In the upcoming year, my main goal is to start a small shop that will provide a reliable source of income for my family. I have been carefully saving what I can and plan to continue setting aside some money each month to achieve this dream. With each bit I save, I am one step closer to opening the doors of my shop. This shop will not only provide for my family's daily needs but also give us financial stability. This business will be the foundation on which I build a better future for my family.

I am a mother of eight children, with two of them still in school, so managing our family's needs is always a priority. Out of the last three transfers I received totaling $102, I knew I had to use it wisely to secure our future. I decided to save $60 with a local savings group, to eventually invest in a small shop business that will provide a steady income for my family. By saving this money, I am taking a significant step towards building a better future for my children and myself. With the remaining amount, I made sure to cover our immediate needs. I spent $24 on food to ensure my family had enough to eat. It’s important to me that my children are well-nourished and healthy. Additionally, I used $18 to pay off a loan for a solar panel I had taken earlier. The solar panel is essential for us, providing light and energy that make our daily lives easier. By paying off this loan, I am reducing our financial burdens and ensuring we continue to benefit from the solar power. Each decision I made with this money was carefully thought out to balance our present needs and future aspirations.

My lifelong dream is to save my transfers and finally open a shop. With this shop, I envision a steady cash flow that will ensure financial stability for my family. The thought of this dream becoming a reality fills me with immense excitement and hope. I am determined to work hard and save diligently to make this dream come true. Knowing that the shop will provide daily income brings a sense of security and reassurance. I am eager to see my efforts pay off and to witness the positive impact it will have on our family's livelihood. With each step forward, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities that lie ahead.

I grew up in a family where I watched my dad own a shop, which provided for all our basic needs. Seeing this during my childhood, I've always harbored the dream of owning a shop myself to secure financial stability for my family. Without a job, I assist my husband in tending to our livestock and managing our farm, making the transfers our primary income source. I set aside $25 of my transfers in our savings group, aiming to use it to establish my own shop once it matures. The thought of realizing this dream fills me with happiness, joy, and optimism. Furthermore, I sent $22 to my son, who was away at school, to cover his transportation costs so he could join us for the holidays. Having him home was a cherished moment; we both missed each other dearly and were thrilled to reunite after such a long time. Sadly, we experienced the loss of a close relative, and I contributed $34 towards the funeral arrangements to give our beloved a dignified farewell. Finally, I allocated $21 to purchase food and other household essentials, ensuring the smooth functioning of our home.

I aim to acquire more livestock, such as goats, poultry, and cows as they have proven to be valuable assets to me. Currently, I own over 20 birds, 8 cows, and some goats and sheep, which serve as my living assets and investments that I can rely on during financial difficulties. To increase my livestock, I plan to save a portion of my monthly transfers in our local savings group, and upon maturity, I will purchase more livestock and keep them. Owning these assets will help secure my children's education as I can sell livestock to pay their school fees. Also, I intend to sell milk from my cows to earn additional income.

I have been saving $25 from each transfer every month since mid-last year. When I finally withdrew my savings, I had accumulated over $150. My goal for saving this money was to buy livestock, especially goats and cows. I am glad that I used this amount to buy a cow, which added to my existing herd. Now, I am happy to say that I own eight cows, which, to me, has been a good investment so far. I'm a housewife who occasionally engages in subsistence farming, while my husband works as a watchman. I hope to benefit from the milk produced by my cows by selling it to earn some income. I believe this income will greatly help me take care of my family's needs with ease. I also spent $25 of the money to pay for my son's university fees, and I am at peace seeing him comfortably in school without interruptions on fees. I believe that he will be able to achieve his educational aspirations and be of help to our family and society at large. Finally, I spent the remainder on buying food for my family and also bought new clothes for my three children during the festive season of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

My objective is to establish a small-scale enterprise focused on selling vegetables. The dry season presents a prime opportunity for my business to flourish, as the demand during this period is remarkably high. I anticipate making substantial sales during this time. Furthermore, in addition to the vegetable business, I aspire to venture into poultry farming as well. The income generated from these endeavors will play a crucial role in meeting my family's financial needs. It will also alleviate the burden on my husband, who currently earns a modest income as a security guard at Bengoni Primary School. I am delighted with the progress I have made since receiving funds from Give Directly. Notably, I am now the proud owner of five goats, all made possible by the transfer. The support I have received has not only provided me with the means to pursue my entrepreneurial aspirations but has also positively impacted our family's overall well-being. I am grateful for the opportunities that have come our way, and I look forward to the future with optimism.

A significant portion of the financial support I received, totaling $64, was allocated to assist my son as he embarked on his journey to the university in August. This amount was utilized to purchase essential items such as new clothes, shoes, and provide him with some funds for his upkeep during his time at the university. In order to save and grow my finances, I set aside $30 in a savings group, commonly known as a "chama." This collective savings initiative not only allows me to earn interest over time but also provides the opportunity to access loans when needed. Last year, I utilized a loan from the group to settle my son's school fee arrears, ensuring that he could receive his final examination results and proceed to university. With the remaining $8, I purchased food to support my family's well-being. It brings me great joy to see how the financial support from the transfer has played a vital role in enabling my son to continue his education and pursue his dream of studying in the field of education. The allocation of funds has not only supported my son's educational aspirations but has also empowered our family in various ways. I am grateful for the opportunities and positive impact that the transfer has brought into our lives.

