For a long time, my children and I have been sleeping on uncomfortable beds made of ropes, without proper bedding. I’ve always wanted to change our sleeping situation. Thanks to my previous transfers, I was able to buy a bed and mattress for myself. Now, my goal is to get another bed and mattress for my children so they can sleep comfortably too. To achieve this, I plan to save a portion of my future transfers to eventually buy them their bed and mattress. Additionally, I have been repairing my house, and I am just a small amount away from completing those repairs. I intend to use another portion of my future transfers to finish up the work. Once the house is complete and my children have their new beds, I will feel incredibly happy. I never thought I would be able to achieve these things, but thanks to the transfers, it is becoming a reality. After that, I plan to invest a portion of my transfers into goats, hoping they will multiply in number and value so that in future I will have something to rely on when this program comes to an end.

For a very long time, I have been sleeping on a very uncomfortable bed made of ropes, without any bedding to cushion my body and help me get a good night's sleep. This has been disturbing me and I vowed to make a change in my sleeping situation. To effect this change, I spent $34 of my recent transfers, combined with some savings I had, to buy myself a proper bed and mattress. I am so happy to finally be sleeping comfortably. In addition to that, I spent another $34 to buy a goat, hoping that it would multiply and provide me with something to rely on in the future. I also used $14 to buy food for my family since we had nothing in our store, and I spent $10 on my children’s school fees to ensure they wouldn’t be sent home for unpaid fees. Lastly, I saved the remaining $10 in our local savings group for emergencies. I am truly grateful for these transfers; they have made a significant difference in our lives.

For now, the plan that is in my mind is just one: to repair my house, as the mud walls were damaged by the rains, which made the walls have huge holes that let in cold air during the night. My aim is to repair this house so that I can stay in a good environment, and as a mother, it has been my wish to see my children sleep in a good environment. Using the transfers that I am yet to receive, I will start saving purposefully for this project. I believe that once my house is repaired, it will not only provide warmth and safety but also create a sense of stability for my family. Beyond this year, I hope to maintain the house well and make additional improvements as needed to ensure it remains a comfortable home for years to come.

When I received the cash transfers, my immediate concern was my almost-collapsing house. With $14, I bought two bags of cement, which, combined with what I had already purchased from a previous transfer, was enough to start the much-needed renovations. Knowing that my home would soon be secure brought me immense relief, lifting the constant fear and worry of it falling apart. My two children, both in primary school, had been sent home multiple times due to accumulated arrears. With $30, I cleared their fees, ensuring they could stay in class without disruptions and not miss any important exams. Seeing them happily attend school without the burden of unpaid fees was a blessing. Also, I saved $15 for the Merry Go Round initiative in my village, which had recently started. I joined with the goal of eventually buying a good bed once my savings accumulated. This initiative gave me hope for a better future and something to look forward to. Facing a severe drought in our region, I used a significant portion of the remaining $43 to buy food for my family. As a widow, providing for my kids has always been challenging, but the food supplies have sustained us for a while.

I plan to repair my house, as the mud walls were damaged from the rains that persisted towards the end of last year, leaving huge holes that let in cold air during the night. I aim to repair these walls and construct concrete skirting and pillars around them to reinforce their structure. Although I cannot estimate the cost of the repairs, I hope to save enough from the transfers to implement this project.

After I received the funds, I purchased two goats for $68, which increased my herd to seven goats. My goal is to continue rearing them, with the aim that in the future, even when the transfers end, I can sell the goats to raise funds for emergency needs like medical expenses and school fees for my two children. Since their father passed away last year, I am now solely responsible for meeting their needs. The burden of responsibility now falls solely on me, and without a reliable source of income, rearing livestock will be a crucial source of wealth for the future. Additionally, I used another $34 to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s. The timing of the funds was perfect as it was close to Christmas, allowing me to purchase food and new clothes for my two children. I am pleased that they were able to enjoy delicious meals and wear new clothes during the festivities.

My aspiration is to go into livestock farming, with a particular focus on goats. I plan to raise them with care and sell them at a profit once they reach maturity. This venture will serve as a contingency plan for unexpected emergencies, and I intend to utilize my savings to make this dream a reality. I'm delighted to note that my life has taken a turn for the better. I can now comfortably afford food and cover school fees, which was a challenge in the past. GiveDirectly has not only brought hope into my life but has also positively impacted my entire community.

I am a widow, solely responsible for raising my two grandchildren after their parents entrusted them to my care and relocated to town in search of employment. The passing of my husband earlier this year was a significant loss, as he used to provide support as well. It has not been easy to provide for my grandchildren as I rely on subsistence farming, only selling any surplus from my harvest. The assistance I have received has been a blessing, allowing me to afford both food and school fees, something that was previously out of reach. From the transfers, I have successfully saved $30, which I intend to use in case of emergencies. Additionally, I allocated $20 to clear a school fee debt that had accumulated, ensuring that their education was secured. Another $10 was used to purchase new uniforms, replacing the old ones. The remaining $42 was utilized to buy food for my family, as our last harvest fell short of our needs. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to GiveDirectly for the invaluable support they've provided me during this challenging period.

