Looking ahead, I have several goals for the coming year and beyond. My top priority is to start and complete the construction of our two-room house, which will provide more space for me, my husband, and our four children. Our current one-room home is too small for all of us. I also plan to continue saving more money in the savings group to eventually purchase more livestock and restart my vegetable business once the rainy season returns. I am deeply appreciative of the financial support, which is helping me work toward these goals despite the financial challenges we face.

Both my husband and I work as casual laborers. I earn a living by selling charcoal and firewood, and when the weather permits, I also engage in farming. My husband works as a farm laborer. However, our combined income is quite low, making it difficult to meet all of our family's needs—especially during times like this when the lack of rain means I can't farm. The financial assistance from the transfers has been a huge boost for my family. Recently, I spent $40 to clear school fees arrears for my children, allowing them to sit for their end-of-term exams. I also saved $20 in a savings group, which I plan to use to complete the construction of our two-room house. I used $10 to buy building poles to get closer to starting the house construction. Additionally, I purchased a goat for $15, which I see as a crucial investment for the future. In times of need, I can sell it to raise funds. Lastly, I spent $17 on food, ensuring that we had plenty to eat and never went hungry. I’m incredibly grateful for the financial support, which has allowed me to keep my children in school and provide for their education.

I am so grateful for the support I’ve received from GiveDirectly. With four kids; three boys and one girl; our one-room house feels incredibly small, and there’s no privacy at all. For the coming year and beyond, my biggest dream is to build a new house. I’ve been carefully saving the money from the transfers, and I’m excited to say that I now have 20 pieces of iron sheets and building poles ready for construction. This new house will not only give us the space we desperately need but also provide a sense of dignity and comfort for my family. I can’t wait to see my children grow up in a home where they have their own space and feel safe.

I am a mother of six, and I rely on casual labor to provide for my family, while my husband works as a gardener. Out of the last three transfers amounting to $102, I prioritized my children's education by paying $44 in school fees. Ensuring they continue their studies is important to me because education is the key to a better future for them. I believe that investing in their education will open doors to opportunities and help break the cycle of poverty. Thereafter, I decided to invest $28 in buying a goat, marking the beginning of my journey into goat farming. This investment is a step towards creating a sustainable source of income for our family. Goats are valuable assets as they can provide offspring, which we can sell for additional income. Finally, I saved $30 to secure our future against unforeseen circumstances. This small savings fund gives me peace of mind, knowing we have a safety net to fall back on during tough times.

During the dry season, there is a scarcity of fresh vegetables, which increases my desire to provide the local community with a consistent supply of relish. This would save them the inconvenience of traveling long distances just to obtain relish. I aim to achieve this dream by establishing a kiosk where I will sell dried fish and omena, making them readily available for consumption. Simultaneously, I aim to increase my sources of income to continually support my children.

As a small-scale farmer and vegetable vendor, my income barely covered our basic needs. However, with the quarterly transfers from GiveDirectly, I saw an opportunity to secure a better future for my family. I put $30 into a merry-go-round savings scheme, ensuring a safety net for emergencies. Then, I used $24 to pay my children's school fees, bringing immense relief knowing they could return to school without worries. With $20, I invested in a goat, seeing it as a stepping stone for future prosperity. Through careful breeding and exchange of 3 goats that initially bought through the transfers, I now own a cow, a testament to the success of my initial investment. Determined to improve our living conditions, I've accumulated nine iron sheets, inching closer to my dream of a two-roomed house. With plans to expand my livestock holdings to five cows and ten goats, I'm grateful for the stability and opportunities that GiveDirectly has provided.

My goal is to launch a livestock business, concentrating specifically on goats. I plan to buy and sell goats, intending to use the generated proceeds for future investments. This venture is crucial for ensuring a sustainable source of income to meet all the basic needs of my family. I will utilize funds from upcoming transfers and combine them with my current savings to realize this undertaking. Being a participant in this project has undeniably brought about a transformative change in my life, and I am genuinely delighted to contribute to and be a part of this positive transformation.

As a casual laborer, my livelihood relies on tasks such as extracting tree stumps and working on people's farms to provide for my family of six. This project has been a lifeline, enabling me to overcome financial challenges and secure an education for my children, a pursuit previously hindered by financial constraints. Presently, I am actively involved in expanding and refurbishing my house, recognizing the need for a more spacious and improved living environment. Expressing deep gratitude for the positive transformation in my circumstances, I diligently saved $30 through our village community savings club. The remaining $72 was purposefully allocated, covering the essential school fees for my primary school-aged children and securing new uniforms to replace the worn-out ones. The opportunity to transform my circumstances fills me with joy, and my family extends heartfelt gratitude and a deep sense of indebtedness for the support we have received.

I would be glad to support the education of my four children as it is a powerful tool that can transform their lives and secure a brighter future for them. To accomplish this, I want to continue growing my herd of goats to build enough wealth for school fees. Currently, I have ten goats, and I am eager to continue expanding this herd. My ultimate plan is to exchange some of these goats for a cow, which would further add to my financial security. The cash transfers have been instrumental in opening up opportunities for me, and I am determined to make the most of them to secure a better future for my family.

