I hope to construct a dedicated cooking place in the coming year with the help of the money from the transfers. Currently, I do all the cooking inside my one-roomed house using firewood. The smoke and soot from the firewood have filled my living space and negatively affected my health. Building a separate cooking area will not only free up space inside my house but also improve my health by reducing the exposure to the harmful smoke. In the coming months, I plan to purchase one piece of iron sheet every month. Once I have enough iron sheets, I will begin buying building poles and other materials needed for construction. I am very happy and grateful for the financial support from the transfers, which is helping me live a better, healthier life and achieve my goals for the future.

My husband and I depend on our older children financially, as my deteriorating health prevents me from working. My husband also doesn’t have a paying job and primarily looks after the livestock at home. While our children generously provide for our basic needs, the financial support from the transfers has been a significant relief, allowing me to attend to my personal needs and sometimes share the financial burden with them. I spent $34 on food, ensuring we had enough to eat at home. I purchased 12 packets of 2kg maize flour, sugar, tea leaves, vegetables, fruits, soap, and washing detergents. With this stock in place, I no longer worry about running out of food. Additionally, I spent $48 on a goat, which brings my total to three goats, all bought with the transfer funds. These goats are a future investment, and I hope to sell some once they multiply, creating a source of income. I also cleared a $20 school fee balance for my son, ensuring he could return to school for the third term without issues. I’m incredibly happy and grateful for the financial support, which has made my life more comfortable and helped me secure a better future.

For now, the dream that I have been thinking of is to grow my herd by consistently acquiring more goats. As of now, I own two goats, and I intend to use my transfers to acquire additional ones. Owning goats is beneficial as they can be readily sold to cover fees or handle unexpected expenses. Once I have many of them, I will no longer have to struggle to fulfill my needs like before. I believe that by expanding my herd, I can create a more stable and secure future for myself and my family. This goal keeps me motivated, and I am determined to see it through in the coming year and beyond.

For the past few weeks, I was ill, and I opted to go to the hospital using the transfers. I used almost $24 for the treatment as I was diagnosed with stomach ulcers, and even if I have not recovered fully, I am currently on medication, and I believe soon I will be okay. This financial support came just in time, as without it, I wouldn’t have been able to afford the necessary treatment. Seeing the improvement in my health gives me hope and the strength to keep fighting. Additionally, I paid $40 in school fees for my son, who is currently in secondary school. The relief of knowing he can attend classes every day without the worry of being sent home is immense. It has been motivating him to excel in his studies, and his dedication is becoming more apparent each day.Since I can no longer work due to my illness, as advised by the doctor, I used the remaining $28 to buy food for my family, ensuring we had enough to sustain us for a while. This act alone lifted a significant burden off my shoulders, knowing that my family wouldn’t go hungry during my recovery period. The support from GiveDirectly has been a lifeline, allowing us to focus on healing and education rather than struggling with daily survival.

My aim is to grow my herd by consistently acquiring more goats. Currently, I own two goats, and I intend to use my transfers to acquire additional ones. Owning goats is beneficial as they can be readily sold to cover fees or handle unexpected expenses. Furthermore, this will generate extra income for my family, contributing to greater stability. Possessing this resource will provide me with reassurance that my family's needs will be met. I am deeply grateful for this program as it has brought positive changes to my life.

Living with asthma has limited my ability to undertake strenuous tasks, leaving me dependent on my grown children for financial assistance. Previously, my family faced significant challenges, especially in affording food and paying fees. However, thanks to the assistance provided through these transfers, I am now able to cover my children's fees, invest in chickens, and even purchase goats. Out of the transfers received, I allocated $15 to repair my malfunctioning phone and $49 to settle the school fees for my son who had an outstanding debt. The remaining amount was dedicated to my differently-abled daughter, who required urgent treatment. I used the money for transportation to the hospital and to purchase fruits for her, and I am grateful to see her health improving. I am sincerely grateful for the positive impact this project has had on our lives and I look forward to better things ahead.

I currently lack any source of income to support my husband and me in providing for our children's education. Our hope primarily hinges on these transfers. We have three children currently enrolled in school: two in high school and one in junior school. For a considerable time, I've been sustaining our family through odd jobs and by selling charcoal, while my husband, who is elderly, tends to our livestock. However, I had to discontinue my involvement in charcoal burning and selling due to health concerns. As a result, my main objective is to ensure that these transfers cover our children's school fees in a timely manner. It brings me immense joy to witness our children thriving in their educational pursuits, despite the financial hurdles we face. I firmly believe that with the support of this program, they will be able to achieve their educational aspirations and may even pursue further studies in the future.

