I have always dreamed of owning female cows that can reproduce, increase in number, and provide us with milk to improve my family's nutrition. To achieve this goal, I have been saving a portion of my transfers, and I plan to continue doing so until I can make this dream a reality. This venture presents a valuable opportunity for me to generate income, which will help support various needs within my family, such as covering school fees, buying food, and acquiring essential household items. I also plan to sell some of the livestock in the future to further support my family. Currently, my husband struggles to generate sufficient income by selling locally sourced toothbrushes made from medicinal tree twigs. With this new initiative of raising cows, I hope to contribute positively to our household finances as well. Additionally, I have a daughter who will be joining junior secondary school next year. My plan is to prepare early by gradually purchasing her school supplies using another portion of the transfers I will receive, so I won’t feel overwhelmed when the time comes for her to start school. Once I achieve my goal of owning cows and my child successfully joining school, I hope to save more of my transfers in our local savings group so that I can eventually start a food-selling kiosk. This will help me meet our daily family needs and provide additional support for us all.

The transfers I received came at a crucial time when I was in desperate need. I was unwell and required medical attention, so I spent $20 of my recent transfers from GiveDirectly to visit the hospital, where I received the necessary medication to help me heal and stay healthy. I’m relieved to say that I am now feeling much better and can resume my daily chores. Additionally, I have three children in school, and I had to spend $15 to pay their school fees. This was essential to ensure they wouldn’t be sent home for unpaid fees and could continue their studies. I also spent $34 on new uniforms for my younger children, as their old ones were worn out, and I bought some uniforms for one child who will be transitioning to a new grade next year. I want to be prepared for her enrollment so that I won’t be overwhelmed with shopping later. I also purchased a pair of shoes for myself for $4 since my old ones were worn out. It feels great to finally have a new pair. Given the current hunger crisis in our region, I spent another $18 on food for my family to ensure they wouldn’t go hungry. Lastly, I saved the remaining $11 in our local savings group because I plan to start a food kiosk where I can cook and sell meals. Once this program ends, I want to have something concrete to rely on to support my family. I am truly grateful for the opportunities that GiveDirectly has provided me and my family.

Initially, my goal was to start a food selling business. However, because this required a lot of movement, I had to abandon it after developing health issues due to the cold. So, I shifted my focus to buying a cow for rearing instead. I'm already saving part of my transfer towards this project and I have hope that I will achieve it. This new venture presents an opportunity for me to generate income, which will enable me to support various needs within my family, including covering school fees, buying food, and acquiring essential household items. Currently, my husband struggles to generate sufficient income through selling locally sourced toothbrushes made from medicinal tree twigs. Therefore, through this new initiative with the cow, I hope to contribute in some way to our household finances as well.

I appreciate the transfers because they allow me to support my family. When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $34 to pay my children's school fees since they had been sent home due to unpaid balances. Additionally, I used $42 to buy food for my family to ensure my children have something to eat. With the remaining amount, I spent $10 on medication because I was feeling unwell and $5 on bus fare to and from Mariakani. Lastly, I saved $11 in our saving group with the intention of buying a cow. This cow will provide milk for both domestic and commercial purposes, supporting me financially through milk sales and improving my children's health.

Next month, my goal is to launch a food-selling kiosk. This venture presents an opportunity for me to generate income, enabling me to support various needs within my family. These needs encompass covering school fees, purchasing food, and acquiring essential household items. Currently, my husband, Rama, struggles to generate sufficient income through the sale of locally sourced toothbrushes crafted from medicinal tree twigs. I am optimistic about the prospects of this business endeavor and its potential to positively impact my family's financial situation. The assistance provided through transfers thus far has been invaluable, and I am sincerely grateful for it.

I bought a pair of school uniforms for my two daughters to replace their torn ones, spending $12 on the purchase. Seeing them in their new uniforms brings me satisfaction knowing they look presentable at school. Additionally, I allocated $22 towards paying school fees for all four of my children, each attending different schools. This investment ensures they can stay in school and continue their education without interruption. In December, I invested more than $14 in purchasing essential groceries, including four packets of wheat flour, 5kg of rice, 2kg of sugar, a packet of yeast, and 2 liters of cooking oil. These provisions contributed to our family's enjoyment of good meals. Furthermore, I dedicated $20 to purchasing new clothes for two of my children. However, in November of last year, I encountered health issues, experiencing severe headaches and persistent body pains. I incurred $20 in transportation expenses to and from the hospital, along with covering the hospital bill. An additional $14 was spent on over-the-counter medication to alleviate my sickness. Thanks to crucial financial support, I was able to access the necessary treatment and medication, leading to a full recovery. I'm deeply grateful for the assistance received through transfers.

