I am an elderly woman relying entirely on my son for financial support, as I no longer have the energy to work due to my age and ongoing health struggles. My son, a casual laborer, has been shouldering the responsibility of caring for me, but the expenses, particularly for my medical check-ups, have been a significant burden. Since enrolling in the program, I have been able to allocate some of the funds to improve my health. Recently, I spent $21 on medication and doctor visits, which has alleviated some of the financial strain on my son. Additionally, I used $36 for food purchases, ensuring I have adequate nutrition to support my health. With this assistance, I have also been able to invest in the future by purchasing a goat for $45, adding to my livestock holdings. This investment provides a safety net for emergencies and future needs. I am grateful for the financial support, especially in managing my health and easing the burden on my son.

As an elderly woman, my health has been a primary concern, but thanks to the financial support from Give Directly, I have been able to access necessary medical care, leading to significant improvements in recent months. This support has been invaluable in ensuring that I can address health issues promptly whenever they arise. Looking ahead, I intend to invest further in livestock, providing a source of income and stability even after the financial assistance ends in the next three years. I am grateful for the support from the transfers, which has had a positive impact on both my health and financial security.

My current residence faces issues with a worn-out and leaking roof, exacerbated during recent heavy rains. This compelled me to rearrange my household items to accommodate sleeping space, creating a challenging living situation. In response to this, I wisely saved $34 from the recent transfers with the intention of accumulating more to purchase ten iron sheets. This investment will fortify my roof, provide a secure and comfortable sleeping space, and alleviate concerns about rain-related issues. Allocating $44, I also decided to invest in livestock, acquiring a goat and five chickens. With these additions, I now possess two goats and ten chickens, valuable assets that can serve as a financial fallback if needed. Given my physical weakness due to old age, I spend most of my time at home, and I am no longer engaged in active work. Owning livestock becomes a significant investment capable of generating income when required. I used part of the transfer for home-based medical check-ups and treatment, covering my medical bills and expenses. Additionally, I ensured my family's well-being by purchasing foodstuffs, guaranteeing that we were adequately fed and would never face food shortages.

My existing roof is prone to leaks whenever it rains, compelling me at times to seek refuge with neighbors or rearrange my belongings for space. To address this issue, I am planning to set aside a portion of the monthly transfers for the purpose of acquiring ten new iron sheets and renovating the roof. The objective is to establish a stable roof that not only shields me from the impact of rain but also provides a comfortable sleeping space suitable for my advancing age, promoting better health. Upon achieving this renovation, my subsequent goal is to invest in livestock, particularly goats and chickens, and engage in their rearing. This step aims to diversify my assets and create additional sources of sustenance.

Due to my advanced age, I am unable to work, and I rely on the assistance of my two daughters-in-law for food preparation and care. They provide me with food from their households, even though their husbands earn meager incomes from casual jobs in the village. One works in house construction, and the other works on people's farms. Both of them have their own families to support, which places an additional burden on them. My daughter, who lives with me, is also elderly and cannot engage in strenuous work to provide for us. Therefore, my sons primarily bear the responsibility of providing for us. I am at an advanced stage of life and desire to live comfortably with adequate sustenance and access to proper medication for my epilepsy condition. I am pleased that the cash transfers have enabled me to access regular medication, resulting in an improvement in my condition, with fewer episodes. At the time I received the cash transfers, I already had a prescription from the previous month. Therefore, I only spent $5 to purchase food supplies like sugar and milk to enjoy tea. Since we had recently harvested our crops, food was not a concern in my household at that time. I saved the remaining amount because I understand its importance for securing and replenishing my medication in the future.

Now that we have recently harvested and my family is assured of sufficient food for the upcoming months until the end of the year, I plan to allocate my cash transfers toward the purchase of livestock, particularly chickens and goats. Additionally, I intend to continue saving for my medication, as my epilepsy condition requires ongoing treatment. I am happy that I already have one goat that I acquired through previous cash transfers. I also aim to expand my livestock holdings by raising chickens. These animals will not only serve as a means to build wealth for the future but will also provide a source of nutrition, as I can prepare them for my grandchildren when they visit. With around 50 grandchildren, I anticipate the need for a substantial herd of livestock.

My household is only made of my daughter and I, both of whom are advanced in age and can barely fend for ourselves. Since my daughter is younger with more physical strength, sometimes she takes on charcoal-burning tasks or works on people's farms to buy food and pay for my medication. I have been suffering from epilepsy, which needs constant medication to contain. I thank God because, by the time I received the recent cash transfer, I had not experienced an episode for over a month. So, I figured it was best if I bought a goat; I spent $32 on the same. Given the poor financial situation in my house, am certain that once the goat reproduces, I could sell it to alleviate the hardships, especially by buying food. I contributed the remaining $2 to buy food.

I am happy that the previous cash transfers allowed me to build a new one-room house after the old one collapsed. However, during construction, I transferred some of the old iron sheets to the new structure. When the rains started, I found that the roof was letting in water through the old iron sheets, which dampened my room. My focus is renovating that side of the house by installing a new tin roof. Despite the tight financial constraints in my household, I hope to be able to save some money to start buying the roofing materials and seal the damage.

Due to my advanced age, I cannot work. So I rely on my two daughters-in-law to prepare food and serve me from their pots. Though not regularly, food is the only essential that their husbands can provide given the scant earnings they make from doing casual jobs here in the village. For years, I had yearned for a bigger house to accommodate my two daughters and I, but it had been impossible due to lack of money. That is why I invested most of my transfer amounts to build a two room house. I bought irons sheets worth $20 to complete the house that I had started building through previous transfers. I spent $1 on a pair of sandals since I used to get burns from walking barefoot. Lastly I was happy to contribute the remaining amount towards the purchase of food to help relieve the burden on my son's shoulders.

The cash transfers are the only source of income my daughter and I have. Considering that we are both of advanced age, our bodies can no longer endure the physical strains of casual tasks like making charcoal to make money. Also, given the prolonged drought which has hindered farming, we are forced to spend every cent we get on food so that we do not starve. Though there is little to save for other wants, I would desire to have bought at least four goats by the end of the year.

I spent KES 1000 to seek medical care for myself. I have been suffering from a stomach problem together with epilepsy. This condition has been eating up most of my savings rendering me extremely poor. This is a result of the constant medical check. I saved KES 2000 to assist me whenever I encounter any financial problems and I required quick medical attention. I am planning to spend the next transfer to purchase one goat so that I may start livestock rearing.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well in coming up with the cash transfer program. In addition, the close follow-up after every transfer ensures that there are maximum benefits from the transfer. I can say there is nothing that the organization did not do well.

I had been sick for over 4 years now, I have been struggling with suffering epilepsy. I have been under medical check-ups for all that time but I have never recovered fully. I spent KES 500 to seek advanced medical assistance, I am happy that I have been feeling better day by day after the medication. With the remaining amount, I bought enough food for the family. I am planning to spend the next on purchasing worm cloth since it is the beginning of the cold season in our area. I also plan to use some of my money to boost my poultry rearing.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I was able to seek proper medical care. Before, I lack the finances to go for a medical check-up because of the poverty challenge. Moreover, I am able to eat well after purchasing enough food for myself.

I was in my house relaxing when I heard my phone ringing. Being old and sick I could not comprehend the content of the messages. I had to call me helper who came and confirmed my account balance and informed to me that I had received the transfer. It was a joyous moment in my life for receiving my transfer. I had anxiously awaiting for it from the day I was enrolled into the program.