My goal for the coming year is to complete the construction of my shop, which consists of three rooms. One room will be for my business, while the other two will be rented out to generate additional income. To achieve this, I am setting aside $20 from my monthly transfers, which I save in our local savings club. Once I have saved enough, I will buy the necessary materials, like sand and cement, to finish the construction. I’ve already installed doors in two of the rooms, with some support from my spouse. This project will not only improve my business but also provide extra income from the rental spaces. I am proud of the progress I’ve made so far and extremely grateful for the support that has made this possible.

I want to thank GiveDirectly because, without their support, I wouldn’t have been able to join a merry-go-round savings group and contribute consistently. Through this initiative, I’ve managed to build a three-room business premise, with some additional help from my spouse. Currently, I’m working on the final touches, preparing to rent out the spaces. From my most recent transfer, I saved $60, as I always do. This way, when it’s my turn to receive my savings, I can use the money to complete the construction. I also spent $42 on food, as we were completely out of food at the time. This really helped us get through a few days while we worked on finding more resources.

My goal for the coming year is to finish building my shop, which consists of three rooms. One room will be used for my business, while the other two will be rented out to generate additional income. To complete this project, I am setting aside $20 from my monthly transfers, which I save in our local savings club. Once I have accumulated enough money, I will purchase the necessary materials, such as sand and cement, to finish the construction. This investment will enhance my business and provide extra income through the rental spaces. I am pleased with the progress I have made this far and am deeply grateful for the support I have received.

I am a hairdresser and also sell food to support my family, while my husband works as a lecturer at a polytechnic in Kaloleni. For the past three years, I have been managing these jobs to provide for our family of four. Receiving these transfers has greatly improved my situation, helping me overcome many challenges I faced before. GiveDirectly has been instrumental in establishing my business by helping me build a structure where I can operate from. Although the building is not yet complete, I now have a decent space for my work. I have also invested in poultry and livestock. From the transfers I received, I saved $60 in our local savings group to buy building materials to finish my shop and used $42 to buy food for my family, as we were running low. These transfers have been a lifesaver, significantly improving my life and bringing me great happiness.

When I began receiving the cash transfers, I was operating my fast food business from a temporary shed. The support I received motivated me to construct a more stable structure to accommodate more customers. I started building a three-room structure where one room would be for my business, and the other two rooms would be rented out. Currently, the construction is almost complete, with only a few areas to be worked on like the doors r. To finish the project, I plan to allocate at least $20 from my transfers, as I have been doing consistently. This investment will not only enhance my business but also provide an additional source of income through rental spaces.

Achieving a tangible asset without saving can be challenging, which is why I allocated $60 to our merry-go-round group for savings towards acquiring a goat for rearing. I am optimistic about starting a goat-rearing project because it will serve as financial security for my family in the future. With the remaining amount of $42 from my transfer, I used it to buy food for my family's consumption, ensuring we have enough to meet our daily needs. Investing in livestock like goats not only provides a stable financial foundation but also offers a source of sustainable income through breeding and selling. I believe that this project will yield significant benefits for my family's financial security and overall well-being. By carefully managing my resources, I aim to create a sustainable path towards achieving our long-term goals and securing a better future for my loved ones.

I am a hairdresser, I haven't significant earnings from my work seeing that people here are not as financially endowed, families have to decide what the priorities are and most time people would not budget for hairdressing services as opposed to things that are vital as food products. I want to tap into this market space and ensure I am earning some more money aside from my hairdressing clients. I am planning to take a room in the building I am building and put up a retail shop and rent out the other two shops each at $15 so that I am assured of a monthly income even if I do nit get clients at my business

I had a project going since I started receiving the cash transfers. I had a piece of land, family owned, in the local shopping centre. My husband and I had a dream of putting up shops in this space. I was lucky to be enrolled into the Givedirectly project and in the period of time I received transfers I got sand, and stones for building. I needed cement to start on this project. My October transfers was added with some savings from my hairdressing wok to buy 8 bags of cement at $7. I paid a mason with my November transfers to start the project off. December was the festivities I got my two children clothes at $15 each and got myself shoes at $4.

In the upcoming year and beyond, my primary goal is to finalize the construction of my business premises. This accomplishment will enable me to not only resume my eatery business but also establish a salon within the same structure. The building, which consists of three rooms, presents an opportunity for me to generate additional income by renting out the remaining two rooms on a monthly basis. The transformation that the financial assistance has brought into my life fills me with immense happiness. It has rescued me from the clutches of poverty and has paved the way for me to achieve financial independence. With these endeavors, I will be able to provide for my family's needs and secure a brighter future for us all.

