My goal in the coming year and beyond is to repair my house and make it safe for occupation. Currently, the walls are made of mud, and the poles used in its construction have weakened over time. This has caused some of the walls to develop huge cracks and lean to one side, making the house almost ready to collapse. To address this, I plan to reinforce the walls by building stone pillars. These pillars will strengthen the structure and make it more durable. To achieve this goal, I plan to save more money in the savings group over the upcoming months and use the funds to repair my house. I am very appreciative of the financial support that is helping me work towards this important goal, ensuring a safer and more secure home for my family.

I recently joined a savings group comprising six members. Each month, we contribute $14, and the total amount is handed over to one member who decides how to use it for their benefit. So far, I've contributed $42 to the savings group, and I plan to use my share to purchase building materials and renovate my house, which is currently in a dilapidated condition. I also invested in livestock by spending $13 to purchase two hens and $20 to buy a goat. This is a strategic investment for my future; once they multiply, I can sell some to cater to my needs. Additionally, I paid $10 in school fees for my grandchildren, ensuring they stayed in school and weren't sent home due to unpaid fees. To make sure my family had enough food, I spent $17 on groceries, which ensured we never skipped meals. Thanks to the financial support from the transfers and the little profit I earn from selling food commodities, I am confident that I will be able to save enough money to repair my house and make it safe for my family. I am truly happy and grateful for the support that is helping me work towards these goals.

My primary accomplishment this year is to save enough money to buy cement. My goal is to build a four-room rental house. This investment will ensure that even after the financial support ends in the next five years, I will have a stable source of income from the rent paid by tenants. I am very happy with the financial support from the transfers. It has revived my dream of completing the construction of these rental houses.

Immediately after I was enrolled in the cash program, I joined a savings group consisting of seven members, each contributing $14 monthly. At the end of each month, the collected amount is given to one member who decides how to use it. Years ago, I purchased a piece of land but couldn't develop it due to financial constraints. My husband lost his job and returned home, and together we ventured into farming as our main source of livelihood. Recently, my husband and I, both members of the savings group, received our share of the transfers. We used the money cumulatively to purchase 30 pieces of iron sheets. With the previous allocation from our savings, we bought building stones. Our goal is to build rental homes that will generate income in the coming years. From my transfers, I saved $62. Additionally, I spent $30 to purchase three pieces of iron sheets to repair the roof of my house, which had been blown away. I also bought three hens for $10. I paid $5 in school fees for my grandchildren, ensuring they could continue their education without interruptions. Lastly, I spent $10 on food, ensuring my family had enough to eat and never missed any meals. I am very appreciative of the financial support. It has helped me and my family invest wisely for the future.

I am currently working on finishing my incomplete rental house with the goal of generating a steady source of rental income. My husband and I are both involved in this project and are committed to its success. To fund the completion of the house, I am saving my transfers and contributing $12 to a savings group. When my turn comes up, I plan to use the accumulated funds to purchase iron sheets for construction. Additionally, I am diversifying our income streams by investing in livestock. I have bought chickens and goats, which I intend to sell to generate additional funds for the house's completion. At present, I have six goats and several chickens, and my ultimate goal is to see the project through to its successful conclusion. Once the house is occupied by tenants, the rental income will provide a consistent and reliable source of financial stability for our family.

My husband and I have been struggling with finances while trying to provide for our family, as his income is not enough to meet our various needs. However, I found a potential business opportunity to generate additional income for us. We own a piece of land where we began constructing a rental house. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, we were unable to complete the roofing, leaving it partially finished. To address this, I decided to focus on finishing the construction so that it can attract tenants and generate rental income. Recently, I joined a merry-go-round with six participants, contributing $12 monthly. When it is my turn, I plan to use my accumulated savings to purchase iron sheets to complete the roofing. I also contributed $20 from the latest transfer and added to my husband's savings, and purchased some of the required iron sheets. Additionally, I invested in livestock by purchasing two chickens and a goat for $30. With a goal of increasing their numbers, I currently own six goats, aiming to sell them to further support the construction of our rental house. I spent the remaining amount on essential expenses, including purchasing foodstuffs. I also invested in some new clothes and household items that were lacking in our home, contributing to our overall well-being.

My unwavering focus centers on completing the construction of my rental house. This project has been a long-cherished dream, and I am determined to see it through to the finish line. As I near the final stages of construction, I can envision the doors opening to welcome tenants and the prospect of generating a stable income stream. Not only will this accomplishment provide financial security, but it also represents a significant step towards achieving my long-term goals.

