In the coming year, my primary goal is to focus on building a safe and secure house for my child and me. I already have some of the materials and I plan to start the construction next month, in October. Living in this old, collapsing house fills me with fear every day, especially when I think of my one and only child. I can’t continue risking our safety. With each step in the construction, I will feel more at ease, knowing that soon we will have a strong roof over our heads.

I am a widow with one child who is still in lower primary school. As the breadwinner, I run a small vegetable vending business to provide for both of us. With the recent three transfers amounting to $102, I carefully planned how to use the money to secure a better future for my child and me. First, I saved $30 with the hope of building a new house since the one we currently live in is old and almost collapsing. Having a safer and stronger house is my priority, and saving this amount is the first step toward achieving that dream. For the house goal, I spent $34 on buying some building materials. Every small step counts in making this vision a reality. Additionally, I used $32 for farming, knowing that growing more vegetables would help sustain my business and provide us with food. Finally, with the remaining $6, I paid school fees for my child. Education is important to me, and I want to ensure that my child continues learning without interruptions. These transfers have been a great help in managing our needs and moving us toward a more secure future.

Completing my house and continuing to invest in livestock farming is my plan for the future, all with the goal of securing my son's education and future. Educating him is my top priority, as I am everything he depends on. Once our house is finished, providing a safe and warm home, I'll focus on expanding our livestock. My aim is to buy more goats, hoping they multiply, and eventually trade them for cows. I am hopeful that these cows will also multiply, allowing me to sell them to fund my son's education. The idea of my son completing his education and having a bright future means the world to me. I thank GiveDirectly for making this dream possible.

I have one son who is in junior school, and my priority is to provide a good life for him. I relocated back to my late husband's house, and since he was a polygamist with three wives, we all lived under one roof. However, the house is now leaking, and repairing it is going to be very costly. Right now, I am planning to build another small house for me and my son so that we can move and live separately in a warm place. With the transfers I received from GiveDirectly, I used $40 to buy building materials for our new house. Seeing this house completed will be a game-changer for me and my son, as we will finally have a place to call our own. With our food stock depleted, I then used $30 to buy food to sustain us as we enter the planting season where we will grow more food. Additionally, I allocated $34 for the preparation of my farm and planting so that we could have food in the coming seasons. Food security for my family is one of the most important things to me, as I would never want to see my child go to sleep hungry.

My aspirations are centered around building a more secure and stable future for myself and my family. I am determined to start keeping livestock, particularly goats, as a means to have a financial safety net in case of any unforeseen economic challenges. The prospect of selling goats not only provides a source of income but also a sustainable and flexible asset. Additionally, a significant part of my focus will be directed towards completing the construction of my house, a project that holds both personal and familial significance. I believe that by combining these efforts, I can create a more resilient and comfortable life, ensuring financial stability and a secure home for those I care about.

With the unconditional cash transfers I received, I decided to invest $20 in purchasing building poles to fulfill a long-held dream of constructing a new home. Over the months, I diligently continued buying more, and I am elated to say that I now have a total of 40 poles, sufficient to erect a new house. After facing family conflicts following the death of my spouse, I found myself living in less than ideal conditions and had to stay at my father's house. Now that we've resolved those issues, the time has come to build a new chapter in my life alongside my son. This assistance has been a blessing, and I am genuinely grateful, as I can't fathom how my life would have unfolded without it. With the remaining amount of $14.7, I made a conscious decision to secure the immediate needs of my son and myself. I rely on family activities and engage in small businesses, particularly selling vegetables and smoked fish, from which I earn an average of $1.5 per day. While the income is not always consistent, the monthly support from GiveDirectly has provided a stable foundation. I extend my heartfelt thanks to GiveDirectly for their unwavering assistance, enabling me to rebuild my life and create a better future for my family.

My son is currently four years old, and it has been a year since he was diagnosed with epilepsy. Throughout this time, I have faced numerous challenges, but my unwavering determination led me to seek specialized medical care for him. I diligently ensured that he received the proper medication and support required to stabilize his condition. I am overjoyed to share that his health has significantly improved, and he now experiences rare instances of collapsing. Looking towards the future, my focus is to enroll my son in school early next year. This decision stems from my deep-rooted belief in the power of education to shape a brighter future. By providing him with a proper education, I aim to equip him with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue his dreams and secure a prosperous life ahead. The invaluable transfers I have received have played a vital role in achieving this significant milestone with my son. They have provided me with the means to access the specialized medical care he needed and have alleviated the financial burden associated with his condition. I am overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude for the support I have received, as it has paved the way for my son's well-being and the realization of his educational aspirations.

I allocated a significant portion of my transfers towards preparing my farm for planting, which involved hiring laborers to weed the maize fields. The total expenditure for these activities amounted to $39. I am delighted to share that this investment has yielded a bountiful harvest, providing me with an abundance of food. Consequently, I no longer need to worry about purchasing expensive maize flour from the stores. During the period before the maize harvest, when our food reserves were depleted, I utilized $35 to purchase food. This ensured that both my son and I never went to bed on an empty stomach, alleviating the challenges we faced. Looking ahead to the future, I made the decision to acquire three hens for $9. This strategic investment will allow them to reproduce, and I can then sell the offspring to generate additional income. This financial buffer will be invaluable in addressing any unforeseen emergencies that may arise. Given my son's epileptic condition, I expended $10 on transportation expenses to take him to the hospital for medical check-ups. I am thrilled to report that his health has significantly improved, and he experiences fewer episodes. As a single parent responsible for a child with epilepsy, I am incredibly grateful for the financial support provided by Give Directly. This assistance has played a pivotal role in improving the quality of our lives, and I am sincerely appreciative of their aid.

