In the next few months and years, my big goal is to build a new house with two rooms. The one I live in now is really old and rusty. To make this happen, I'm counting on my SILC (Savings and Internal Lending Communities) group savings. This way, I can gather the materials needed for building. By the end of the year, I believe I'll have saved up enough. Once the house is finished, I'll be so happy to expand my flock of goats. They'll help me out financially in the future. I don't expect much financial support from my daughter because she's responsible for educating my youngest kids since am not employed.

The quarterly transfers from GiveDirectly have been a beacon of hope in my life, therefore spending $34 of the latest transfer to buy a goat for $40, adding $6 from my personal savings. This isn't just about owning a goat; it's about investing in a future free from poverty. Over the past few quarters, I've been using the transfers to buy goats and sheep, and now I have 8 goats and 6 sheep, knowing they'll elevate my standard of living. Additionally, I allocated $68 of the transfer to my SILC group savings, hoping to accumulate enough to build a two-roomed house. My current roof is old and risky, so I dream of a new, sturdy one. As a small-scale farmer, these investments are crucial for my family's well-being. I rely on my son, a teacher, for support, but I don't want to burden him with everything; having my own house would provide us with dignity and a sense of security, especially when guests visit.

My paramount goal is to construct a new home for my family. The current one, small and in disrepair, has subjected us to the elements, especially during the unforgiving rain. Watching my two children endure these conditions has been a source of deep anguish for me as a parent. The dream of building a new, more spacious, and more secure house represents more than just shelter; it embodies the promise of happiness and a renewed sense of hope. I envision a home where my children can thrive, free from the worry of leaking roofs and cramped quarters. With determination and hard work, I aim to turn this vision into reality, forging a brighter future filled with warmth, comfort, and the joy that comes from providing a safe haven for those I hold dearest.

I decided to allocate $34.7 from my recent unconditional cash transfer to save in a merry-go-round chama in my village, alongside other motivated women. The driving force behind my participation in this project is my aspiration to accumulate enough funds to build a new house. The current one is not just old; it's small and offers little protection from the elements. I have vivid memories of being rained on inside my own home, a situation that has been particularly challenging for my two children, both of whom recently completed their secondary education. Looking at their achievements amidst our difficult circumstances has fueled my determination to provide them with a better living environment. My life has been a constant struggle, especially now that I find myself jobless. My source of support comes from my elder children, who work as casual laborers. The dream of owning a beautiful and comfortable house keeps me hopeful, and I believe that, with consistent savings in the chama, I'll be able to turn this dream into a reality in the coming months. The prospect of a brighter future for my family is what keeps me going, despite the current challenges we face.

In the coming year and beyond, I want to commit to purchasing goats and sheep and rearing them for economic gain. For those of us who do not have formal employment, owning livestock is a source of wealth. As a result of the transfer, I now have three goats and three sheep. Because they will multiply, I intend to exchange them for bulls in the future so that I can make a pair of oxen to help me plough my farm. I am a subsistence farmer, and it recently cost me a lot of money to prepare and plant my land. Having a pair of oxen will make land preparation easier and save you money on hiring.

I used some of my most recent transfers to purchase two goats and a sheep. I am proud and delighted to have three goats and three sheep, which I could not previously afford. I consider goats and sheep to be part of my wealth and assets, on which I can rely for my financial needs. I can easily sell them as they multiply and generate some cash because I do not have any income. Aside from the livestock, I have also been putting money aside in our local savings group. Prior to the program, it was difficult for me to save because the majority of my money was spent on food. I can currently afford to save at least $5 per month because of the transfer. I am hoping that by the end of the year, I will have saved enough money to begin a viable project like poultry farming. Finally, my family has never gone hungry because I purchased enough food, such as maize flour, to last several weeks. My children could now eat well and have three meals a day, which would have been difficult due to our country's recent inflationary situation.

I'd like to expand my cattle herd to around 100 goats. Having such a large herd will ensure that they multiply, increasing my wealth. With such a large number of goats, I will be able to make a good profit when I sell some of the gods in the market. Aside from purchasing goats, I would like to repair my house. The house is in bad shape, and I'm afraid it will collapse. I'd like to build a new strong house, making it easy and safe for me to stay in.

My health has been deteriorating in recent months. This has rendered me unable to work, and I am now reliant on my sons working as casual laborers in Mombasa town on jobs such as house construction, charcoal sales, and water vending. Having to rely on my sons presents difficulties because they are not always able to obtain funds on time, forcing me to sleep hungry or buy food on credit. So, in order to reduce my reliance on my son, I decided to invest my monthly stipends in purchasing livestock. The livestock is for future investment in the sense that they will multiply quickly, increasing my initial investment. In the event of an emergency, I am at Liberty to sell a number of livestock and use the proceeds to meet my needs. So I spent $30 on a goat to add to my herd. Finally, I used the last $4 to buy two packets of maize flour. I am grateful that by investing in livestock, I will be able to become financially stable as I participate in their livestock selling business and no longer rely heavily on my son.

I was extremely excited the minute I got enrolled into the program by the organization, and this is because I had really wanted to rebuild my house for the longest time. My house was quite small and apart from that, it was old as well meanwhile most part of the roofing had worn out iron sheets which were covered in holes so I wanted a better home. For that reason alone, I ended up using 2,500 of the funds and bought iron sheets. I used the remaining balance of KES 500 and bought a new attire because most of mine were quite torn and it had almost been forever since I bought new clothing for myself.

I bought two goats at 6000 KES with the recent transfer and saved KES 3000 in a rotational saving and loaning group so that when I earn my shares then I can purchase more goats. They reproduce faster hence I am hopeful that by December I will have a good number some of which I am planning to sell by then to raise money for purchasing a cow. With the cows, my family will be assured of enough milk for consumption and even sell the surplus. We shall, therefore, be assured of a good source of protein and an additional source of income from milk sales.

By helping us through the unconditional transfer, GiveDirectly does well. I can foresee a change in my life in the next few months. I have been struggling for the longest time now. Now that I have the funds, I will use it to change my life and shake away poverty in my life.

I spent KSH 2000 to start a business. I sell Omena to earn a living. Previously, I worked on doing manual jobs. I burnt down trees to make charcoal for sale. The job was very tiring and had few returns that were not enough to support my family. Having being enrolled in the program, I envisioned to have a better life and to achieve this, I must have a stable income. The business I started will help me be financially stable and able to care for myself. With the remaining KSH 1000 I decide to save it in a Chama. After a period, I would have saved enough to fulfil my dream of buying a dairy cow. With two sources where I can earn money, I will have achieved my target of becoming financially stable. This will be great to shake off poverty out of my life.

I was sitting at home that day when I heard the message on my phone. It was honestly a pleasant surprise in my own perspective because I did not expect it at all and I was so broke so to me it was almost like my saving grace. Till date I am still very happy because I still have some of that money saved.

There has not been like any drastic change in my life but I am still so glad with the financial assistance I received. I want to invest in a business in the coming future and I am so glad that even I with my age got enrolled because I see a great change coming.

After I received the money my child who happens to still be in highschool called me to inform me she needed some pocket money since she was completely broke and had no way of coming back home. I happen to have no job due to my old age but at the time she called I had received funds from GiveDirectly so I sent KES 200 so that she would cater for what she needed most back in boarding school. From what was left I took KES 600 and decided to start a small business where I sold sardines from home since the market was available and it would keep me busy and also earn me some extra money on the side. As for the remaining bit of the money I decided to remain with it for the mean time which was KES 400 since I wanted to get more money then start investing in the business of rearing chicken.