Managing a family of eleven has always been a struggle, and the recent unconditional cash transfer couldn't have come at a better time. I realized it was crucial to secure the merry-go-round savings, a tradition that's been our financial backbone since I started receiving this cash. So, I wisely tucked away $10 to ensure its continuity, knowing that it's a lifeline for our financial stability. With my daughter's final primary school exams looming, I allocated $14 to cover her tuition fees. Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, and I am determined to see her succeed. Additionally, I made another investment in our future: I bought a chicken for $5. This will not only provide a source of protein for my large family but also a potential income stream from selling eggs. In a world where my spouse and sons depend on casual labor for income, every small step toward self-sufficiency is a victory. With the remaining $5.7, I stocked up on food supplies, making sure my family wouldn't go hungry. This financial assistance has not only eased my immediate concerns but also provided a foundation for a more secure future.

We recently formed a merry-go-round group of five people, and I've been saving $10 every month since then. My goal is to save enough money to purchase building materials such as iron sheets and building poles. I have a four-room rental house in a trading centre that could have generated a good income, but because its walls are made of mud and the roof is dilapidated, only one tenant moved in, and I am currently only receiving $5 per month from the tenant. I intend to replace the roof with new iron sheets and rebuild the walls with bricks using the monthly transfers. This will attract many tenants, increasing earnings to at least $25 per month. This is what I want to accomplish in the coming year and beyond.

I have been saving at least $10 per month in our merry-go-round group of five people. When it is my turn, I intend to use the money to purchase iron sheets to renovate my rental house. It is dilapidated, and its walls are deteriorating due to mud construction. This has scared away some tenants, and only one person has rented so far. As a result, I intend to purchase building materials, renovate the property, and attract more tenants. It will be able to generate more income this way. In addition, I used $10 of my recent transfers to hire laborers to weed my maize crops. For a long time, the rain has been insufficient, but recently it has been promising, and I believe I will have a good harvest. I won't have to spend much money on food once I have enough in my house. I can redirect the money I spent on food to meet other needs. Finally, in our group, we have been buying goats for each other, and when my turn came, I was able to purchase a goat, and I now own three goats. These are also assets on which I can rely in the event of a financial emergency. I also used the money to buy food, which has cost me $14 in the last few months.

I had a project where I constructed four rental rooms on a plot of land I purchased a while back near Mariakani, a few kilometers from my home. I had to put the project on hold owing to a lack of funding because the crops that we previously relied on for money were failing as a result of the ongoing drought. My goal is to save at least $10 every month from the transfers, and if all goes according to plan, I should have enough to finish the project in around a year or so with help from proceeds from my charcoal business.

In an effort to build up enough resources to support me in completing a waiting project, I saved $30 from the previous three transfers. In addition, with a little help from my spouse, I spent another $36 for a sheep and three chickens for raising. I used the remaining money to buy food for my family throughout the holiday season, and to settle some debts at our neighborhood mall that we had purchased on credit.

I am grateful that Give Directly is providing us with unconditional transfers to help us transform our lives. As the sole breadwinner in my family, I was responsible for all aspects of providing for the family, which was extremely difficult. My husband and I are recipients of the transfers, and the funds greatly assist us in meeting the needs of our family that I was unable to meet. I urge the organization to continue its good work of assisting vulnerable members of society to enrich their lives and lead a good life free of poverty.

I am my family's (husband and daughter) sole breadwinner . At the start of the corona pandemic, my husband lost his job. He has been unable to find another job since then due to his age and lack of education. I work as a casual laborer, making and selling charcoal. I make very little money from the business (350 per sack). On average, I can only make three sacks per week. It takes more than a week from start to finish. While waiting for the charcoal to be ready, I frequently buy food on credit from the store to keep my family from sleeping on empty stomachs. As a result, when I received my first transfer, I spent $10 on food, which we didn't have much of. I saved $10 in "Chama" with a total of five members, with the intention of saving a lot and investing the money at the end of the year to buy livestock. Purchasing livestock is a wise investment because they will multiply and double my wealth over time. Finally, I used the remaining $10 and some savings to purchase a goat. I purchased the goat as a source of motivation for accumulating wealth through livestock rearing.

I was in my home preparing porridge for my family's supper. All that was left was a small amount of maize flour, insufficient to serve the entire family. I got a text message on my phone while I was cooking, and when I checked it, I saw that it was my first transfer. I was so delighted that tears of delight freely ran down my cheeks. My husband was elated when I told him the good news later that night.

It has been difficult to adequately support my family due to my erratic revenue source. I'm happy that I was able to buy food for my family because I got the transfers in a timely manner. This fundamentally affected our lives since it saved us from starving.

One year ago, my husband's job selling hens and eggs in Mombasa town was terminated. He hasn't found a new job since returning to the hamlet. I currently provide all of the family's financial support. I make a living by selling charcoal across the neighborhood. My customers prefer to utilize readily available and less expensive fuel, like firewood, so selling charcoal is challenging. I bought food for the family with the KES 800 I received as my first transfer. The reason for this is that I hadn't had any sales for the previous three days and we had nothing to eat at home. In addition to food, I purchased a hen. I've always wanted to pursue poultry farming, but I've been prevented from doing so by a lack of resources.