Previously, I relied on my relatives for financial assistance to purchase essential items, including food, before receiving my monthly stipend. However, I have since started a small business selling vegetables and silver cyprinids, which has enabled me to become financially self-sufficient. As a result, I am pleased with my progress and intend to invest my upcoming stipend in farming to increase my food supply. Furthermore, I am interested in expanding into livestock farming and plan to grow my herd before entering the livestock industry and generating additional income. With multiple streams of revenue, I will achieve financial stability and be able to meet all of my needs.

After six years of enduring harsh climatic conditions that prevented us from growing crops on our farms, we were forced to purchase all of our food at exorbitant prices. My meager earnings from selling vegetables and silver cyprinids were insufficient to cover my basic needs, including food, clothing, and medication. Despite my best efforts, I often struggled to make ends meet. However, heavy rains began at the beginning of last month, signaling that we could return to farming and potentially reap a bountiful harvest in three months. Using $20 from my April transfer, I tilled the land, cleared bushes and branches, and planted maize seedlings on my 3-acre farm, with hopes of generating ample food and surplus income for my family through market sales. The remaining $14 was spent on food, as I had very little left in my home. I am deeply grateful for the monthly stipend, as it has been a lifeline for us during our six-year period of hunger. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the organization for their continued assistance, which has positively transformed and sustained our lives.

For the past two years, we have been experiencing low crop yields caused by the climate change phenomenon. However, I am optimistic that this year will be better and we may have sufficient rain. Therefore, as I continue to receive my transfers this year, my primary goal is to focus on food crop cultivation. I believe this will enable me to improve the food security for my family, which has been affected by the famine which is currently being experienced in our area. It will be simpler for me to engage in other development-based activities and venture into new businesses if there is enough food in the house. I also want to buy three more goats. When my children get enrolled in school, they will be a source of revenue for their fees.

I have a child who has suffered from a chronic condition since birth. He is barely two years old. Therefore, whenever I receive a transfer, I always set aside a portion for his expensive medication. His treatment consumed a significant portion of my transfer for the entire previous year. However, I am relieved that his health is now getting better. But the last month's transfer has enabled me to purchase four hens and a goat. As a result, I have started raising some livestock. I spent $26 on a young she-goat and $8 on four hens. I am glad my life has begun to change for the better, and I look forward to the day when the proceeds from my livestock will enable me to provide for my family's growing needs.

My husband died a few years ago. By the time of his death, we had one child who is currently in primary school. I have to admit that it has not been easy to provide both emotional and financial support single handed especially without a reliable source of income. I recently secured a job as a domestic worker in a nearby village. It is good the income from it has been of help but still, it cannot sustain all of our needs. I was unwell when I recently received my transfer and I did not have any money. Therefore, I spent KES 2000 on both the doctor's fee and medication. KES 2000 was spent on some pieces of iron sheets that will be used to construct a new bigger house and used KES 1000 to purchase food. I still have KES 1000 saved for later use. The transfers have been of great help and I thank the organization for the support.

I am overjoyed knowing that Give Directly is giving us unconditional transfers. The transfer is helpful in boosting my incoming. I can complete projects that had stalled due to lack of funds. However, I would like to urge the organization to enroll more people in the villages and help reduce the poverty index in our country.

I am a widow and the sole breadwinner of the family (1 child). 5 years since losing my husband, life has not been smooth sailing for the two of us. I currently work as a housemaid, earning KES 3500 monthly. The roof of my house is seriously leaking when it rains and as a result, my valuable property was destroyed. I have to stay awake all night when it rains to cover my clothes and other household items with polythene paper and watch over to avoid them being rained on. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I spent KES 2000 to buy 2 pieces of iron sheets. It has been a challenge for me to buy the iron sheets because I save little because of my little income. In addition, I bought food (6 packets of 2kg maize flour, kales, 1kg of Omena, and tea leaves) worth KES 1000. Skipping meals during the day is the new norm I use in my family so that together with my child we can survive the effects of hunger and high prices of food items.

My husband died when I was only three years old in marriage, leaving me with a two-year-old kid. Because I had no other means of earning money, I returned to my mother's home, where I have been running a charcoal-selling business. When the GiveDirectly program was first implemented in our area, I was concerned that it might be a scam. On the other hand, I could not believe it when the transfer was sent. When I got it, I was overjoyed. We had gone without food on that particular day. As a result, receiving that transfer meant that I would be able to purchase meals. I owe a sense of gratitude to GiveDirectly.

Being able to store food for my family has been the biggest difference in my life. I was first concerned about how I would get money to buy food because there was no ready market for the three bags of charcoal I had on hand. I am grateful that I have not yet experienced serious food-related difficulty in the few days after receiving my transfer. This has relieved me the pressure I initially had on how to care for my only daughter.

Following the unprecedented drought, we experienced last season, no one in my village was able to harvest anything. As a result, I had spent all of my meager earnings from the charcoal business on food. Unfortunately, when food prices began to rise, I had spent all of my savings. I considered spending my transfer on extra food as soon as I received it. Because food is a necessity, I considered spending some of the money on consumables that would last my family for a week.