My goal for this year is to replace the grass roof on my mother's house, as it leaks badly during heavy rains, significantly impacting her living conditions. Using the upcoming transfers, I plan to cover the costs of hiring builders and purchasing the necessary roofing materials. Providing my mother with a better place to live will bring me peace of mind and enhance her quality of life. I am overjoyed to be a part of this positive change and am committed to improving the well-being of my family.

I earn a living by selling charcoal to support my family of eight. Life was incredibly tough before, with a severe drought lasting over five years that severely impacted our harvests, making it difficult to access food and water. The arrival of GiveDirectly brought immense relief, especially since it allowed me to provide food for my family and pay for my children's school fees. I allocated all my transfers totaling $102 towards school expenses, prioritizing education as it empowers my children to improve their future prospects. As someone who didn't have the opportunity to attend school, witnessing my children's education fills me with immense joy, knowing they will have better opportunities. I am deeply grateful for this assistance, which has transformed our lives for the better.

My primary objective is to provide a college-level education for all seven of my children. I firmly believe that education serves as the cornerstone of success, offering them opportunities and the ability to secure rewarding jobs in the future. I am committed to sustaining their education through the financial assistance received from the transfers and proceeds generated from my charcoal-selling business. To me, investing in the education of my children not only ensures their individual growth and prosperity but also lays the foundation for their ability to support and care for me in my later years.

I am deeply grateful for the assistance provided by GiveDirectly, which has been instrumental in sustaining my family during challenging times. Depending on the sale of charcoal for my livelihood, I encountered severe setbacks due to a five-year drought that inflicted substantial losses and hardships. This period made acquiring food difficult and adversely impacted my business. The aid from GiveDirectly has allowed me to pay my children's school fees regularly, ensuring minimal disruptions to their education. The three recent transfers totaling $102 have not only supported my family financially but have also been crucial in treating my ailing mother, who was hospitalized due to stomach ulcers. I am pleased to report that she is now on the path to recovery. GiveDirectly has emerged as a beacon of hope in our lives, providing much-needed assistance during trying times.

My goal is to have a bigger house. I currently have a family of 6 which is still growing, and the house that we are currently in is a one-roomed grass-thatched house that is too small to fully accommodate us. With elder children, I thought it was a good idea to have a two-roomed house so that we have separate rooms with the children. Therefore, my plan was to save part of my transfers so that by the end of the year I start on the construction.

I received the transfers at a time I was facing financial difficulties. My mother had been admitted in the hospital for a couple of weeks and getting money to cater for her medical expenses had been quite a challenge. In addition, one of my children who is in secondary school had also been sent home for school fees. With the situation, my wife and I had been struggling to take care of the situation, but all in vain. But upon receiving the transfers, it was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel because the transfer was of great help. I managed to settle some medical expenses worth $24.70 and paid school fees with the remaining amount of $10, I was so grateful to GiveDirectly for the great support at this time of need.

I live in a one roomed house with my family of seven. It is a situation I am not very proud of. I have always wanted a bigger house to allow my children and us to have our own privacy. I would like to direct a portion of my transfers this year to achieving this goal. My plan is to save about $20 if we have a good food supply so that I can buy materials for the new house. When the house is complete my children will stay in this current house while me and my wife get to move to the new house. My oldest who is now 12years will also get her privacy.

The main problem here at home is drought, we have stayed 5 years without rain and that means any money we get we direct to get to food. I took $15 dollars and paid school fees for my child while I used $15 for food and I added two chicken to my livestock at $2 each. I took my December transfer and took my ailing mother to hospital who is yet to get better but she got to be treated. I took my January transfer and used $10 to pay school fees for my child I used $20 for buying iron roof sheets to repair my mother's house, I used the remaining $4 for buying food.

My main challenge I experience as a father of 4 is lack of school fees and means of feeding the family. The community main source of livelihood is subsistence farming however, this has never been possible due to prolong droughts. I was happy to received the transfer in that I bought food for the family worth $ 15 and the remaining $15 I cleared off the fees arrears at school. I currently survive on selling charcoal which is not doing well. I have got a daily earnings of $5 daily, this is too little to support the entire family demands such as food and education. My life is different than how it would have been if I never received the transfer as the health of the family for the past one year changed. We got food on daily basis which is balaced-diet unlike before. Paying the school fees as well brought harmony in the family and this led to hardwork amongst my children. Thank you so much GiveDirectly.

The hunger and poverty that we experienced before coming to contact with GiveDirectly was extreme. Starvation was the order of the day, both for us even livestock due to lack of rainfall. On the other hand we could hardly afford meals since most of our jobs are mediocre and are hardly enough to cater for all the needs one has. But we very thankful to this organisation because although the climatic condition has barely changed, the funds we receive have come on handy for our mere survival.

Back in the village we have been experiencing extreme drought due to change in climate conditions. We experienced rain in our village in the past but now it has hardly rained for over three years which has led to high numbers of starvation. That is why as soon as I received the funds I went ahead and a bag of maize flour that contained a dozen packets for KES 1,500 which would assist in nutrition of my family and I for a while. Then I took the remaining balance which was KES 1,500 and paid fees for the term for three of mu children. I split it equally among them to avoid then being sent home eventually.

It was late at night and I was struggling to get some sleep with an empty stomach. As I was tossing and turning in my bed. The beep from my phone caught my attention. After quickly reaching out for my phone and getting to see the Mesa message. I felt elated and through the excitement; I woke up my wife to share the news. The night became interesting as my wife confirmed to have received the message as well. Although it was late at night and we knew the shops were closed, we slept happy and hopeful that tomorrow would indeed be a better day.

The change expected in my daily life because of the cash transfers is the consistent flow of income, which will help me build at least a one-roomed house for my sons. African culture dictates that once the male child is of a certain age, the father should build him a separate house. Building this house will earn me respect from my sons and also the villagers because it's considered wrong to have mature men sleep under one roof with their mother and sisters. My other intention is to start poultry farming, which could be an Ideal side hustle that will help me support and provide basic needs for my family.

I am a peasant farmer who mainly relies on maize farming. Drought and famine have been the biggest challenge experienced this season. I have four children and my mother, who all depend on me. Since my wife is unemployed with the current drought situation, I have been forced to rely on casual jobs in construction sites and neighboring homes which pay a minimum of KES 500.I spent the entire amount on food simply because with my inconsistent flow of income food has been the biggest challenge.