I have plans to expand my one-room house in the coming year and beyond to create more space for my two children. Currently, I sell coconuts, but the income is not enough to support my family's needs and allow for house expansion. Therefore, I aim to continue saving through our merry-go-round group before these transfers end, so that I can achieve my dream. I am optimistic that with these transfers, I will be able to provide a comfortable living space for my family by expanding our house. I am grateful for the financial support from GiveDirectly, as it has elevated my life to a new level. I am currently purchasing iron sheets and plan to buy other materials like poles to begin the expansion process using my savings.

I have five children who are currently attending school. I used $45 from my recent transfer to settle my children's school fees, ensuring they wouldn't be sent home due to outstanding balances. Before receiving support from GiveDirectly, it was challenging to provide for my five children. I used to juggle casual jobs and small-scale farming, but the income was not enough to meet the needs of my growing family. I am thankful for the financial assistance, as it has alleviated my financial burden. With the remaining $57, I purchased food for family consumption.

In the coming year and beyond, I plan to expand my one-room house to create more space for my two children. Currently, I sell coconuts, and the small income I earn is used to support my family's needs. This income has been too little to allow for house expansion. Therefore, before these transfers end, I aim to continue saving through our merry-go-round group to achieve my dream. I am very optimistic that with these transfers, I will be able to expand my house and provide a comfortable living space for my family.

It is unfortunate that after working hard to invest in farming, all our crops have been affected by the scorching sun. Most of them have dried up, leaving us without food to support our families. When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $42 to buy food for my family. I thank GiveDirectly for the support because it came when we had no food. Additionally, I live in a small one-room house, and to change this situation, I joined a merry-go-round group. Joining this group has been beneficial because it enables one to save and achieve their desired goals. Therefore, I allocated $60 towards the project of building my dream house.

Upon receiving my next transfers, my intention is to acquire iron sheets. This step is crucial as I aim to enlarge my current one-room dwelling to accommodate the remaining three members of my family comfortably. Following the procurement of iron sheets, my next move will be to acquire building poles, marking the beginning of the construction process for the additional room. The financial assistance I've received has significantly improved my living situation, and I couldn't be happier with the positive changes it has brought about in my life.

As a single parent supporting a family of four, consisting of my two children and my mother, I sustain us by selling palm wine in our village. My primary responsibility as the sole breadwinner is to cover my children's school fees. Upon receiving my earnings, I allocated $58 towards tuition fees for my children enrolled at Mnazimumwenga Primary School. Additionally, I dedicated $7 to purchasing essential stationery items, ensuring their education is unimpeded. During the December break, I allocated $20 for new clothing, ensuring my children's neat appearance. The remaining $17 was spent on groceries to sustain our family. I am deeply grateful for the financial assistance that enables my children to remain in school, significantly reducing instances of them being sent home. This stability brings me immense joy and relief.

By the time the transfers come to an end, my goal is to have extended one more room to my house. Currently, all four of us (my mother, my two children, and myself) share a one-room structure, and the space is too tight. Previously, it was challenging to build another room, as the little funds I made from selling palm wine were just enough for necessities like food or school fees. I am grateful that the cash transfers have enabled me to contribute to a merry-go-round where I aim to save $20 every month. I hope that when it's my turn to receive the money, I can use it to extend the room. Additionally, I want to expand my livestock herd of two goats, as I can sell them in the future to cover school fees for my children, even when my business is not doing well or after the cash transfers end.

As the sole provider for my family, which includes my two children and my mother, I make ends meet by selling palm wine in the village. However, sales have been drastically declining, especially during this heavy rainy season, as fewer people move out of their houses to buy palm wine. During these times, I am grateful that the cash transfers have assisted in meeting some of my family's basic needs. I used $30 to pay school fees for my children, who were frequently sent out of school before due to outstanding balances. I'm relieved that this issue was resolved, and they stayed in school until they took their end-of-year examinations. I also contributed $40 through a merry-go-round club that I joined earlier this year. When it's my turn to receive the lump sum, I plan to use the money to add another room to my house because the current one-room structure feels too cramped for the four of us. Additionally, I invested $10 in buying two hens for rearing, and the remaining $18 went towards purchasing household items like sugar and toiletries.

