In the approaching year, I am committed to renovating my house, which has become old and unsafe, especially during the rainy and windy seasons. I want to create a home that is not only sturdy but also a place where I can feel comfortable and secure. To bring this dream to life, I have decided to save $20 every month. It may be a small amount, but with consistency and determination, it will grow into something significant over time. My goal is to make my home a warm and welcoming space, one that can safely shelter me and serve as a lasting symbol of my dedication and hard work.

As a widow, I depend on my eldest son, a cook at a public school in Malindi. Despite having his own family to support, he has always extended a helping hand to me whenever he can. With the three most recent transfers I received, I decided to take a bold step toward a long-desired dream, which is investing in goats. I used $100 to buy two goats, which I believe are a valuable future investment. I envision these goats as the foundation for a sustainable source of income, providing more goats through breeding. This small beginning promises a better future, and I feel a sense of hope and pride for making this choice. With the remaining $2 from the transfers, I bought food to sustain myself while waiting for the next transfer. Although the transfers are small, they have had a meaningful impact on my life. They have enabled me to fulfill a long-shelved dream, giving me hope for a more self-reliant future. The kindness of my son and the assistance I receive have been crucial, and I am grateful for each step forward.

As I lay my head down each night in the small, cramped house that doubles as my granary, I can't help but dream of a safer, more secure future. The rainy season is a constant source of anxiety, as the very structure that's supposed to shelter me becomes a magnet for water. But I refuse to be defined by my circumstances. That's why I took matters into my own hands and started building a new house on higher ground, away from the constant threat of flooding. With the perimeter now complete, my focus shifts to the next crucial step which is the roof. With the support from GiveDirectly, I see a path forward, a way to turn this half-built dream into a reality. Over the coming year and beyond, I aim to use every transfer wisely, investing in the materials needed to finish the roof and transform this house into a true home.

With the last three transfers totaling $102, I chose to invest it into my ongoing project of building a two-room house. Being a widow, I rely on my son's income as a cook in a Malindi school. The house, constructed with poles, initially started with the help of GiveDirectly transfers. Now, with the perimeter complete, the remaining necessities are roofing timbers and iron sheets. The decision to allocate the transfers towards building a house was rooted in necessity. Currently, I reside in a small house primarily used as a granary store, which doesn't provide adequate living space. By investing in the construction of a proper dwelling, I aim to enhance my living conditions, ensuring safety and comfort for myself and my family. This investment represents not just a physical structure but also a step towards a better quality of life, offering security and stability for the future.

Before the cash transfers conclude, my goal is to construct two structures– a two-room house for myself and a stable pen for my six goats. The recent heavy rains caused the collapse of my house, and since then, I have been staying in the kitchen space. Also, my goats have been staying in a temporary shelter. With the support of the previous cash transfers, I've already initiated the process by purchasing building poles for the new structures. I hope that, with the incoming transfers, I'll be able to acquire iron sheets and cover the remaining construction costs to realize my aim of having both structures completed.

Every month, when I receive the cash transfers, I dedicate $24 towards buying materials for building a new house. The recent heavy rains caused my previous house to collapse, and I had to move into the kitchen structure, which doubles as a maize storage area. Sleeping in this makeshift space is uncomfortable, prompting my desire to build two structures—one for myself and another as a shelter for my goats, currently housed in a makeshift pen as well.  I've recently completed purchasing building poles for both structures. My next goal is to buy iron sheets, and I'm hopeful that the upcoming cash transfers will provide the means to do so. At my advanced age, I don't have any other source of income. While my son, who is the family's breadwinner, supports us with food and his children's school fees, his financial assistance beyond that is limited. I also use the remaining $10 for expenses such as food and assisting with school fees whenever my son faces financial challenges.

Looking ahead to the upcoming year and beyond, my primary objective is to prepare my farm for the upcoming rainy season. There are promising indications that the rains will arrive soon, presenting me with a golden opportunity to save sufficient funds and adequately prepare my land for planting. By ensuring that my farm is ready, I anticipate a bountiful harvest, which will provide an abundance of food for me and my family. The financial assistance I have received thus far has played a crucial role in supporting me on this journey. It has provided me with the means to make necessary preparations and investments in my farm, ultimately leading to improved productivity and food security. I am immensely grateful for the help I have received, as it has been instrumental in enabling me to pursue my goal of a successful farming season.

