My objective for this year is to persist in undertaking house repairs, primarily through the acquisition of additional stones and cement. A crucial part of the house still requires the replacement of the mud walls with sturdy stone walls. I am now reassured that my home can endure the impact of heavy rains, providing me with a sense of tranquility. I am immensely pleased that the financial assistance has enabled me to achieve this significant milestone of having a more resilient and improved house.

I obtained a solar light through a hire purchase arrangement to illuminate my home, making an initial deposit of $34 and subsequently paying the remaining amount in monthly installments. This solar light not only provides illumination for my house but also serves as a means to charge my phone. The improved lighting has significantly enhanced the ambience of my home during nighttime. Additionally, I allocated $34 towards renovating my house, which previously had mud walls before I received transfers from Give Directly. The funds facilitated the purchase of stones for repairs, resulting in a substantial improvement in the appearance of my house. I am relieved that the structure is now more stable, alleviating concerns about potential collapse due to the previous mud walls. During the festive season, I utilized the entire $34 to procure food and partake in joyful celebrations with my family. The transfers played a crucial role in creating lasting memories and fostering closer bonds among my family members.

I have devised a plan to allocate my upcoming transfers towards the purchase of livestock, specifically goats. I hold a positive outlook that these goats will reproduce and multiply, leading to an increase in their numbers and ultimately boosting my overall wealth. Currently, I face difficulties during the off-season months when job opportunities are scarce. By engaging in livestock rearing, I will establish a fallback option that can sustain me and my family, particularly during periods of when I am not at work. The financial support I have received thus far has played a significant role in enhancing the quality of life for my family. I am immensely grateful for this assistance, as it has enabled me to make strides in improving our circumstances. With the prospect of investing in livestock, I am hopeful that the subsequent transfers will continue to contribute to our well-being and provide a measure of stability for our future.

As the primary provider in my extended family, I bear the responsibility of supporting my five grandchildren and my son financially. Their education, as well as basic necessities like food and clothing, rely on my income. However, my occupation as a seasonal farm laborer, specifically operating a tractor for tilling during the rainy season, does not generate substantial earnings compared to the expenses I must cover for my family. Given these circumstances, I primarily utilized the financial transfers I received to purchase food for my family. The past three months were particularly challenging, as our own farms had not yet yielded a harvest, leaving us with no means to sustain ourselves. Consequently, we had no choice but to purchase food from the local store at significantly inflated prices. Despite the hardships, I find solace in the fact that the financial assistance I received ensured that my family did not go to bed on empty stomachs. It provided a crucial lifeline during a difficult period, alleviating the immediate concern of hunger. I am grateful for this support that has helped ease the burden on my shoulders as the sole breadwinner, enabling me to fulfill the basic needs of my extended family.

Due to the uncertainty of weather conditions, relying solely on one source of income has become challenging for me. As a result, I am compelled to explore alternative avenues for generating revenue. In the upcoming year and beyond, my intention is to make significant investments in acquiring and raising livestock. This approach would allow me to sell a portion of the livestock as their numbers increase, providing a financial boost when required. Alongside investing in livestock, I also intend to allocate some of the funds from these transactions towards purchasing food for my family.

I reside with my extended family, consisting of a total of eight members, including my wife, son, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren. Both my son and I share the responsibility of fulfilling the needs of our large family. While my son earns a living as a motorcycle taxi driver, I sustain myself as a peasant farmer, heavily relying on agricultural produce to support us. In April, I received my transfers at a time when the weather conditions had improved, and we had begun to receive some rainfall. Out of the $34 April transfers, I allocated $25 to prepare my one-acre plot for planting. The preparation process involved clearing the land of bushes, digging and softening the soil, and demarcating the area for efficient planting. Once the land was ready, I utilized the remaining funds to purchase herbicides and fertilizers, aiming to enhance the growth of my maize and bean crops. With the plentiful rainfall we have been receiving, unlike the limited precipitation of the past six years, I am confident that our crops will thrive. This optimistic outlook brings relief to our financial burdens, as it alleviates the difficulties we face in affording expensive food items from the stores.