The financial support we received has been a tremendous relief for both my husband and me, particularly in light of the financial strain we faced in covering our children's educational expenses. Our financial situation made it exceptionally challenging to meet their school fees on time. I used to earn a living by selling charcoal, but I had to discontinue this activity due to health concerns. Meanwhile, my husband has been tending to our livestock at home. The turning point came when one of our sons received sponsorship from Equity Bank throughout his high school years. These regular monthly transfers have significantly eased our worries about our children's education. Ensuring their comfort in school has been my primary objective, and I've dedicated $20 each month to clear any outstanding fee arrears. We currently have three children enrolled in school: two in high school and one in junior high. In addition to this, I allocated $20 to cover my sister's medical expenses, even though she has since passed away. It brings me peace knowing that we have no lingering debts in this regard. I also invested $30 in purchasing a goat, which I am currently raising with the aim of allowing it to multiply. This will serve as a financial safety net should the need arise. The remaining funds were used to acquire essential food items like beans and sugar, as well as household necessities, including toiletries that we had been lacking.

When my son joined high school, it became incredibly difficult to raise the necessary funds, and I had to initiate fundraising that only covered expenses for a single term. I have been facing a constant struggle to keep him in school, primarily by selling charcoal to make ends meet. However, when I started receiving regular transfers, it brought immense relief as I was assured of being able to pay his fees every month, ultimately allowing him to stay in school. Thus far, these transfers have been a tremendous source of assistance. My objective is to ensure that my son completes his high school education while continuing to benefit from this program. My aim for the upcoming year and beyond is to see my son accomplish his educational aspirations.

Paying my son's fees has always been my primary concern whenever I receive my monthly transfer. I have consistently allocated $20 towards his education expenses to reduce the outstanding balance. He is in his final year of schooling, and I want to witness his smooth completion of high school. Furthermore, I allocated a portion of the transfer to hire laborers who assisted me in working on my farm. My objective for engaging in farming is to achieve a bountiful harvest to combat food scarcity within my household. The transfer enabled me to fully utilize my land. In addition to all the above, the transfer covered my daughter's medical expenses when she fell ill. Given her physical disability, she requires frequent medication and checkups, which the transfer has been immensely helpful in covering. Lastly, I utilized some of the funds to purchase essential food items like maize flour, ensuring that my family had enough sustenance for several weeks.

I'd really like to put a lot of money into raising livestock, especially goats. Goats are my preferred animal because they can endure harsh climatic conditions like the one we are currently experiencing. They also multiply quickly, so I know that once they increase in number, my initial investment will double. With my wealth increasing, I know I would always have assets to rely on in case of an emergency, like having to pay a fee.

Beginning this year, my daughter began her final year of primary school. Her previous school uniforms were unwearable because they were torn and covered in large patches. I therefore spent $14 on a pair of school uniforms for her after receiving my February transfers. I bought her a pair of black shoes in addition to the school uniforms and some stationery that will aid in her academic progress. All of these things cost $9 in total. Finally, I bought food for the family with the $11 that was left over. My husband is the only provider for the family, and the meager wages he receives from his occasional jobs are insufficient to cover all of the household's expenses. I wish I could help, but my health has declined over time, and I am unable to be away from my physically challenged son who requires constant care.

In our place, there is a lot of famine due to prolonged drought. As a result, many families have been suffering for a continuous period of two years. However, when GiveDirectly enrolled in its program, the community appreciates its goodwill in giving unconditional cash transfers. This kind of support has immensely made better our way of life. In my view, the NGO does well in alleviating poverty through direct cash transfers. I am very grateful to be considered ab= beneficiary. So far, there is nothing that I have noticed that GiveDirectly does not do well.

I come from a polygamous family and am the mother of five children. I am currently a housewife while my husband has retired. In addition, I have a crippled daughter, Kadii, whom I care for because she cannot move from one location to another on her own. As a result, I cannot engage in any incoming generating activity, a situation that subjects my family to financial constraints. She requires a lot of my time and attention. My daughter, Kasichana, had been sent home for fees when I received my latest transfer, so I paid her $5 school fees. She is currently in sixth grade. I also spent $25 on food and other non-essential household items. I am glad the food kept my family for a fortnight.

Around 7 p.m., my daughter-in-law came rushing into the kitchen where I was making supper. She informed me that money had been transferred to her phone, but she did not know from whom. We had no idea who had sent her cash until a couple of neighbors approached us, celebrating that Give Directly had sent them money. To confirm the report, I asked my daughter-in-law to look into if my husband's phone and mine had received any money. Indeed, Give Directly had kept their half of the bargain. We all rejoiced and danced with delight.

Prior to the transfer, my family had always relied on my son for sustenance. I would contact him whenever the household ran out of food and ask him to send money for more. I had always wished to help reduce the load of responsibilities on him and Give Directly provided that chance. The cash transfer allowed me to buy food for my family without having to request money from my son. Given that my family has three beneficiaries, I am optimistic that future cash transfers will lessen my over-reliance on him significantly.

My family had run out of food earlier that day before the cash transfer arrived. As usual, I contacted my son, a clinical doctor in Mombasa, and requested support because he is the primary provider for the family. I often feel that he bears too much responsibility since he not only cares for the family at home (my husband and myself) but also for his wife and children back in town. That day, things did not go so well from his end that I was obliged to borrow maize flour for dinner from neighbors on the condition that I repay it later. Later in the evening when I received the money from Give Directly, it helped to alleviate the problem. I utilized the entire cash transfer on food, which lasted three days for the family. I recall informing my son about the transfer, and he was ecstatic about how much pressure the money would relieve.