Just two months ago, disaster struck when my small grass-thatched house suddenly collapsed while I was having supper. It was a close call, as I narrowly escaped being trapped beneath the falling structure. Determined to regain a safe and secure living space, I invested over $58 in purchasing grass and additional poles to construct a new house. I am incredibly grateful to say that I now have a comfortable and secure place to call home once again. In addition to rebuilding my shelter, I allocated $43 towards purchasing food. This financial support proved to be a lifeline, ensuring that I and my family never went to bed hungry during a time when we had not yet harvested our crops and food prices were exorbitant. Furthermore, I have been struggling with persistent pain in my waist and legs, which significantly hinders my ability to work on the farm. However, thanks to the financial assistance received, I was able to afford an ample food supply, aiding in my overall well-being. I am truly thankful for the support provided through the transfers, as it has not only helped me overcome the challenges I faced but also offered a renewed sense of stability and comfort.

In the future, my goal is to construct a new house to replace our current dilapidated dwelling. I envision a two-room structure with mud walls and an iron sheet roof. To achieve this, I have begun acquiring building poles. Once that is complete, my next step will be to obtain the necessary iron sheets, and eventually hire someone to finalize the construction project.

I have been living in constant fear for a while now, as my house is in a deteriorating condition. One of the mud walls has completely disintegrated, and I am concerned that the remaining walls may soon follow, leaving me without a home. To address this situation, I have started purchasing building materials to construct a new house. When I received the cash transfer, I immediately allocated $20 to buy 20 building poles for the new structure. This was an important step towards building a safer and more stable home for myself. Additionally, our household had been without food for the past two days, and I was feeling hungry. My son, who works at a bakery, had not sent any money to purchase more food. Therefore, I decided to use the remaining $14 from the cash transfer to buy maize flour. This provided me with enough food to sustain myself for at least one week, and I am grateful for that. By using the cash transfer to purchase building materials and address our immediate food needs, I am taking steps toward securing a better living environment and ensuring that I have enough to eat.

I plan on spending money on my farm this year, including buying a few goats and chickens. I currently have two goats, which I bought with the money I was given. This is my future investment in case I encounter financial difficulties. Aside from that, I also intend to utilize the money to improve nutrition because it is a recurring problem brought on by the drought.

I used KES 500 to pay my grandson's tuition on the day I had the chance to withdraw the funds because he had been kicked out of school. Since I typically relied on his parents as well, I made the decision to contribute at the time when they had no funds to send him back. After that, I spent KES 1,450 on nourishment because there wasn't anything left in the house to eat. I bought five packets of maize flour, two kg of beans, and water using the money. I then went on to pay off a debt worth KES 1,000 after I bought a goat. Finally, I purchased a chicken with the remaining KES 450.

I was quite excited when I found out that the transfers had finally arrived because I had probably intended to grow my farm. This included buying a some animals like goats which were an investment for later. Therefore I went ahead and used the KES 3,000 that I had received and bought myself quite a huge goat with that sum. Ultimately I felt contented because I had achieved what I had planned.

I like the fact that Give Directly offers great help to the needy people in society. The unconditional transfers have helped improve the living standards by ensuring that the beneficiaries in projects that help them uplift their lives.

Before the commencement of the drought three years ago, I had plenty of livestock. 6 goats, two dairy cows, and 5 sheep. The effects of the drought were very strong, and I lost all except for three goats. When I received my transfer, I spent it on buying a goat so that I could replace the one I lost. My plan is to rear the goat and ensure it multiplies in number and accumulates wealth. I am a widow who is currently jobless and my only hope lies in immersing wealth through the rearing of livestock. My son, whom I depend on, fully works as a casual laborer, earning very little (450 per day) which is not enough to support both of us. Creating my wealth through the rearing of livestock is the best way out of uplifting my life.

I was sitting in my compound, overwhelmed with thoughts of where to get my next meal after exhausting all my food stock. My phone rang out loudly, attracting my attention, and upon checking it, I found out that I had received my first transfer. Much joy filled my heart as I jumped up and down in ecstasy. Tears of joy flowed down my cheeks since I could not believe that it had just received the transfer.

The opportunity to have a source of income through poultry farming is the biggest difference I have in my daily since I started receiving the funds. Once the hens multiply, I will sell some and use the income to take care of my needs.

After the rains failed three years ago, I lost my only source of livelihood, which is farming. I fully depend on my son, who works in town as a casual laborer selling tap water. My last-born son is not of sound mind and he entirely depends on me to take care of him. The earnings from his job are very little to support the entire family. As a result, we have spent most of the days in the week (3 days) sleeping on empty stomachs and surviving on the water of a cup of porridge. Therefore, when I received my first transfer, I spent KES 450 on buying food and water for the family. I spent KES 750 on buying two hens as a beginning in venturing into poultry farming. The poultry farming will help ease the burden on my son, who takes care of the family by helping him pay part of the bills using profits from the project.