I have a goal to install a solar charging system in my house. I am happy that my sons bought me a solar panel, but they could not afford the other charging equipment like batteries. I aim to save money to purchase this equipment. Having these items will not only help fix charging and lighting issues in my household but also allow me to generate income by charging electric gadgets for my community for a fee. This will improve my independence after the cash transfers end and reduce my reliance on my sons, enabling them to focus on their own families.

When my husband passed away last year, I began relying mostly on my son's support and the cash transfers to meet my needs, especially for food. I'm relieved that even in his absence, my basic needs are still covered. When he passed, we had an unfinished house construction project, and most parts of the house were incomplete. The absence of a door left me feeling vulnerable to theft, and I spent many nights in fear. I'm grateful that the cash transfers played a significant role in completing this project. Recently, I spent $90 to purchase and install a steel door. Now, I feel safer and can confidently enjoy peaceful nights of sleep. I used the remaining amount of around $12 to buy food and lessen the burden on my sons. As I grow older, I can no longer engage in strenuous work to fend for myself, and I'm thankful that the cash transfers have been a lifeline for me.

My main objective is the expansion and growth of my goat business. The recent ample rainfall has allowed us to accumulate enough food to sustain us for several months. Consequently, I am focused on directing my upcoming transfers exclusively towards the purchase of more goats, viewing it as a strategic move to fortify and enhance my business. I firmly believe that investing in additional goats is a prudent and worthwhile venture. Reflecting on the progress I have achieved this far, I am content and genuinely grateful to GiveDirectly for the invaluable support they have extended, playing an important role in my success.

Two years ago, my life underwent a significant change when my husband passed away, leaving me alone and without a source of income. The house I resided in at that time was in a complete state of disrepair, and I am grateful that GiveDirectly entered my life precisely when I needed assistance. This support allowed me to restore the house to a satisfactory standard, utilizing $68 to acquire essential materials such as iron roofing sheets. Thanks to these financial transfers, I not only restored my home but also ventured into goat farming, resulting in a current herd of approximately twenty goats. The remaining $34 was wisely invested in acquiring another goat, serving as a financial safety net for unforeseen emergencies. GiveDirectly's support has genuinely transformed my life for the better, providing a sense of security and stability during challenging times.

I can no longer do menial jobs for a living like I used to when I was younger and stronger. I rely on my two sons, who work casual jobs like burning and selling charcoal and occasionally low-paying construction jobs. They also have large families to support. To alleviate the burden of relying on my son's support, I intend to save some money each month, purchase goats, keep them, and allow them to multiply. As a result, I am assured of meeting my personal financial needs without relying on them because I can easily sell the goats.

I am grateful to GiveDirectly because the transfer has helped me and my family cope with the challenge of a food shortage in my home. It would have been hard for me to adequately provide for my family had I not received the monthly transfers. For many years, I have depended on subsistence farming, but of late, it has not been promising after a long season of drought. Apart from the transfers, I do not have a single source of income that could have helped. I appreciate GiveDirectly because, despite the financial challenges, I was able to eat three meals a day. I have also been saving a portion of the money for the past few months, and I managed to buy a goat for $40. Previously, I didn’t own any livestock because I couldn't afford any. The goat is an asset to me, and I am expecting it to multiply. I will sell the offspring to settle my future financial needs.

Considering my advanced age, I cannot take on strenuous tasks to make money for my needs. Since I cannot also entirely depend on my children, who have families to raise, I believe keeping livestock is the best investment I can make to support me financially in the future. When I own a large herd of these animals, selling them to generate money will be easy. 

It has been a year since my husband passed away and left me without anyone to obtain financial support from. Though my sons occasionally buy me food whenever they can, I cannot totally depend on them as they have families to take care of. Therefore, Give Directly transfers have become my major source of income ever since. Months after my spouse passed on, our house’s roof was blown away by the wind, leaving a large hole that let in rainwater and cold. In my dedication to sealing the hole, I spent $20 from each of the three recent transfers to buy the grass and to compensate for thatching labor. Next, I bought food with the remaining amount as my house regularly runs out of food. For me, the cash transfers are God’s doing, which lifted me up during a trying time in my life; am eternally grateful. 

I want to thank the GiveDirectly staff for taking care of us during the enrollment process with kindness and patience. We trusted them and provided them with the information they required because of their exceptional kindness and eloquence. As of right now, everything is going well for the organization. I kindly ask them to continue to help the less fortunate members of society in the same way.

My shelter is a dilapidated, grass-thatched building that is on the verge of collapsing because of flimsy building poles. My dream is to construct a sizable, durable, and permanent home where I can feel secure. I engage in subsistence farming and sell the extra produce to make some money. My husband is elderly and unemployed. My source of income has been impacted by the severe effects of the drought that first began three years ago. As a result, I am unable to feed my family or save money to purchase building supplies for a new home. I therefore used my entire $30 transfer to purchase two sheets of iron sheet and two kilograms of stained steel nails. My long-term objective is to purchase additional building supplies like iron sheets, sand, cement, and pay the mason who will construct the house. I currently live in constant fear that my current home will collapse at any moment, so once I move into the new one, I will feel at peace.

I received a message alert when I was in bed around 9 p.m. Due to my inability to read, I waited till morning to ask my helper to help me understand the contents of the message. The following morning, she checked my phone and confirmed that Give Directly had sent the first transfer. To say the least, I was very happy. I am most excited about the opportunity the cash transfers will give me to repair my old house.

For a long time, my house has been in so bad shape that it could collapse at any time from adverse weather like strong winds or rainfall. My desire had always been to renovate it but lack of money always hindered me, mainly because the little income my sons generate cannot finance such an exercise. However, the story is drastically changing with the transfers. The ability to start my house repairing journey by acquiring iron sheets is the greatest impact the cash transfer has had on me.

My two sons, both working as hawkers in Mombasa and Mtwapa, are the sole providers of my household of three people. However, the little earnings they make can only cover food and nothing beyond. That is why requesting them to fund the repair of my house which is in poor condition has been difficult. The walls are crumbling from the weak tree poles. Also, the roof becomes wobbly under strong winds since the iron sheets and nails rusted over time. So, the cash transfer presented an ideal chance to renovate my house and I spent KES 2,700 on the purchase of two pieces of iron sheets. My goal is to assemble these materials and tree poles first, then hire a builder later to take on the project. Also, I used the remaining amount to buy maize flour since my household had just run out of food. At least it lasted my family one day, giving my sons a break to raise more money.