My goal in the coming year is to complete the house. I need to buy more iron sheets, right now, I have ten that I was able to purchase with funds from the transfers. I will also need more building poles to finish the roof. To reach this goal, I plan to set aside part of each transfer, along with some of my husband’s support, to buy the materials we need. The financial assistance we receive is a huge help in making this long-term goal possible, and I am very thankful for it.

I am a casual laborer and the main provider for my small family, which includes my husband and me. My husband is elderly and in poor health, so he is unable to work. My job involves digging up tree stumps and making charcoal to sell. The work pays very little and has become harder due to a shortage of tree stumps, as there are very few trees in our area. The lack of a stable income has slowed down the process of building our new three-room house. Last year, our previous house collapsed during heavy rains, so we built a temporary shelter where we are currently staying until the new house is finished. Recently, I spent $40 on building poles to construct the roof, which is helping me make progress on our new home. I am hopeful that by the end of the year, we’ll be able to move in. I also used $62 to buy food, as the harsh weather has made farming impossible, and we have to buy everything we eat. I am incredibly grateful for the financial support that’s helping us move closer to having a permanent home.

Following the collapse of my previous house due to heavy rains in April this year, my family was left homeless. We quickly constructed a makeshift structure where we currently reside while working on building our new two-room house. My goal for the coming year is to complete the construction of this house. I plan to achieve this by saving from my subsequent transfers and purchasing the necessary building materials. I am grateful for the financial support received so far, which has enabled me to begin setting up a new home for my family.

I live with my husband and grandson, and I have taken on the responsibility of caring for my grandson since his parents passed away. My husband's illness adds to our challenges, and our main income comes from farming. Recent adverse weather conditions have made it difficult for me to provide for the family. Our situation worsened when our dilapidated house collapsed in April this year, forcing us to set up a makeshift structure where we now live. I used a significant portion of the transfers, totaling $92, to purchase new building poles and sisal ropes to start constructing a new two-room house. I also spent $10 on food to ensure we had enough to eat. I am deeply grateful for the financial support that is positively transforming our lives.

Repairing the condition of my house is my primary focus at the moment. It looks worn-out, with its walls crumbled away, leaving only the support poles standing with gaps in between. The roof has rusted and decayed over time, exposing the inside of the house to the elements such as rainwater. My husband and I each save $20 from the transfers to reinstate the state of the house using new poles and iron sheets. The transfers are our only hope of achieving this desire because, being old, we are unable to work to raise the necessary funds for the exercise.

Ever since I began receiving the cash transfers, I have been setting aside $20 every month with the aim of repairing my house, which is in a serious state of dilapidation. Over the years, the mud walls have been damaged by water, and the iron sheet roof has corroded over time. Every part of the house has disintegrated, developing huge holes. Animals easily crawl inside, and my husband and I endure cold nights while water seeps into the space whenever it rains. We plan to start repairing the house, ideally before the long rains begin, to avoid suffering as we did last year. The remaining $14 usually goes towards other household essentials like toiletries and foodstuffs such as sugar. I am immensely grateful because the cash transfers have reduced the dependence of both my husband and me on our son, who works as a casual laborer at a shoe factory in town. Now that we have harvested and GiveDirectly is sending us funds, he no longer bears the burden of taking care of our needs. Instead, he can channel his earnings fully towards the education of his children.

Looking ahead, my primary goal for the coming year and beyond is to ensure that my house is repaired and in good condition. Its current state fills me with fear, especially with the heavy downpours, as there is a risk of it collapsing soon. I intend to allocate funds to purchase additional poles and set aside money to pay a mason who will undertake the necessary repairs. I am deeply grateful for the financial assistance I have received, as it has allowed me to achieve what was previously beyond my reach.

My house is in a dilapidated state, with the building leaning on one side due to weakened poles. To address this issue, I allocated $10 to purchase new poles, which will be used to improve the condition of the house. As the rains have arrived, I allocated $20 to prepare my one-acre land for farming. Currently, I am planting maize and I am hopeful for a bountiful harvest in the upcoming months. Recently, my husband fell ill, and I spent $14 to clear the hospital bill. I am relieved to see that his condition is improving after receiving medical treatment. Additionally, I paid $44 in school fees for my two grandchildren. Given that my grandson lost his mother, it is now my responsibility to care for him. I am grateful that they were able to sit for their end-of-term exams without being sent home. The financial support I have received through transfers has been invaluable in enabling me to take care of my family and repair my house.

