needs arise. I also paid $23 in school fees for my two children and three grandchildren, ensuring their education continues without interruption. I am happy knowing they can stay in school and focus on their studies. I am incredibly happy and deeply appreciative of the financial support I receive, which has improved my life and strengthened my financial stability.

Moving forward, my plan is to continue using the transfers I receive to expand my existing business ventures. I am determined to keep investing in the growth and diversification of my operations. In addition to maintaining a strong focus on my current business selling sardines and sugar, I also intend to add coconuts to my product base. By expanding the range of goods I provide, I can cater to a wider customer base and increase my overall revenue. Alongside the business expansion, I will also allocate a portion of the transfers to growing my herd of goats. This livestock investment represents a long-term strategy to build financial security for my family. As the goats multiply and increase in value over time, I can sell them when needed to support my household and I am happy with these plans because with them I will be able to comfortably take care of my grandchildren.

As a guardian to my two grandchildren, whose mother is away, I made the decision to allocate $10 from the transfers to purchase a new uniform for one of them. This ensured that my grandchild looks smart and can continue attending school good uniform. Seeing the joy on his face as he wears his new uniform fills me with happiness. To further support my grandchildren's education, I spent $12 to pay their school fees. This prevents them from being sent home and allows them to focus on their studies without disruption. My small business, where I sell sardines and sugar, is another priority. I allocated $54 to boost my inventory and operations, with the goal of increasing revenue and providing for my family's needs and I am happy about how it is progressing. Recognizing the importance of diversifying my income sources, I spent $30 to purchase a goat. I am hopeful that this investment will pay off in the future, as I expect the goat to multiply and increase in value. When the need arises, I can sell the livestock and use the proceeds to support my family. Ensuring my own comfort and well-being is also crucial. I spent $14 to buy a bed sheet, which has allowed me to sleep warmly and comfortably, without being exposed to the cold compared to previously when I did not have something to cover myself with hence exposed to the cold. Finally, I used the remaining $4 to supplement the food we already had, ensuring that my family has access to the nourishment they need.

My aspiration is to expand my small business further. Although my current stock sells steadily, I aim to diversify by adding items such as sugar, oil, and salt to increase profitability. With the upcoming transfers, I plan to invest in this expansion. A thriving business brings me peace of mind, knowing I can better provide for my family. The assistance received from GiveDirectly has been life-changing, opening up opportunities for growth and stability, for which I am sincerely thankful.

I am a subsistence farmer primarily growing maize for personal consumption. I also run a small business selling sardines, which provides extra income for my family. Currently, I take care of my two grandchildren after their mother fell ill and became unable to support them. We struggled before as we had no stable source of income, relying on meager earnings from selling charcoal and removing tree stumps. GiveDirectly has been a true blessing, transforming our lives for the better. With the transfers, I have been able to invest in farming, ensuring that we have enough food. I have also joined savings groups, which offer quick loans in case of emergencies. I allocated $12 from the transfers to settle a pending school fees debt for my grandchildren, ensuring they could continue their education uninterrupted. Additionally, $10 was used to purchase new school uniforms, replacing their worn-out ones. Another $32 was invested in acquiring a goat, serving as a future resource in times of urgent need. I repaid a $10 debt after purchasing Christmas food and then used $12 to buy clothes for myself, as I had none. With the remaining funds, I finally acquired a mattress, bringing comfort after years of sleeping on a traditional bed. I'm deeply grateful for the support GiveDirectly has provided and look forward to a brighter future.

My vision for the next few years is centered around keeping goats. I am pleased that previous cash transfers allowed me to buy two goats, both of which have given birth, increasing the number to four. Beyond goats, I aspire to purchase at least four cows before the cash transfers cease. With cows, I can use them for farming activities like plowing and even rent them out to generate funds.

During the long rains, I faced challenges in planting and harvesting due to a lack of funds for maize seeds and plowing activities. The limited food I harvested didn't last long for my family, so I used $24 from the cash transfers to purchase food. I am grateful that this ensured my family never went a day without a meal. With the recent onset of the short rains, I invested $6 to buy maize seeds for planting, hoping for a more bountiful harvest this season. Additionally, I allocated $30 to buy a goat and $4 for a hen, aiming to raise them so that they can generate funds in the future to provide for my family's needs. Using $12, I purchased school uniforms for my three grandchildren, as theirs were tattered, and their father, the family's breadwinner, faced financial challenges. He relies on seasonal casual jobs, such as working on people's farms using his ox plows, which becomes challenging during drought seasons. I also bought a bedsheet for $3 to stay warm and made a $12 down payment for a new bed to replace my current one that is broken.

