Our house is very small, it cannot comfortably accommodate my growing family, and this has been a constant challenge for us. My dream has always been to add another room to our home, creating the space and comfort we so deeply need. To turn this vision into reality, I have been saving a portion of my transfers in our local savings group. Once these savings mature, I plan to use them to kickstart the house-building project. I know the funds will not be enough to complete the construction all at once, but I am determined. I plan to continue setting aside a portion of my future transfers to gradually work toward finishing the house. Right now, my husband is unable to contribute to the project as he is still paying off the debt for the motorcycle we acquired to give him a source of income. Although it has been a difficult journey, I am proud of the steps we have taken together to improve our situation. I look forward to the day when our house is complete. Having the space and comfort we have always longed for will mean so much to my family and me. I am incredibly grateful for the support from GiveDirectly, as it has given me the means to dream bigger and work toward this goal.

As my family continues to grow, our home is becoming small, and cannot accommodate us comfortably. For a long time, I have dreamed of expanding our house to provide more space and a better living environment. However, life has had other priorities, and I had to put this plan on hold to address more pressing needs. One of those needs was supporting my husband in acquiring a motorcycle to start a taxi business giving him a way to earn a stable income and help support our family. Now that this goal has been achieved, I am excited to refocus on my dream of expanding our home. My plan is to add one more room, creating the space we so desperately need. To make this happen, I have been diligently saving a portion of my transfers from GiveDirectly. Recently, I set saved $72 of my transfers, bringing me closer to the day when I can finally begin construction on this much-needed project. I used the remaining $30 of my transfers to buy food for my family. With the ongoing drought and hunger affecting our community, ensuring that my family has enough to eat is a top priority, and this support has made it possible. I am deeply grateful for the assistance from GiveDirectly. It has allowed me to address both immediate and long-term needs, giving me hope for a brighter future where my family can live comfortably and thrive.

Initially, my plan was to expand our house and make it more spacious to accommodate our growing family. However, I have decided to take a different approach. My current plan is to collaborate with my husband, save my transfers, and combine them with his money to help him acquire a motorcycle. My husband is currently employed as a motorcyclist taxi driver, and by becoming self-employed, he will be better equipped to take care of our family's needs, which is not always possible with his current employment situation. Once my husband has acquired his own motorcycle, I intend to shift my focus to developing a plot of land that we own. My goal is to start a food-selling business on this property. To achieve this, I plan to use my transfers to buy more chicken, with the hope that they will multiply and increase in number and value over time. In the future, I can then sell these chickens and use the money, together with the support of my husband, to establish my food-selling business. I am hopeful that by working together and utilizing my transfers strategically, I will be able to achieve these goals.

In order to better support our family, we have always wanted my husband to purchase his own motorcycle and work for himself. He is currently employed as a motorcycle taxi driver. I have been actively saving money in my local savings club in order to accomplish this, and I recently put $30 of my transfers toward this objective. Additionally, I realized that my family's food security needed to be addressed because of the continuous hunger issue in our community as a result of the drought. To ensure that my loved ones did not go hungry during this difficult time, I used $45 of my transfers to buy food. Alongside these efforts, I also allocated $5 of my transfers to help pay the school fees for my husband's siblings to ensure that they can continue their education without interruption, opening up opportunities for their future. I have also been working towards starting my own food-cooking and selling business. To kickstart this venture, I used $4 of my transfers to purchase chickens, with the hope that they would multiply and increase in number. I plan to sell these chickens in the future and use the proceeds to establish my food business. Finally, I spent the remaining $9 of my transfers to buy a bag of cement that was used to enhance the walls of my house, making them stronger and more durable to sustain the extreme weather that our region usually encounters.

Looking ahead to the next year and beyond, I aim to invest in livestock such as cows and goats. Since I currently have no other income stream apart from the cash transfers, I see livestock investment as a way to multiply my wealth, as they reproduce. As a young family still growing, my husband and I see the importance of establishing a strong financial foundation to provide for our family's future needs, including food, clothing, and their educational requirements. Alongside this, I also plan to extend one room in our house. We now have an infant whom we share a room with, but as he grows, he will need his own space.

I usually save $24 through a savings group in my community. My goal is to accumulate enough funds to purchase a bigger and more comfortable bed. As our family grows, we find ourselves in need of a larger sleeping space, as the current one feels cramped with three people sharing it. My husband, who works as a motorbike rider, often spends most of his earnings on essential needs like food, making it challenging for him to save funds for other necessities, including furniture. The remaining $10 from the savings usually goes towards buying food. I am grateful that ever since we started receiving the cash transfers, food has not been a concern, as the money helps me contribute, supplementing the little that my husband provides.