My ultimate goal is to have a new house to replace the damaged one we currently live in. The ongoing rains caused one side of our house to collapse, creating a large opening that allows cold air in at night. To address this issue, I envision building a two-room house with mud walls and an iron sheet roof, while utilizing the current structure as a cooking area. My husband and I have agreed to set aside a portion of our cash transfers to gradually acquire the necessary building materials. I am grateful that the previous cash transfers have already enabled me to purchase 30 building poles, which will serve as a starting point for our construction project.

Given our advancing age and inability to engage in strenuous activities, my husband and I heavily rely on our son for support. However, he also has his own family to take care of, so the assistance he can provide is limited, mostly in terms of food. Despite our financial constraints, I have always had a desire to build a new house. The continuous rainfall has caused significant damage to one side of my house, resulting in a large opening that allows cold air to enter during the night. This has been a source of discomfort and concern for me and my family. Although the monthly cash transfers we receive are not sufficient to cover the entire cost of constructing a new house at once, my husband and I decided to start by purchasing the necessary building materials gradually. From the recent cash transfer, I used $30 to buy building poles, taking a step toward our house construction project. The remaining $4 was allocated to purchasing more food to ensure that we would not go to bed hungry that day.

By the end of this year, I want to have purchased all the building supplies, such as iron sheets, building poles, cement, and stones, by consolidating all the money from my monthly transfers. I'll be able to start construction on a bigger, more durable house before the rainy season starts. Knowing that I will have a better place to sleep and that my belongings are safe in the house will make me feel much more at ease.

My husband and I are both very old, and we both rely entirely on my son's financial support to get by. The greatest challenge I've faced in finding and putting something on the table has been my health. My husband was in an accident and broke his leg; as a result, he can only do lighter jobs and cannot perform manual labor. When I got my February transfers, I spent $30 on three pieces of iron sheeting. My house is in a terrible state. Every time it rains, rainwater enters the house through the numerous holes in the rusted, brown iron sheets. My health has been significantly impacted by the large cracks that have appeared in the mud walls, which have allowed cold air to enter during the night. Due to the size of his own family, my son, who I rely on, is unable to assist me in building a decent home. He has five school-age children, so juggling his family's needs with mine and my husband's is a huge responsibility. Along with purchasing the iron sheets, I also used the remaining $4 to purchase some food that my husband and I shared. I am appreciative of the unconditional transfers, which go a long way toward assisting me in leading a better life.

For as long as I can remember I have really wanted to do renovations to my house, especially after the foundation withered away due to rainfall, bearing in mind it is a mud house. Apart from that, the iron sheets were also completely worn out and had a lot of holes on them no wonder I was considering the repairment. Therefore, when I withdrew the money I went to head to spend KES 2,000 by purchasing a pair of iron sheets. I then proceeded to spend the balance of KES 1,000 on nutrition by purchasing five packets of maize flour and also buying drinking water since it was scarce.

Give Directly does extremely well by giving us unconditional transfers rather than buying food or other items for us. Getting the money is better because we can plan according to our most pressing needs, lifting our life away from poverty.  

My husband, who is the sole breadwinner of the family, was involved in an accident and fractured his leg. For three months now, I have struggled to provide basic needs (food and clothing) for my family because I do not have a job. I have always wanted to start a poultry project which will serve as a source of income. Lack of funds has been a limiting factor when kick-starting the project. When I received my transfer, I spent KES 2000 buying 4 hens. With proper care and rearing practices, they will eventually multiply and sell some to earn a living. Besides buying the hens, I spent the remaining KES 1000 to buy food for my family after spending lacking money to buy food when my husband got into the accident.

I was sitting under the shade of a tree with my children cheering them up with some stories to ease the pain from the hunger. I cut my story short after my phone rang out loud. Upon checking in, I found out that I had received my first transfer. Wow! I could not believe it and I started clapping my hands in excitement. I was very thrilled, and I immediately sent my child to go withdrew the money.

With no job and with my husband bedridden after the accident, I was left confused about what to do to put food on the table for the family. I really struggled, and it forced us to sleep hungry from time to time. I am happy the situation has improved. We can now have two meals a day thanks to the funds. Buying the food is the biggest difference I have had since receiving the funds.    

My husband, who is the sole breadwinner of the family (husband, wife and three children) was involved in an accident and fractured his leg. For the past three weeks, he could not work and, as a result, I had to buy food on credit to feed my family. The condition worsened and together with my family, we spent three days without food surviving on water and raw wild fruits. When I received my first transfer, I spent KES 1000 in buying food for the family to ease the hunger situation that we were in. I spent KES 100 on buying detergents to wash dirty clothes and utensils that had accumulated for the past three weeks.