I understand that GiveDirectly won't be around forever; we’ve been informed that the program lasts for five years, so we need to make wise decisions about how we spend our funds. I live in a house with crumbling walls, and during the rainy season, the situation worsens because we live in a swampy area. I don’t want to keep making costly repairs, so I’ve started saving part of my transfer in our merry-go-round group to enable me to buy bricks and build a durable three-room house. This is my goal for the coming year and beyond. Having a good home provides peace of mind and pride. However, when the rains come, we are filled with worry because our house is in such poor condition; at times, I fear it might collapse due to the weak walls. Additionally, I’ve begun buying goats, which I plan to sell for building materials once they multiply. This way, by the time the house is completed, I can still benefit from my investment in the goats as they continue to reproduce.

I depend on small-scale farming to support my three children, and I want to thank GiveDirectly for the financial assistance that has eased our burden. With my most recent transfer, I spent $34 to save in our merry-go-round group, allowing us to borrow when we encounter financial challenges, such as paying school fees and other necessities. I also purchased two goats for $55, as I want to start investing for the future since these transfers will end soon. I want to avoid a situation where the transfers stop without having invested in something tangible and lasting that will remind me of GiveDirectly. Additionally, I bought food for family consumption worth $13 because I was out of flour and needed to purchase a few packets.

I know that Givedirectly will not be here till eternity, we have been informed that the program goes for 5 years and hence we should make good decisions with this in mind when spending our cash. I live in a house with walls falling apart and the weather extremes just make it problematic, I would love to repair my house and make it more habitable. My plan is to use the cash to buy animals which will in turn multiply and I can sell them to buy the necessary building materials. This will ensure that by the time the house is done I still can reap from my investment which is the animals as they will still be producing.

Givedirectly has been a relief for myself and my family. I do not have a source of income, my husband is the sole breadwinner and his job is a motorcycle rider. He sometimes gets income enough for the day but other days he does not and it may mean our children being out of school or the lack of food in the house. But since receiving the transfers, they complement the income he earns. I have been able to get the kids to school using this transfers, I have also been able to till our land for farming also from the transfers and bought food to last us as we await harvesting. I spent, $30 on tilling our land, $14 on buying maize, $24 on school fees, $30 on buying a goat and $4 on buying chicken. I am so greatful for Givedirectly in our lives.

First of all, my aim is to build a more stable house made of bricks to replace our current one, which I consider a "mad house." The need for a better house has been on my mind, and achieving this will bring me a sense of fulfillment and security. Additionally, I plan to invest in purchasing more livestock to expand my source of income. This increased revenue will enable me to better support my family and provide for their needs. With determination and the support of these GiveDirectly transfers, I am optimistic about the positive changes I can make for our future.

I used a portion of my monthly cash transfer from GiveDirectly to invest in livestock and poultry, spending $74. My plan is to resell them to generate income. This initiative was crucial for me, considering our financial struggles. I've been unemployed, and my husband's earnings of $3 from his small business barely cover our basic needs. With this investment, I'm hopeful for a brighter future, and it will remind me of GiveDirectly's support once the program concludes. I then used a portion of the transfer towards paying school fees for my five children, amounting to $14. It's been a constant worry for us, as two of them had to stay out of school for a month due to our inability to afford the fees. This struggle was tough before the assistance from GiveDirectly. Additionally, I spent $14 on essential food and household items, things I couldn't afford. The relief and joy I feel knowing that our basic needs are being met is indescribable. GiveDirectly has truly transformed our lives for the better, and my heart overflows with gratitude whenever I think about the impact it has had on our family.

I am currently facing housing problems. Our existing house is constructed with mud walls, which may not withstand the frequent rains in our region. I fear that the walls may become soaked and eventually collapse, leaving my family without shelter. In the year to come, my goal is to build a house with brick walls, as I believe bricks are more durable than mud. Given the limited financial resources in my household, I'm unsure whether our current income from the casual jobs I do to make charcoal and my husband's work as a motorbike taxi rider will be sufficient to achieve this goal. Nevertheless, I'm hopeful that I can save money from the remaining cash transfers to work towards building my dream house.