My primary objective is to make substantial investments in acquiring livestock, as they present a promising avenue for wealth creation. Over the next few months, the two goats I currently possess will multiply, resulting in a significant expansion of my initial investment. With the proceeds, I plan to purchase additional goats, a dairy cow, and eventually a bull. The dairy cow will serve as a reliable source of income, as I can sell its milk. Meanwhile, the bull will prove invaluable in tilling my land during the rainy season, aiding in agricultural activities. This comprehensive approach to livestock ownership will contribute to my overall financial stability and agricultural productivity. I am sincerely grateful for the financial support I have received, as it has enabled me to enhance my quality of life through these investments. The opportunities afforded by this assistance have been pivotal in my pursuit of long-term prosperity.

Over the past three months, I have been grappling with a serious illness, necessitating multiple visits to the hospital for proper medical care. Financially, I rely on my husband, who sells handmade toothbrushes crafted from tree branches in Mombasa town. His income is meager but sufficient to meet our daily needs. The transfers I received have been instrumental in covering my medical expenses and enabling me to purchase the necessary medications for my recovery. In addition to addressing medical costs, I allocated a portion of the funds to acquire two hens at a total cost of $10. These hens represent a strategic investment for the future, as they are expected to multiply and increase in number. Once they do, I can sell some of them to generate funds for any urgent requirements. Moreover, I spent $24 on purchasing food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, which have played a significant role in facilitating my swift recuperation. I am immensely grateful for the financial support I have received, as it has not only allowed me to afford proper medical treatment but has also alleviated the financial burden associated with it. Without this assistance, achieving such a level of care would have been exceedingly challenging.

I've already enrolled three of my kids in school and will be doing so very soon with the other two. I'm striving to make sure I have everything they'll need to start school as a result. I also want to establish a little roadside business as soon as I can start saving after my kids start school to assist support our family financial.

My husband used to be the only provider for our family of seven for all household requirements, with food accounting for the majority of these before we started getting these transfers from Givedirectly. This put a lot of pressure on him, and I used to feel for him because there wasn't much I could do to help as a housewife. I was overjoyed to be accepted into this cash transfer scheme since it will allow me to help my husband. I bought groceries for my family with $17 of my May transfer. After our paraffin lamp broke, I also spent $12 on a solar lighting panel. I also purchased two t-shirts for my two school going kids with the rest of the transfer.

Over-relying on charcoal making and casual jobs makes me raise minimal income that cannot sustain the family unless I get external financial support. Therefore, for the rest of this year, I have developed a goal of keeping domestic fowl. I will be able to get free eggs from the flock, and I will be able to sell some when they're mature to supplement my income. In addition, I plan to purchase goats and possibly a cow. They are valuable live assets that go a long way in enhancing my living standard. In fact, with a herd of goats, I will not be worried about raising school fees for the children in the primary level of study.

Immediately after I received my recent transfer, I received a phone call that my mother had gotten into an accident and had a fracture in the shoulder. I, therefore, spent $15 to support her medication. I am glad that her health condition is improving. I also spent $19 on food to cater to the needs of my family of six members. Because I do not have any source of income, the transfer was much in handy. It helped in supplementing the irregular cash from the sale of charcoal. However, my transfer for November went into settling all the pending fee arrears for my youngest daughter, Claris. She had completed the PP1 level and was awaiting promotion to grade one.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly did a splendid job by ensuring that they visited every household in my entire village. Also, the idea of offering us unconditional cash transfers was the best because we all had different needs in our families. I therefore cannot single out anything that GiveDirectly needs to change.

I spent part of my recent transfer to clear my hospital bill of $12. I had recently been diagnosed with malaria and I did not have any cash to seek proper medical attention. I am so happy that I received the cash in good time and I am doing fairly well. Additionally, with the remaining amount we ha e been diagnosed with malaria. with the remaining amount of money, I have been buying food for my six family members. It is has always been my joy to see my children taking at least two meals a day; I am glad GiveDirectly has made my dream come true.

I was on my way home from fetching tap water from a nearby water point when my phone rang. I stop to check the phone and I was surprised. For a moment, I stood transfixed on the ground, moving no inch of my muscles. My heart melted with joy upon realizing that I had received my first transfer. I hurriedly walked back home and called my husband and broke the good news to him. He was happy too.

The amount from my first transfer made a tremendous difference in my life. I had no food in the house and my children were very weak. This caused me a lot of pain and agony and was helpless that I could not help because I had no money. I am grateful that my children were all smiles after eating the food I bought using the money.

I spent the amount from my first transfer on buying food for my family. My husband is a business person selling toothbrushes in Mombasa town. I do not have a job and we fully depend on him to provide for all the family needs (Buying food and paying school fees). We ran out of food three days before receiving the transfer and we survived drinking a cup of tea each day. When I received my first transfer, I was very joyous because the transfer was an enormous boost to our financial woes. I bought five packets of maize flour, two packets of wheat flour, 1kg of sugar, and 1kg. I cooked and ate together with my family members.