To supplement the chickens I already had for raising, I bought three more for $10 using the transfers from the previous three months. They are profitable since they don't cost a lot to raise, especially since I raise mine in a free-range environment. With the remaining $84 I bought food for my family members. I rely on temporary jobs, but they are hard to come by. Sometimes I wait three weeks before finding one. In addition, my current health prevents me from participating in the majority of the accessible economic activities. The transfers have made it easier for me to pay for my family's bills, which makes me happy.

Three months ago, my tiny house collapsed because of the strong winds blowing in our village. This forced me to build a makeshift structure using poles and strong polythene bags to shelter in. I have been saving my money from my last transfer to buy iron sheets and build a strong and bigger house. When I received my recent transfer, I bought eleven pieces of iron sheets at KES 11000. I added the KES 9000 I had saved previously to buy all the pieces. Six more pieces are needed for the iron sheets to be complete. I plan on saving money from my next two transfers and purchasing the remaining pieces.

This year I my family and I moved and I had to begin constructing a new home for us. I partially built one side of the house so that my family and I would have somewhere to stay while I looked for funds to finish on what I had started concerning the house. Luckily I got enrolled into GiveDirectly and saw it as an opportunity finally finish up on my home. The last transfer I received I decided to buy a coconut tree that I planned on turning to timber since it was cheaper than buying the timber when it is already made. Now with the recent transfers I decided to buy a coconut tree as well so that when I finally made timber from it, it would be sufficient to complete the house. Buying the timber cost me my entire funds which was KES 3,000.

I live in a good home now. I used to live in one roomed house but my first transfer changed all this. I can now be able to say my home is habitable. I am so greatful for this and I think that this was one of the things give directly did well. Providing transfers to help me build a befitting home. My work has stopped because of the drought as I was a tractor driver and since there are no farms to dig I have no work. I was really disappointed when I saw the amount of transfers that we were to receive. I am greatful that this money in so many ways will improve my life but my wish is if it was abit more money so I could do my vegetables business which I was to source from kongowea and self employ myslef.

My first transfer was of great help in making me a home owner. I had been sitting at home with no job and my house was unfinished. I had moved out of the place we used to live with our extended family and moved to my own piece of land. I had built a small structure that still needed work and when I recieved the money I could afford to hire people to help me fetch water as I dug for soil and worked on finishing the house. I paid the boys for the water on a daily basis and one bucket cost me 20 shillings. A total of 1800 shillings went into this. I am now happy to inform you that we live in our completed house thanks to the give directly transfers. I was also able to buy 3 chicken at 400 shillings totalling 1200 shillings which I aim to breed to get chicks that I will sell for profit. I hope this will help me buy goats and other animals for my small farming business. I was also able to give my grandchildren and children a befitting Christmas also as a result of the second transfer. I gave my daughter-in-law 2000 shillings which she used to buy food while I spent 450 for chicked which was to used in food preparation for the day. I was also able to give my grandchildren some little money to help them get themselves sweets for the day. They were so overjoyed about the same.

I received the text message around lunchtime. I was resting in my house due to the severe hot weather that was there at that time. Upon looking into my phone I confirmed that I had received the money. I was delighted that I received the money since I was going through a tough time at that time of my life.

The money has made a big difference in my life. It has enabled me revive my hopes that I will be able to finish building up my house and change my life for the better and feed my family and ensure that I can provide for their needs.

I have always wanted to complete building my house. Before receiving the money, I had a plan to save the money to use to finish creating my house. But a few days after receiving the funds, a neighbor of mine passed away in our neighborhood. As religious customary requires, we as neighbors are to contribute a certain amount to help the excellent sendoff of the person. I took half of the money, a sum of KSH 1500, and donated it to that course. I also saved the other half awaiting the additional amount of money so that I can accumulate and finish up building up my house.