I have recently made a payment of $13 to cover the school fees for my daughter, who is in Preparatory 1 at Ikanga Primary School. This payment ensures that she will not be sent home during the term, allowing her to have uninterrupted learning, which is crucial for her academic performance at the end of each term. In addition to my daughter's fees, two months ago, I welcomed a beautiful baby boy into our family. To ensure his well-being, I allocated the remaining $21 to purchase essential items such as food, medicine, baby clothes, and other necessary supplies. This financial assistance has been particularly valuable to me, as I had previously left my job at an eatery several months before giving birth. It has provided a significant boost in ensuring that I have all the essential items required as a mother. I am grateful for the assistance and the positive impact it has had on my life.

My biggest achievement for the year will be finishing the construction of my business premise, where I can sell my products. The location of the structure, next to the road, means that I can attract more customers and earn a significant profit margin. Currently, I sell vegetables from my home, but since I have only a few customers, I don't earn much. I am eagerly anticipating the completion of my business structure, which will promote my business and help me to expand my customer base.

The arrival of the rainy season is excellent news for me after experiencing food shortages for most of last year. This presents an opportunity for me to cultivate food crops on my farm in hopes of a bountiful harvest that will provide enough food for my family. As soon as I received my April transfers, I spent $10 to hire someone to prepare ½ an acre of my land for planting. Now that my land is ready, I am excited to begin planting and praying for the rain to continue, ensuring a successful harvest. In addition to preparing my farm, I spent $15 to pay for medical expenses. I had fallen ill with a severe cold and fever that left me bedridden, but thankfully the transfer helped me to recover, and I am now feeling much better. Lastly, I used the remaining $9 to purchase food that lasted my family for a whole week. Since I couldn't work the entire week due to my illness, the money was helpful in preventing my family from going hungry.

When I started receiving the cash transfers, I was running my fast food business under a temporary shed. Immediately, I was motivated to build a more stable space for my business and accommodate more customers. So, I began constructing a three room structure, where I would use one of the space for my business and rent out the other two. As we speak, what’s left is installing a concrete pillar around the building and putting up doors to finish the project. My plan is to direct at least $20, as I have been doing, towards the completion of the exercise.

I owned a small restaurant and food stand at the beginning of last year, close to my house and by the road. I set up my business after saving my transfers for the previous three months. I had to shut down the business five months later because it was difficult to get clean cooking water. We've had to travel great distances for such a precious resource because the drought has devastated our area. I saved the subsequent transfers after closing the business, then I constructed a shop. I spent a significant amount of money on rent during the time I worked as a cook. I'll save money by building my own store because I want to open a boutique and a tailoring shop in the same location. My life will improve once the business is up and running. I'll be able to assist my family with household costs, such as covering my siblings' tuition. Now that I have finished building the shop, I have confidence that the business will be operating soon. I am appreciative of the financial assistance I am receiving, which will help me achieve financial stability.

We have a raw piece of land in the nearby market center and I want to develop it. We fully rely on my husband, but I am not comfortable with the idea, and so I would want to have something that keeps me busy. Shops for rental are ideal in the area, and so I used the last three months’ transfers to purchase timber that I am planning to use to construct four shops for rental. I am hoping to clear the project by the end of this year.

The needy communities have been supported in every way boosting their prospects of facing life boldly and with much optimism.

Running my small local mini mart selling vegetables is what I do to generate some income so as to support my husband who is a polytechnic lecturer and together, we have been blessed with one child. The KES 3000 received played a major role in completing some projects at home and we are so grateful. Our toilet's door was not in good condition and needed replacing, which I was able to get a new one at KES 2500. Food in the house was at the minimal level and the remaining KES 500 was used to purchase some more to last us for two weeks.

Although I was anticipating to receive my transfer from GiveDirectly, the waiting period seemed longer that I expected. Therefore, when I finally received my transfer, I felt my heart leaping with joy because I had been praying for that fulfillment. To me, that was one of the most rare moments in life since throughout my life, I had never received such kind of financial support. Because the transfer was sent while I was alone at home, driven with excitement, I did not hesitate but rather informed my husband about the same through a phone call.

Having a fully constructed pit latrine in my home is a clear indication of an improvement in my life. This has saved my image from being a laughing stalk in the village, a situation that in my own strength and ability I would have not overcome. I am therefore very grateful to GiveDirectly because through its transfer, the process of completing my pit latrine was sped up. As a result, I am currently confident that when environmental officers do inspection, I shall be in full compliance with environmental regulations.

For a number of years, I have not been having any pit latrine in my compound. As a result, I had resolved to use bushes whenever I had to relieve myself, a situation that always made me feel ashamed among my community members. They had been regarding me to be too poor even to construct a pit latrine. When I received my recent transfer, I prioritized to use KES 2,500 to complete making the floor of a pit latrine that I began constructing towards the end of February 2022. This happened following the environmental officers directive that every homestead to erect such structure. I am glad that as a result of the transfer, I have a better pit latrine and my dignity is restored in among my village members.