My primary goal is to construct a more spacious house for my family. Right now, we are living in a cramped one-room house, and it's becoming increasingly challenging to accommodate my four children and myself in such a limited space. My dream is to build a two-room house that can provide us with the comfort and privacy we need. To achieve this, I usually save $10 from each transfer. Am glad that these efforts recently allowed me to obtain nine iron sheets for the new house. After saving, I also used the remaining to pay for my children's school fees and purchase new books, ensuring they can continue their education without any hardships. My spouse is the main breadwinner, but he works far away and rarely sends money home. As a result, I am the one mostly responsible for providing for our children and covering their educational expenses. To support the family, I rely on casual jobs like burning charcoal and working on people's farms. Despite all this, I am happy to see my children progressing well in their studies, thanks to Give Directly.

By the end of the year, I wish to have started a sardine-selling business in my village. Given the drought in my region, it has been challenging to grow local vegetables, which has made sardines one of the majorly consumed accompaniments to ‘ugali’. Due to the high demand, I am confident this business will progress well, equipping me with profits that will help cover some household expenses. 

I always fear that my children may miss school because of unpaid debts as this may have a negative implication on their academic performance. The little my husband and I make from our casual jobs could never keep them in school throughout the term. That is why I spent $12 from each of the recent three cash transfers to settle their tuition debt, and they have been studying uninterrupted to date. Also, I saved $10 through a self-help-group, to aid with the construction of a new house that my husband and I have been talking about. It is becoming impossible to enjoy privacy in our one-room structure, where we share space with our four children, some of whom are big boys. As the household constantly runs out of maize flour, I spent the remaining $12 on food to ensure my family had enough meals. 

Now that my four children are teenagers, it is very challenging to share a room with them. For the past twelve years, the six members of my family have resided in the small, one-room house. I purchased used iron roofing sheets to cover the house, but they are severely corroded and have large holes that allow rainwater to enter the structure. This year, I intend to use the funds to purchase new iron sheets, building poles, and cement bags. This will make it possible for me to construct a large two-room home where my children will have their own room separate from my husband's and my own, preserving our privacy.

We are a family of six, consisting of my spouse, my four children, and myself. Our primary source of income is the sale of charcoal, but because almost everyone in the village participates, the trees have been depleted, so people must dig logs to obtain wood for the charcoal. This is exhausting, and most women lack the energy to do it, so my husband is the only one left to earn a living. He earns $8 a week, most of which goes toward food because of the high price associated with the prolonged drought that has caused scarcity. I am fortunate to be a recipient of the program, and ever since we began receiving the transfers, I have been making a $10 monthly payment to the school for the tuition of our kids. Our kids don't have any back payments to the school because of Give Directly. In addition to the meager income my husband receives from his business, $10 has been providing us meals on a monthly basis, and I have been saving $10 in an informal savings group. For the six of us, our one-room mud hut is insufficient. Sharing a sleeping room with our first child, who is 12 years old, is difficult since it invades our privacy. I consequently intend to build a two-room dwelling. As a result, I intend to build a two-room mud hut, and I think the earnings I will receive from my savings will help cover the cost of construction.

To meet my family's basic needs, I rely on charcoal burning. I only make KES 2,000 per month from selling five sacks of charcoal, which is barely enough to cover food expenses for the month. It is also inadequate to meet my children's school fees. As a result, they are frequently sent away from school to collect outstanding balances. So, I used KES 800 to pay examination fees for two third-grade children. I spent KES 1,500 to settle their tuition fee balances. I am relieved because their studies have never been disrupted since. After a hawk preyed on seven chicks, leaving me with only three chickens, I spent KES 400 on two hens to add to the flock. Because my family had run out of food that morning, I used the remaining funds to purchase maize flour. This would last the family a few days while I worked to raise money to replenish it.

So far, I have not seen anything give directly has badly. All I can say, however, is that the organization has been of great help to my family and I. I now worry less when it comes to school fee payment which I was unable to meet from my KES 4000 earnings I get from charcoal manufacturing. I have also started livestock farming using the transfers. I will use the profits I will be getting after selling the goats to construct a 3-roomed house for us too.

I had a plan to construct a house where I would live with my family (my husband and four children). Since this was not possible due to limited funds, instead, I opted to start practicing livestock farming. So, I bought a goat using the transfer. From the profits I will be getting, I will save up to get the amount I need to proceed with my project. The one I live in has only 1 room. I feel it is congested and there is no privacy. I want to improve it to two rooms and a veranda. We were unable to do this before as our salaries combined still were not enough to put up a structure.

I was in the field tending to my goats, at around 9 am, when I received a message on my phone. After checking its contents I confirmed that GiveDirectly had sent me a transfer. I was very delighted by the news because through the money, my children would peacefully continue with their studies and our family would never lack food.

My family heavily relies on my husband's income for provision of our daily needs. On days when his earnings are low, we are forced to forgo some necessities like school fees, and only prioritize on food. The ability to fund for my children's studies is the greatest difference I have realized in my life following the transfers. The cash helped them register and sit for their examinations; a situation that could have been reverse had we failed to receive the transfer.

I spent most of my recent transfer on buying food and funding the education of my children. After successfully collecting the cash, I gave out KES 600 as examination fees for 3 of my offspring at their school. On food provision, I secured 4 packets of maize flour at KES 520 and 1 packet of table salt at KES 20. Also, I purchased 2 one-day old chics for rearing for KES 200. I utilized the balance to obtain bar soap for cleaning purposes and remained with small change of KES 50.