My house has become quite cramped since my grandchildren and I are now living here together after their father's passing. The limited space has made it difficult for all of us to be comfortable. To address this, I’ve set a new goal: to add another room to ensure we have enough space for everyone. Right now, some of my grandchildren have to sleep in uncomfortable places, and I want to change that. To achieve this, I've decided to save approximately $10 each month. In a few months, I hope to have enough funds to buy the necessary materials. Even though this may take some time, I’m confident that I can reach my goal since I am fully committed to it. Once the room is completed, I will feel relieved knowing that my grandchildren and I can live comfortably together under one roof.

For years, I have struggled with issues related to my waist that prevent me from standing on my own, forcing me to rely on my wife for help with daily tasks. When I received the cash transfer, I used about $20 for my monthly medication. This allowed me to purchase medicine that has improved my ability to move around, although I haven't fully healed yet. Thankfully, I am no longer in as much pain as I was before. Understanding that this program will eventually end, I decided to buy a goat for $46, which I am now keeping at home. My hope is to raise more goats over time, providing me with a sense of security and support when the program concludes. For the first time, I have assets at home that serve as security, something I never had before. Additionally, with $36, I bought enough food to last us for a while, as we currently have no other source of support due to the drought, which has left our farms unproductive. I am incredibly grateful to this organization; I can hardly imagine how my life would have been without their support.

In the coming year and beyond, my heart is set on pouring all my energy and love into the education of my six wonderful grandchildren whose father, my son, passed on. With three still in primary school and the other three in secondary school, I am dedicated to supporting their every step with unwavering encouragement and resources. My greatest joy will come from watching them grow, thrive, and achieve their dreams, knowing that my efforts have played a part in their future success. Their bright futures are my greatest hope, and I am committed to helping them shine.

I am very old, and this advanced age has brought with it several health complications, leaving me unproductive. Currently, I depend heavily on the GiveDirectly transfers and the help of my two sons who work casual jobs. I try not to involve them too much in my financial issues because they have their own families to support. With the last three transfers amounting to $102, I allocated $36 to pay school fees for my six grandchildren. Their father, my son, passed away, and since their mother was a housewife at the time of his death, she struggles to make ends meet. I felt it was my duty to step in and help with their education expenses. With the remaining $66 from the transfers, I bought food and other basic needs for myself and my wife. We are both very old and do not want to overly rely on our children, understanding they have their own families to care for. The GiveDirectly transfers have been a lifeline, allowing us to maintain some independence and meet our essential needs without putting additional strain on our sons. It brings a bit of relief, knowing that we can manage our daily expenses and still contribute to the education of our grandchildren, ensuring they have a better future despite the challenges we face.

My goal is to ensure that my six grandsons, who are now under my care after their father passed away, continue their studies without any interruptions. As an elderly person, I spend most of my time at home, and I receive minimal support from my other sons who are engaged in casual jobs and have big families to take care of. I am grateful for the support provided by GiveDirectly, and I believe that my grandsons will be able to stay in school and achieve their educational goals.

I have been taking care of my eldest son, who has been suffering from diabetes since last year. Unfortunately, my son passed away due to his illness. On the recent transfers that I received, I used $60 to cover medical expenses and burial costs for my son when he passed away. Also, I am now the one taking care of his six children, who are all in school. The spouse is no longer able to work, which means that I am the one responsible for providing for her and the family. I used to work on casual jobs, but I am getting older now, and it's becoming harder for me to find work that I can physically handle. Thus, the transfers that I have received have been a lifeline for us. Despite my financial difficulties, I have been able to ensure that my grandchildren are able to attend school by using $40 of the money to pay their fees. The rest of the money went to food and other household essentials.

I am currently supporting seven grandsons, whose father has been unable to work due to diabetes, leaving him bedridden for an extended period. It's imperative for me that my grandsons' education doesn't come to a halt, and I am committed to seeing them succeed in their academic pursuits. My primary objective is to ensure their continued comfort in school, and I intend to promptly cover their school fees using the financial transfers at my disposal.

For some years now, my eldest son has been in poor health due to diabetes, and I have been shouldering the burden of his medical expenses through recent financial transfers. His condition has been quite taxing, not only on him but also on his seven school-enrolled children, as he's unable to provide for them. Thanks to the financial support, I allocated $20 for my son's medication and $10 to clear my grandsons' school fees. Additionally, I had to allocate a portion of the funds to cover my own medical expenses. On a brighter note, I managed to acquire a new goat for $24, adding it to my existing herd and bringing the total to three goats. I'm hopeful that they will multiply and serve as a financial safety net in case of need. Recognizing my health limitations, I used $5 to hire laborers to weed my maize crops, a task I couldn't handle due to my health condition. Lastly, I also purchased foodstuffs, ensuring that my family remains well-fed and free from hunger in our home.

