I have been living in a grass-thatched house for years, but my dream has always been to live in an iron-roofed house. To achieve this goal, I have been saving a portion of my monthly income to purchase the building materials gradually. So far, I have managed to acquire 22 iron sheets, and some building poles, and I hope to commence construction soon. My only focus is on achieving this goal because an iron-roofed house will protect me from the rains that have been a nightmare in my current house. I plan to save more to purchase the remaining building poles, timber, and nails, and also to cover the labor costs that will be incurred

I have been living in a grass-thatched house that I built 10 years ago, and it's in very bad shape now. Replacing the grass roof frequently has been a tiresome job for me, and it barely lasts three months before I have to replace it again. Currently, the roof leaks, and it has weakened the whole house. When I enrolled in the program, I made a resolution to save my transfers and buy building materials such as iron sheets and building poles to construct a decent iron-roofed house. With determination, I have acquired the 22 iron sheets and some building poles that I needed, and soon I will start the construction. I committed myself to buying at least two iron sheets every month, which costs me $18 each month. I can't wait to experience the comfort of an iron-roofed house after spending years in a grass-thatched house. Apart from saving for a house, I also saved for the past few months and recently used my savings to buy two goats, which cost $67, increasing my herd to five. I am currently working as a waiter in a restaurant, and I believe owning the goats is a good investment that will supplement my income. As they multiply, I can readily sell them, thus generating some income to sort out my financial needs. Lastly, I contributed the remaining amount with my family towards ploughing our five-acre farm during the planting season, which helped alleviate food shortages in our household after a good harvest.

In the coming year and beyond, my aspirations include building a new house and potentially acquiring goats. The current house, built over six years ago, has a deteriorating grass-thatched roof that cannot withstand rains, leading to a cold and damp interior. I've been gradually purchasing building materials, having acquired four iron sheets so far. I also plan to keep livestock, specifically goats, as a sustainable source of income. Recognizing the uncertainty of future earnings due to the lack of a steady job, the idea is to sell some goats when needed. I'm pleased that the two goats obtained through the cash transfers have already given birth, increasing the count to four.

After the short rains started, I seized the opportunity to prepare for planting. This not only ensures a bountiful harvest for the entire household but also relieves the burden on my father, our main provider. To support this, I allocated $38 for hiring a tractor to plow an acre of land and purchase maize seeds. I'm delighted that the maize is thriving well. Additionally, I used $34 from the transfers to acquire 4 iron sheets. These sheets are intended for constructing a new house because my current structure, with a grass-thatched roof, becomes too damp during rainfall. My goal is to gather at least 14 iron sheets before moving on to other materials. I set aside $10 through a self-help group, with ongoing plans to save regularly to accumulate funds for building poles. The remaining funds were allocated to purchasing more food, particularly during days when my father faced challenges in his job selling water in town.

As a young man, my aspirations in the coming years are to build a sturdier house with an iron sheet roof, providing better shelter from the rains. Additionally, I want to establish a more sustainable source of income that will continue even after the cash transfers end. My dream is to keep goats as a form of wealth, drawing on my experience as a herdsman. I find great fulfillment in caring for livestock, and this venture would be a significant step toward financial security and a better future for myself and my family.

Since I began receiving cash transfers, I have been saving $20 from each transfer through a self-help group. My ultimate goal is to accumulate enough funds to build a better house, as my current one is in poor condition. The deteriorating palm-leave roof allows water to seep in whenever it rains. As a herdsman, I know my job alone cannot generate enough money for a new house, hence the importance of saving. After setting aside $20 for savings, I spend the remaining $14 on purchasing food for my family. This not only supports my father, who works tirelessly to provide for us but also gives me the chance to contribute to our needs and ease some of the pressure off him.

After I am done with my house construction. My goal is to start a livestock-rearing project in the next few months. I would want to have goats, chicken and cows so that I become one of the greatest livestock keepers in the area. To achieve this, I would want to ensure that I buy at least one goat per month costing $25 and within a year, I know I would have around 12 goats which I would later sell part of them to buy cattle and chicken.

The transfer that I received was of great help. I am currently in the process of constructing a house because the one that I currently have is in a dilapidated state and almost falling down. I have been struggling to engage in different income-generating activities so that I could raise money to help me with the construction, but the amount of money that I have managed to save so far is still way little. The transfers that I have bee receiving had been receiving had been of help in terms of buying different materials like roofing sheets, and timber, and also with the recent one, I managed to buy an iron sheet worth $10 and also saved $10 towards construction. With the remaining amount of $14, I managed to buy food to also enable my family to get something to eat and was very grateful to GiveDirectly for the support.

I want to build a new, much larger and better house than the one I currently have. Since I built it five years ago while I was still in primary school, I didn't give it much thought. At that point, all I required was a place to sleep. I've already started setting aside $10 each month, and I intend to keep saving a portion of the transfers to generate money to buy iron sheets and nails. I won't include timber in my budget because we have enough trees at home. When I have reached this objective, I will work to enroll in a technical college. Though I haven't made up my mind yet, I will have chosen by next year the course I want to take.

The current house was built by myself when I was in grade seven. It  is a single grass thatched roof room, and the roof is currently leaking. Every time it rains, I endure inconvenience since my household belongings get wet. Because of this, I intend to build a two-room mud hut. I therefore purchased nine pieces of iron sheets and wood for $94 using the transfers from the previous three months. I have not raised  enough building supplies yet, but I'll buy more with the upcoming transfers.

Give Directly works well by giving unconditional funds to the needy in the society. These cash transfers enable people like me to realize dreams that we previously thought were unattainable due to a lack of funds. There is nothing wrong with how the organization operates in my opinion.

My father is the sole provider for our family of ten. His job of selling water on the streets of Mombasa only allows him to put food on the table. This is why I used the transfer as an opportunity to meet my personal needs, such as clothing. KES 1,000 was spent on two pairs of trousers, one pair of shorts, and three t-shirts. At least, I would change my clothes and stop wearing the same outfit for an entire week. I used the remaining funds to purchase iron sheets. The goal is to construct a new one-room house for myself. I currently shelter under the kitchen structure, which is in poor condition and could collapse from rains or strong winds at any time.

I was sitting under a tree outside the house thinking of what to do to help my grandfather. I received a text message in my phone and after reading it loud; I knew I had received my first transfer. Emotions overwhelmed me as tears rolled down my cheeks. I felt thrilled because I knew the money would help me a lot.

The transfer has made an enormous difference in my life because I could seek medication attention for my grandfather. I was very stressed I could not get a job and money to help him. I am happy that he is recovering and I am grateful for the help I got through the transfer.

I live with my grandfather who fully depends on me. He fell ill two weeks before I received my transfer. I work on manual jobs such as fetching water and building other people’s houses. At the time he fell ill, I did not have money to buy him medicine or take him to the hospital. I unsuccessfully looked for a job in the village, but my efforts proved futile. The scarcity of jobs caused by the harsh economy has contributed to the struggles that I am facing. Therefore, when I received my transfer, spent it all in seeking medication for my grandfather whose health condition was deteriorating. I am happy that his condition is improving and thanks to the transfer, he could get medication.