My husband moved to the city to try and make ends meet. Since I have no source of income I depend on my husband for financing. I sometimes involve myself in farming when the weather allows for it but this has not been a common occurrence in our area. So we had a good season last year over the months of may for planting but the rains in December cause more harm than good. Our house was knocked down on one side by the rains. We need finances to repair that and I plan to save my transfers to help repair the house and make it livable as now its a struggle staying in it.

I have about 20 chicken, I have bought them over the period of time I have been a beneficiary of the program. I buy them chicken feed and sometimes buy them medicine or vaccination using the transfer. I spent $15 in November buying chicken feed, $8 in January buying some more chicken feed and medicine for deworming them worth $2. I also have had members of my family sick over the last three months, my child in November and myslef in January. I was admitted and hence ended up using $20 for hospital bills, in November I spent $10 for my child's treatment. A portion of my land needed tilling in November I spent $9. During the festivities I spent $25 on clothes for my children and $9 for buying wheat flour.

My goal for the upcoming year and beyond is to construct a new home. Our current living situation is far from ideal, residing in a run-down house that poses safety concerns for our family. My husband and I are committed to diligently saving our earnings to make this dream a reality. The prospect of witnessing my family attain this objective fills me with immense joy and anticipation.

As a housewife, my ability to contribute financially to our family was limited in the past, as my husband, a hotelier, shouldered the financial responsibilities. However, since Give Directly enrolled us into this program, I have found a way to make a meaningful financial contribution. I've taken up chicken farming to supplement our income, investing $25 in quality chicken feed. Additionally, I used $26 to settle an accrued school fee debt, ensuring that our children can continue their education. Unfortunately, I developed a leg problem that required immediate attention, leading me to spend $34 on X-rays and medication. The good news is that I'm on the road to recovery, and I couldn't be happier about the positive changes I've been able to bring to our family's financial situation.

The house we're currently living in is mud walled. With time, the walls fall off and as it is now, the house is weak and is on the verge of collapsing. My plan is to build a permanent house for my family of five. To be able to do this, I need to have a large sum of money but I am glad that GiveDirectly transfer will come in handy. This is because we will pool our transfer with my spouse and top up with some savings that I have. Having a permanent house will mean that we live in a more comfortable house with less fears of the house breaking down especially at night. Maintaining it is also less costly and it’s easier to always maintain it clean.

Around 10 months ago, I started chicken farming and I have been expanding it slowly. So far I have close to 30 chickens and I intend to have an additional 10. I am keeping the improved Kienyeji chicken since I can sell both the chicken and eggs whenever a need arises. From my May transfer, I spent $16 from it to buy chicken feed for my flock. My plan is that once these chickens are mature, I will sell them for an income which will go a long way in achieving the goals that I have one being building a new house.I spent the rest of the transfer to pay school fees for my two primary school children and to buy food for $10 and $8 respectively. I am glad that my children have not been sent back home due to unpaid fees so far and this has given them ample time to concentrate on their studies.

My current house is in poor shape and may collapse anytime from winds or rains. This is why I plan to demolish and reconstruct it using bricks and iron sheets. Since I intend to design the bricks by myself, I will only need to save money for buying roofing materials like iron sheets and planks. To achieve this, I will continue saving part of my transfer till I have enough money for the materials and kickstart the procedure. I hope it succeeds by next year. 

Last November, I started a project of rearing poultry, courtesy of the cash transfer I received that month. I was undergoing many challenges at that point, from lacking meals to having my children sent from school due to unpaid school fees. My husband’s hotel business drastically recorded a decline in profits at that time, which brought hardships as we could barely afford the essentials. Starting the poultry rearing project would provide financial security in the future in case things become tough. When I received the December transfer, my infant son and I was severely sick, which prompted me to spend $19 on our medication and hospital bills. I used the remaining $15 to buy new clothes for my children to wear on New Year’s day and celebrate together with their peers. From the most recent transfer, I spent $15 to buy chicken feeds and bought 10 more one-day-old chicks using $10 to increase the flock. I used the remaining amount to buy maize flour as the house hold had run out of food the previous night. 

GiveDirectly, in my view, does well in giving unconditional cash transfers to every community member who qualifies for its financial assistance. It does not show any practice of favoritism to any community member. In addition, its processes are free from influence by any official from the community. As a result of its transfers, there is a noticeable change in the community. Some parents who could not be in a position to support their children's education are now able to pay school fees even though in bits. We have developed goals of building a new house, which was unthinkable some months ago. However, there is nothing that it does not do well so far.

I do not have a job except for looking after cattle for my husband. He runs a food kiosk business from the nearby market center. However, from the business, we always have a low daily income that is insufficient to sustain my family of nine members. Therefore, when I received my recent transfer, I spent $9 on paying school fees for my three school-going children. A situation that gave them ample time to concentrate on their studies. In addition, I spent $10 on buying additional food for the family. Since I had been longing to initiate raising livestock, I also spent $11 on buying three hens. Currently, there is an improvement in my family's way of life.

I had a lot to do when I got home because I had been away looking after our goats until late. It was getting late, and I needed to think about what I could make for my children before they went to bed. Around 7 p.m., I felt compelled to check my phone. I was shocked when I noticed a Mpesa message. I read through the message to see who might have sent me the money out of curiosity. My joy intensified when I discovered that GiveDirectly had sent me my transfer. I immediately set aside a portion of the transfer to pay my children's school fees. I am still feeling happy and highly honored.

With the transfer, I was able to meet two of my highest priorities. Because I did not have enough money to buy food or pay my school fees, the transfer was extremely helpful in meeting those needs. As a result, I consider that to be the most significant difference in my life. It has alleviated my initial concerns, and I always feel so honored when I see my children off to school. This has allowed them to focus on their studies, which would have not been possible if GiveDirectly had not sent me money.

I am a mother of two children, both of whom attend school. As a housewife, I rely on my husband, who is our family's breadwinner. He works casual jobs in Mombasa, but his earnings are not always sufficient for my family. Due to our low income, we have always struggled to pay school fees for our two children. The children had been sent home by the time I received my transfer. As a result, I used KES 500 from the transfer to pay a portion of their fees, while the remainder was used to purchase food. Because of the transfer, life has become bearable for me during this month of August.