In the past month, we have experienced frequent rains in my village, and it motivated me to prepare my land for the upcoming planting season. At that time, I did not have enough funds to plow the two acres, so I used $34 from the cash transfers to cover the cost and ensure my land was ready for planting. This allowed me to plant maize, and I'm pleased that the crops are growing well. Additionally, I invested $24 to purchase a goat. I'm excited to have two goats now from the cash transfers, one of which is already pregnant. I believe that by raising goats, I can sell them in the future to support the education of my five children. This will be a significant relief to my husband, who works as a motorbike taxi rider to provide for our family. To further expand my livestock holdings, I also allocated $10 to buy a duck and $9 for two chickens. I directed $15 towards reducing the tuition debts of my five children, ensuring they can continue attending school without interruptions. The remaining $10 was used for purchasing food and covering the transportation costs for bringing maize from the farm to my home. Since the farm is located at a considerable distance from our home, we needed assistance with transporting the produce.

My goal is to establish a livestock-rearing project. By venturing into this endeavor, I aim to create a sustainable source of income that can provide support even if the project concludes. To achieve this, I have devised a financial strategy where I will save a minimum of $20 from my monthly transfers. With this consistent savings plan, I intend to kickstart the project within the next month and embark on a rewarding journey of livestock rearing.

I was in a financially desperate situation when GiveDirectly sent me the much-needed money. Paying for my children's school fees had become an overwhelming challenge, especially since my previous source of income, charcoal burning, was no longer viable due to the scarcity of trees. My husband's income as a motorcycle rider was insufficient to meet our needs. As a result, my five school-going children had been forced to stay at home until I could gather the funds. Furthermore, the recent rain after a prolonged drought presented an opportunity for farming, but I lacked the funds to pursue it. However, upon receiving the transfers, I felt a tremendous sense of relief. I allocated $14 among my children, allowing them to return to school, and used the remaining $20 for farming. I am immensely grateful to GiveDirectly for their invaluable support.

My main objective for this year is to start purchasing and rearing goats. I had yearned for this for years, but I could not realize that goal because I never had a reliable source of income. I am confident that it is a feasible project now that I have guaranteed monthly transfers. I love goats since they are valuable live assets and sources of milk and other food items. As a result, I will provide for my family's needs after GiveDirectly's transfer. Since my house is not in a good condition I also aim to repair the areas that are in worse shape.

I am jobless and a mother of five children. However, my husband does motorcycle taxis to support our family. Immediately after I received my recent transfer, I spent $10 on two hens to boost my poultry farming venture. Once I succeed in running a poultry farm, I will prioritize selling part of my fowls to begin raising livestock, goats, and cows. In addition, the success of that venture will be beneficial in helping me to raise some fees for my children. Furthermore, I spent $10 on paying school fees, because my children had some fees arrears equivalent to $10. I saved the rest hoping to top up and buy a goat next month.

Calling us to confirm the transfer is a good deed. It shows the organization cares and I am happy.

I am a stay- at home mother and I depend on my husband. He owns a motorbike which he carries people and goods at a fee. On a good day, he makes $5 which we use to buy food for that day. We are blessed with five children, all in school. My husband has been paying all the bills and I am thankful for him. Receiving this money has helped me buy food for $10 and bought a goat for $20. GOAL

Before receiving the money I was actually at home stressed out of my mind because I had no idea where I was going to get the money to feed my family and we had already gone a couple of days without having a meal which was especially tough for th kids which made me feel as a failure. That is why I was literally over the moon as soon as I realized the funds had been sent out and I can almost swear I must have let out a small scream due to all the excitement.

Venturing into poultry farming has to be one of the greatest and most important project that I have started especially because I have hopes that eventually When I grow it and expand, it will help me incredibly to sort out my financial tribulations.

Upon receiving the recent transfers from the Organization, my biggest priority was to make sure my family and I had a meal especially because it had been a recurring challenge and also for the fact that it had actually been a couple of days since we had a meal. Therefore I used KES 1,000 to buy five packets of maize flour and then the remaining KES 200 I decided to buy three chicks with it since I want to begin venturing into poultry farming.