Due to the existing economic conditions and the drought, the cost of living has significantly increased, leading to a substantial portion of our income being allocated towards food expenses. However, with the onset of rainfall, we have embarked on farming and cultivated crops like maize and green gram. Once we harvest these crops, our food expenditures will be reduced, allowing us to prioritize improving our living situation by constructing an additional room. Currently, my mother and I live in a cramped one-room house, and the new extension will serve as a bedroom for my children.

I am operating a local palm wine enterprise, and there has been a decline in business over the past few months. When I received the funds for June, I allocated $10 towards revitalizing the business as it serves as our primary source of income. Additionally, I utilized $10 to cover the school fees of my second and fourth-grade children, and I also sent some pocket money to my eldest son who is currently attending college. The remaining portion of the transfer was spent on purchasing food for my family of three, which includes my mother. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to acquire a goat for rearing two months ago after saving some funds through a merry-go-round arrangement with a few friends from the village.

I have always desired to own livestock but lack of funds has always hindered my ability to obtain them. My palm-wine-selling business has been greatly affected by the drought and tough economy. After spending on their basic needs, most people are left with nothing to afford the luxury of palm wine. This is why I can hardly afford anything beyond food or school fees from the little profits. Gladly, with the cash transfers, I hope to be able to buy goats and cattle for rearing, which I can sell to support the needs of my four children. 

I recently joined a merry-go-round club in my compound, contributing $10 from the cash transfers. Fortunately, it was my turn to receive the $60 from the group, which I used to buy a goat for rearing. From the remaining transfer amount, I used $10 to pay school fees for my two children who had constantly missed on learning due to overdue balances. Am relieved that they have never missed school since then. Also, I spent $14 on food as the household had run out of food the previous three days.  Though my family had not missed any meals, it was crucial that I secured food in stock, which bought me time to raise more money through my palm-wine-selling business. From January’s transfer, I handed my son $30, who was going back to college, to help with his return transport and tuition fees. In December, I used $10 to buy my children new clothes for Christmas day and spent the remaining on food. Am happy that providing for my family is less strenuous with the help of transfers than it was before. 

Give directly did well to provide the funds in my village because most of us with the drought and famine, it has been a challenge to have enough food for our families. The funds have enabled us to buy water and buy food since the drought has destroyed our crops and livestock.

I recently separated from my husband and moved back home with my three children. I live with my mother, who is old and unemployed, leaving me to be the breadwinner of the family. My source of income has been the business of selling coconut, which has crumpled over the past month because of drought and famine. Currently, with minimum earnings of $10 a week, it is a challenge to feed my family and ensure my children are at school. However, the support program has assisted me. I spent my recent transfer of $15 on paying school fees for all my children and buying food for the family with the remaining $15, which lasted for (14) fourteen days. I am grateful because, with my earnings, it would have been difficult to meet all my financial obligations for the month.

I was at my brother's house at around 4.00 p.m. watching television when I received a message alert on my phone. I had not had any meal since morning and was, therefore, feeling exhausted. When I checked the message and found money in my M-PESA account, I felt so happy because I knew I would buy some food.

The biggest difference in my life is the revived business. The business stalled following the high cost of living but I am now glad and grateful to God it has since been brought back to life through GiveDirectly’s transfers. I can now generate a profit of KES 500 per day that I use to buy food and pay school fees for my kids. My life has since changed because I can now cater to our basic needs and pay school fees with less struggle.

I am a small-scale business owner. I still stay with my mother with my five school-going kids. I am the breadwinner in the family. When I received the transfer, we had no food in the house and hence decided to buy food worth KES 1000 using the money I received from GiveDirectly. I also paid school fees with KES 500 to enable my kids to learn smoothly. Next, I used the remaining KES 1500 to boost my business for profit maximization. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the financial support.