My goal is to start a kiosk business within the next few years to establish a reliable source of income for my household. I was inspired by my father, who supported our family through the income generated from his own kiosk business. Even after his passing, our family never faced significant financial challenges because the shop continued to bring in income. I aspire to create a similar business to ensure financial stability for my household. With all four members of our household receiving cash transfers, we have collectively agreed to set aside a portion of the funds towards achieving this goal.

My husband, who works as a school watchman, is the primary provider for our family. However, his income is limited, and it can be difficult to meet our needs beyond the essentials, such as food. Thankfully, all four members of our household, including my husband, our two children, and myself, receive the monthly cash transfers. We have developed a practice of equally contributing to certain household needs whenever the funds arrive. Recently, our focus has been on utilizing the ongoing rainy season to cultivate our five-acre piece of land. I personally allocated $25 to have one acre of land plowed, and the remaining funds were used to purchase maize seeds, which I planted on the same land. It fills me with hope and excitement as I see how well the maize crops have grown. I can only wish for the rains to continue so that we can have a successful harvest. It has been years since we last cultivated, and a successful harvest would not only alleviate food scarcity in our household but also benefit the entire region.

I currently sell chicken and so far I am left with 20 chickens but unfortunately my chicken selling business is not really doing well. So I am planning to leave that business and start a new one that will earn me enough money to better my life and my families life.I want to save enough to open a new kiosk where I will be able to sell wheat and oil. I do not want to start my business at my village because there are not enough people there to support my business. To enable me make a sizable profit, I will create a space and offer them to my neighboring villages. Thank you GiveDirectly for making me believe good things can come

I am a mother of 8 children whose husband works as a watchman and barely gets any income. Life has been so difficult and the moment I got my transfer, I decided to join a Merry go round to change my family and my own life. After joining the Merry go round, I always ensure that I save $20 monthly and since December, I have managed to save $40. Before, it was so difficult for me to save in large amounts but at least now, I can confidently save without any fear of lacking enough to save next time. I was the only one without a goat at my place but thanks to GiveDiretly I managed to buy 2 goats each at $25 and it has given me hope that my tomorrow is bright. The remaining amount of $20 I was able to go shop for food and make my children feel happy by eating healthier.

I used $40 to support my child in school and another $20 to start a poultry keeping busikess. I used another $15 to buy food for the family. I saved a total of $10 that would be used for future investments. I am a mother of four children with one of my children already in secondary school. I normally do charcoal selling business- a business that is so much strenuous and fetches very little amount of money lately. Getting to fill one sack of charcoal calls for real hard work and this would fetch approximately $9. With the current prolonged droughts and shortage of trees to make the charcoal, I can only make 2 sacks in a week. The sacks will then sell at $18 which cannot sustain the needs of our family fully. My husband too relies so much on livestock keeping and his business has not been soared by the prevailing conditions too. We are so happy that GiveDirectly came in handy to help us deal with the current situation. We look forward to putting the money into good use and becoming financially independent too.

I am genuinely thankful for the massive help I have received from the organisation so far because it has really helped cater for my family got instance matters concerning nutrition. The funds have also helped me sustain my business by getting more hens and lastly I have some form of financial stability because now thr funds have made me capable of saving some money.

For over a year now I have had a project where I practice poultry farming for the purposes of financial gain. I goy the whole idea after I saw how the drought was affecting us back in the village which made it very hard to even have a meal on the table so I started the business of poultry farming. Therefore when I received the transfers I decided to buy four hens to add to the other ones I already had and this cost me KES 1,000. Afterwards I took KES 1,000 and decided to look into nutrition because having a meal was at times challenging and so I bought half a dozen packets of maize flour for KES 840 and then used KES 160 and bought sardines and cooking oil. I was left with KES 1,000 from the transfers I had received and I decided to put it in my savings account incase of a rainy day

I was cutting down trees in preparation for manufacturing some charcoal for sale. When I got the message confirming that I had received funds from give directly, I felt relieved as I was financially stuck, and being the only breadwinner of the family, I did not know where to turn to.  My first thought was my son's shopping and transport so I put the money for it aside and used whatever remained to buy us some food.

For the longest time now, I have been having financial hardships. This is because my businesses (selling groceries, poultry farming, and charcoal manufacturing) have been underperforming due to a reduction in the number of customers. Therefore, I lacked funds to purchase food and pay school fees for my children. Often, I would be forced to take a loan to manage my expenses. Now that I'm receiving these funds, I see a great difference in my life as it has been a while since I asked for a loan to pay our bills.

My firstborn is to join form four this term, so I wanted him to be ready when schools resume because he is in boarding school. To avoid inconveniences caused by the last-minute rush, when I received my transfer, I saved KES 2500 for his transport allowance, and whatever will remain from it, I will use it for his shopping. The KES 500 that balance from the transfer, I used to buy three packets of maize flour as we had run out of it. Since my husband is unemployed, I am left to be the sole provider of the family. So, I often engage myself in businesses such as selling groceries, poultry farming, and charcoal manufacturing. From this, I get the funds I need to provide for my family.