Looking ahead, my objective for the upcoming year is to make substantial investments in acquiring livestock. With the anticipation of a bountiful harvest in the coming months, I will have an abundance of food, allowing me to allocate funds towards purchasing livestock. The surplus from the harvest will provide me with the financial means to save towards this endeavor. In addition to investing in livestock, I have plans to purchase new sets of clothing. Currently, I rely on only two worn-out and unappealing outfits. Therefore, it is essential for me to allocate resources towards acquiring new clothes that are presentable and in good condition.

I shoulder the responsibility of being the sole provider for my family, consisting of three children. My livelihood is derived from farming and selling charcoal. However, these occupations yield limited income, often leaving me with insufficient funds to meet my family's needs, including purchasing food, paying school fees, and providing clothing. A challenging situation arose when, two weeks prior to receiving my May transfers, my three children were sent home from school due to their significant outstanding fee balances. Upon receiving the transfers, I allocated $10 towards partially settling their school fees, ensuring their return to school and enabling them to resume their studies alongside their peers. With the remaining amount of $34, I purchased food to sustain my family. The past few months have been financially demanding, primarily due to the soaring food prices. Regardless of my health condition, I exert myself tirelessly to ensure my children have something to eat. Thanks to the monthly transfers from Give Directly, I no longer experience the immense struggle I once faced in providing for my family. These transfers have alleviated a significant burden and provided a sense of relief in fulfilling our basic needs.

In the next year and beyond, I hope to have bought two goats to increase my herd to nine goats. Since I started receiving the transfers, I have not been able to buy an animal bigger than a chicken because of the hunger situation in the household. Although things are still tough, I believe that I will be able to save throughout the year until I afford the two goats. After that is done, I plan to start saving for a cow as well. 

Due to the prolonged drought that has hindered farming, hunger has become a major issue in my household. Even the little that my daughter and son send home, after a day of hustling in Mombasa, can hardly put regular meals for my family of nine people (four adults and five children). With rising commodity prices, it is difficult to enjoy at least two meals a day. This is why I spent almost every penny from the recent three transfers on food. I only had to deduct $5 to pay school fees for my grandchild who had been sent out of class to collect the amount and bought two chickens worth $5 for the purpose of rearing and wealth accumulation.   

I am actually quite grateful for the generosity that I have experienced so far from the organization. This is because the finances have come in handy especially when it comes down to the day to day needs of me and my family for example even on nutrition.

Due to the persistent drought I barely had enough harvest to feed myself and the family. Therefore, I was overwhelmed with is much excitement after realising the arrival of the transfers because it meant I could finally afford a meal. I went ahead and used KES 1,000 and purchased five packets of maize flour. Afterwards k remained with a balance of KES 2,000 which I proceeded to purchase a goat because I had plans of growing my farm.

When my phone rang loudly at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, I was out in the field burning wood and trees to generate charcoal for sale. I promptly looked it over and discovered that I had already gotten my first transfer, which astonished me. I stopped what I was doing and hurried to the Mpesa shop to get the cash. I was so hungry that I was perspiring a lot. When I got home, I made a late lunch, I was very happy and satisfied.

The transfer significantly improved my quality of life by giving me more money to spend on meals. My children, who always pitch in to help, were having a difficult time because of the political climate in the nation. My pals denied my request for a loan since they said they were short on funds. I'm grateful for the financial support I received at that crucial time.

Since the beginning of the drought three years ago, life in the village has become intolerably difficult. Being a subsistence farmer, my dependence on the farm for both food and a living was great. I am compelled to pay very expensive prices in the stores since I cannot get food from the farm. For the past three years, I've been earning a living by doing hard labor tasks like selling charcoal and working on other people's farms. I occasionally struggle to find employment and turn to my children who are employed in Mombasa for assistance. I was overjoyed to receive my transfer because the night before, I had gone to bed famished and had no food. I used all of it to get food. I spent KES 600 on six packets of maize flour and 1 kg of sugar. I spent KES 400 on two hens in addition to food.