At present, my primary focus is on my declining health, which has been worsened by the challenges of old age, leaving me frail and requiring frequent medical attention. Regrettably, I lack any form of assistance when it comes to covering my medical needs. As of now, I am dependent on the transfers to ensure I receive timely medical care and manage the associated expenses, all while striving to maintain a balanced and nourishing diet.

The recent transfers have greatly helped me address my ongoing medical needs, which now necessitate frequent check-ups due to my reduced mobility in old age. I find myself spending a significant portion of my time at home due to illness. The receipt of these funds has provided me with a sense of relief, as I used to rely on my family for financial support, which occasionally led to delays in receiving necessary medical treatment. I am genuinely pleased that I have been able to access timely medical care thanks to these transfers. Furthermore, a portion of the funds also covered my grandchildren's school fees. This enabled them to continue their education without the burden of unpaid fees or the fear of being sent home from school. Additionally, I allocated a sum of $12 towards the purchase of two chickens, which I am currently raising. These poultry serve as an investment that I can rely on to contribute to my medical expenses. Lastly, I used a portion of the funds to purchase essential food items, ensuring that my family and I have an ample supply of food and do not experience any shortages.

A while ago, I used to own a large herd of goats, which I sold to cater to the needs of my family. As the compound head, I never wanted to see my grandchildren suffer from hunger whereas there was something I could do to raise money for food. After selling my last goat, I have not been able to buy another one due to a lack of finances. Despite the challenging financial obligation, I wish to be able to acquire some goats soon to revive my rearing venture. I hope the cash transfers make this vision possible as I lack another source of income.

Due to my advanced age, I cannot do any work to earn an income, which makes me feel like I do not support my family enough. Although my two sons actively contribute to the household’s expenses, what they earn from their casual jobs barely puts daily food on the table. So, I mostly spend the entire monthly transfers to contribute to the food needs of my family. Having a household of at least 18 people (including my 14 grandchildren), the food expenses are normally higher than anything else. This is why I usually prioritize buying maize flour with the transfer amount; recently I spent $29 on the same. On the day of the transfer, three of my grandchildren told me about their pending school fee balances. I gave them the remaining $5 to clear the amounts so that they would study uninterrupted. Am happy that they have never missed classes ever since.

I applaud the organization for its kind deed of assisting the weak and vulnerable in the drought-stricken villages. I get a lot of assistance from the unconditional transfer in managing my current health situation. I'm very appreciative of that and encourage the organization to keep up the good work and help more people who are living in poverty.

My health has been seriously declining for the past year, which has made me confined to bed. My eyesight, which has been crucial to enabling me to work and provide for my family, is gradually failing. I currently rely on my oldest son, who makes a living by undertaking irregular manual jobs like working on construction sites, selling charcoal, and fetching water for others. He struggles occasionally to fully care for us due to the numerous responsibilities he has in caring for his family and me. So when I got my transfer, I spent $5 on a solar lamp that will let me see clearly at night inside my home. I added $3 to my total to get my eyes properly treated. They were tearing and extremely painful, which was very uncomfortable. I'm relieved that it has since stopped, even though I see fuzzy images. I spent the final $28 I had set aside for an unknowable future on a goat. In the event of an emergency, I will sell for more money and use the proceeds to deal with my situation.

I spent my entire transfer in buying food. I am very old cannot work and depend on my youngest son to supoirt me financially. He rans a small kiosk selling " Maandazi" and stationary. Supporting his own family (wife and two children) and I has been difficult owing to the little income from the kiosk. Buying the food was a huge relief for my son because I would not request money for food from him. I am glad I had enough to eat for an entire week and I did not sleep hungry.

I am happy the funds from GiveDirectly made a huge impact on my life by enabling me to purchase food. I slept hungry often because I did not have money to buy food and neither did my son. I never slept hungry after receiving the transfer for more than two weeks because I had plenty of food.

I was feeling under the weather, so I was lying on my bed. I was really depleted and needed to rely on herbal mixtures made locally to stay healthy. I was notified by my daughter-in-law that I had received my first transfer. Despite the fact that I was ill and in a lot of pain, I was quite happy to have received my first transfer. Excitedly thanking God for the excellent news.