Presently, I reside in a house with mud-thatched walls, and my objective for the upcoming year is to upgrade these mud walls to sturdy stone walls. To realize this ambition, I plan to utilize the savings accrued in my savings club, along with the transfers expected in the future. The significance of having a stone wall lies in its stability, ensuring resilience against heavy rains and ultimately enhancing the security of my home. With this improvement, I am filled with optimism for the future, eagerly anticipating the accomplishment of further goals in the times ahead.

GiveDirectly has truly been a blessing in my life and for my family. Through the support provided, I am now the proud owner of a flourishing poultry business, boasting a flock of over 20 birds. These transfers have not only empowered me to enhance my livelihood but have also enabled me to renovate my house and invest in furniture, marking a significant improvement from our previous circumstances. Previously, securing basic necessities like food and clothing was a substantial challenge, given the limited income from my husband's motorcycle taxi operation. The transfers from GiveDirectly have played a crucial role in supplementing our financial resources and bringing newfound happiness to our lives. From the transfers received, I strategically saved $72 in our local savings club, with plans to utilize it in the coming year. The remaining $30 was wisely invested in purchasing additional chicks, thereby expanding and fortifying my poultry business. I am genuinely content with the progress I have achieved in my life, acknowledging that such positive transformations would have been impossible without the invaluable support of GiveDirectly.

In the upcoming year and beyond, my primary objective is to enhance the size of my current residence, which is rather small and lacks sufficient space. By adding an extra room, I will create ample space to accommodate both my belongings and visiting relatives. To achieve this, I intend to save a portion of my monthly income and allocate it towards the construction of the house. This endeavor will not only improve my living conditions but also foster a welcoming environment for my loved ones when they visit.

One week prior to receiving my July transfers, I fell ill with a severe case of diarrhea. Initially, the condition was manageable, but as the days passed, it worsened significantly, rendering me unable to perform any household duties. Thanks to the financial assistance from the transfers, I could afford a $15 visit to the hospital, where I received proper treatment and medication, leading to a substantial improvement in my health compared to two weeks ago. With $20 of the remaining funds, I have devised a prudent investment plan - to purchase some hens. I firmly believe that acquiring these hens is a wise decision. Over the next few months, they are likely to multiply, presenting a valuable opportunity for potential income. Additionally, in the event of an emergency, I can always sell some of the hens to address any urgent situation that may arise.

The house that I am currently living in not big enough for my family considering that the family is still growing big. Therefore my biggest goal this year is to improve and expand it to a size that would be suitable for my family.

I plan to buy goats and start a livestock rearing project, and therefore with the transfers that I recently received of KES.3470, I haven't cashed out any single amount of it. I planned to keep the money and spend it together with the transfers that I would be receiving next month to enable me to but 2 goats at once since I do not want to buy one at a time.

Ever since I got introduced to the organization I can only see say that my life has taken a turn for the better. I have nothing but great compliments and gratitude to give the organization so far because it has so far assisted us to escape poverty and starvation.

I was really excited to receive the funds when I did especially because it was completely unexpected at the time. After I got the chance to withdraw the money, I ended up spending KES 1,200 by purchasing an attire because most of my clothes were old and worn out. I then proceeded to deposit KES 1,350 to my savings account because I was hoping to start up a business later on to help me sustain my family better. Lastly I spent the remaining KES 300 by purchasing one packet of wheat flour and cooking oil.

It was in the evening and I was about to sleep when I heard a notification of a message received on my phone. I woke and reached for my phone. I was so pleased to have received some money because I confirmed the money came from GiveDirectly. I waited for my husband and told him about the support program and the money received. The news was exciting and intriguing to him. He was pleased and after a discussion; we bought ourselves some clothes.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that have never taken part in a program that sends cash to its beneficiaries. Receiving a mobile phone as well has enabled me to communicate with my husband while at work and with my friends and family back at home. I am also grateful that with my new married life there is a difference in what I wear with my husband and all this is because of this support program.

I got married and moved to my home to start a new life as a married woman. My husband works as a motorcycle rider. We are newly married without a child. My husband has been taking care of all our basic needs but because of financial constraints, not able to buy me some new clothes. When I got enrolled in the support program, I received a mobile phone and so I received $10.6 which I used $8 to buy second-hand clothes for myself and my husband the remaining was enough to buy some sugar because I had run out of sugar on that day I received the cash. We were both delighted to have changed our wardrobe. I am grateful I got enrolled in the program.