I attempted to rebuild my house with my own resources but failed because I could not afford to buy the necessary materials for the renovation. It had been in poor condition for many years, and I intended to rebuild it with cement and bricks to reinforce its walls and make it more stable. The recent rains worsened the situation because the walls collapsed due to their inability to withstand the heavy rains. Since I will be getting a transfer, my goal is to gather enough building materials to facilitate the renovation. I am planning to save at least $10 per month to purchase bags of cement and sand to renovate the house and make it more stable and decent. As a result, I will no longer be worried about rain.

I used my most recent transfers to buy two goats, pay school fees, and buy food for my family. I appreciate the assistance because it has allowed my two children to remain in school and continue their studies without being interrupted by fees. They would have been sent home more frequently if I had not received the money every month because raising the fees for them has not been easy. It would take a month to raise the fee for one, given that my only source of income, burning and selling charcoal, does not pay well. I usually sell the charcoal after every two weeks, getting just $10, which I spent entirely on food. It is a huge relief to see them in class because of the transfer. I also purchased enough food, including maize flour, to ensure that my family has three meals per day. We had enough food for several weeks. Finally, I purchased two goats for $63 and I am currently keeping them. I intend to keep them, and I know that even if the program ends, I will still have some assets to depend on. I expect their numbers to grow, and through them, I will be able to educate my children as they progress through their education.

Repairing my house and making sure it is fit for habitation is will be my biggest accomplishment this year. This will allay my worries about the house collapsing and hurting my family members physically. I also want to launch a vegetable and fish business. This will increase my revenue from selling charcoal, which will enable me to become more financially secure and easily meet my family's needs.

A few days before I got my February transfers, my husband, who was the only provider for the family, passed away. This was very sad, and it caused my entire family a great deal of harm. My three kids, who attend Kabatheni Primary School, now rely on me to cover their tuition fees. My income from charcoal sales is insufficient to support all of my needs, so I am unable to fully provide for the needs of my children. I spent $4.5 on two packets of maize flour and 1/4 kg of sugar. After consuming a substantial ugali meal, this made my kids' faces brighter once more. Additionally, I bought three bags of cement worth $19.5 from the amount that was left over. I worry that one day my house will fall apart because it is in such poor condition. Purchasing cement will assist in remodeling the home and enhancing its condition so that it is safe for habitation. Finally, I save $10 in a savings group. As the family's sole provider, I intend to launch a small business that will enable me to secure my financial future and provide for my family.

I was really excited when I realized their level of the transfers and this is because I was really anticipating for them. I have had the intentions to renovate my house because it is almost on the verge of collapsing. Therefore I've been using a portion of each transfer to help me finance the project. This time around I ended up spending KES 2,000 out of the transfers I had received and purchased bricks. Afterwards I decided to spend the balance of KES 1,000 to pay tuition for three of my children because it had actually been over a week since they had attended school.

Upon receiving the transfers from the organization I immediately decided to try and settle the debt in school fees thatcmy children especially since they had been out of school for a week because of it. So I ended up paying KES 1,000 for the three of then but unfortunately the debt was not done and as of now they are back home and have been asked not resume school until all debts are cleared. I also used KES 1,000 to purchase five packets of maize flour because my family were already going hungry since we had no food. In thd end u used the remaining KES 1,000 and put it away in my savings account because I planned to let the accumulate and later own renovate my mud house by building a better foundation because it looked like it was about to collapse.

Give Directly does well by giving me transfers to improve my livelihood. Nowadays, I get to eat regularly and pay school fees from the money Give Directly sends. There is nothing the organization does wrong. I am grateful for being a part of their success, and wish them well in their daily endeavors.

For the longest time, I intended to renovate my house by installing concrete walls around its core. The estimated cost for acquiring the required bags of cement is KES 12,000. Being a casual laborer, it is hard to afford this amount. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I contributed most of it, KES 2,000 towards a self help group, so that it can multiply and allow me restore the house in time. For the remaining cash, I spent KES 600 on school fees and KES 400 on medical expenses.

I received the money after my helper checked out for me. I do not know how to read and write. He helped me find out that I had received the money and I was so happy.

Life is good unlike it would have been if I never received the money. I live and differently and I am planning to save to build a house. The dream I Would have not lived if I never received the transfer.

The money came when I least expected. It brought happiness in my family and we're are a one big family now. The money helped me in paying Kes. 500 for my children school fees, and buying food with the remaining Kes. 700. I am a mother of three. Two boys and a girl. 10years, 8years and 5years respectfully. I am currently jobless and solely depend on my husband who is our breadwinner. He is a casual worker and a farmer and so am I. Drought is so great and it has been like this for some time now. We are not able to plant or even harvest. My children are in nursery, class one and two respectively. And I live in a polygamous family. Thank you so much for this help. It has brought hope in my family.