In the upcoming year and beyond, my goal is to acquire 22 pieces of iron sheets along with other necessary building materials to construct a sturdy house with an iron roof. Currently, I have been residing in a deteriorating grass-thatched hut, particularly vulnerable after the recent heavy rains. The structure is precariously supported by heavy poles on the sides, providing temporary reinforcement but likely insufficient in the face of another intense downpour. My strategy involves diligently saving to reach the targeted 22 iron sheets, and I am glad that I have already acquired 8 of them to start with. I am optimistic that with continued savings, I will gather the necessary materials to bring my construction plan to fruition and finally have a secure and decent iron-roofed house.

I have been diligently setting aside my monthly savings with the aim of constructing a sturdy house with an iron roof. For years, I have been residing in a vulnerable grass-thatched dwelling that frequently leaked, putting my belongings at risk. Recently, heavy rains further weakened the structure to the point of collapse, necessitating additional support with sturdy building poles. However, even with these reinforcements, the house remains precarious in the face of rain. In light of these challenges, I am determined to build a new, more secure home. This endeavor will require new building poles and 22 sheets of iron. I committed to saving $10 each month, allowing me to accumulate 8 iron sheets thus far. My ultimate goal is to reach the required number of sheets and commence construction. Unfortunately, my plans for saving were disrupted when my son fell seriously ill in October of last year. I had to allocate my resources towards his medical expenses, causing a delay in my house construction savings. Gratefully, my husband also benefits from the program, and together we managed to contribute to our son's medical bills. The cost of his treatment was significant, involving daily injections at $5 per day. This would have posed a considerable challenge for us if not for the financial assistance we received. I find solace in the fact that my son has been discharged and is on the path to recovery.

Currently, my primary focus is directed towards the construction of a new house. The existing house my family occupies is in a dilapidated condition. The roof leaks, allowing rainwater to seep inside and dampen the interior space. Additionally, this structure serves a dual purpose as both a living area and a kitchen. I have held the goal of securing a suitable and comfortable house for my family for quite some time. Unfortunately, my child's illness disrupted this plan, as a substantial portion of the cash transfers had to be allocated towards covering his medical expenses. Furthermore, to provide adequate care for my son during his illness, I had to temporarily suspend my palm wine-selling business. This, in turn, placed additional constraints on my sources of income. However, I am grateful that my son's health has been steadily improving, and I'm now determined to resume my efforts to acquire the necessary building materials. At present, I have managed to acquire eight iron sheets, but I need at least 22 more to complete the construction, in addition to obtaining the required building poles.

I used to support my family by selling palm wine, but due to my son’s illness, I had to pause my business to take care of him and cover his medical expenses. My husband does not have a stable job, and the casual jobs he gets do not provide a consistent or sufficient income to meet our daily needs. My son Charles, has been suffering from stomach ulcers, which required medical attention. I allocated $34 from the cash transfers to cover his medical treatment. Thankfully, he's now receiving treatment and showing signs of improvement. Additionally, I used $60 to purchase three pieces of iron sheets. My main goal is to build a new house for my family. The current house is in a poor state, and during the rainy season, water leaks in, making the living conditions uncomfortable. Moreover, our current shelter serves as both our living space and kitchen and the space is small.

Currently, my primary goal is to complete the construction of my house. It has been damaged for the past year, and I fear that it may completely collapse from the ongoing rains. Building a new structure is the only thing that is on my mind right now. I would be happy if I built a shelter with at least two rooms, that are made of mud walls and a tin roof. Once this objective is achieved, I can consider pursuing other endeavors. However, building the house is my current focus, and it occupies my thoughts more than anything else.

I have been purchasing iron sheets every month intending to construct a new house. My current house is in a poor state, and it causes suffering whenever it rains. The water that leaks in dampens the space exposing my family to cold infections. I aim to accumulate a total of 20 iron sheets to build a two-room house. From the recent transfer, I spent $30 to acquire three iron sheets, utilizing the remaining funds for food expenses. My husband primarily relies on casual labor in house construction, but these job opportunities are infrequent. In the past, I used to sell palm wine as an additional source of income. However, I had to discontinue this activity in February due to the need to care for my ailing child. Right now, the cash transfers are a crucial source of income to my household and I pray that they continue coming every month. 

I want to devote all of my time and resources to acquiring the necessary building supplies and starting the house's construction this year. My problems will subside and my life will become much simpler once I move into the new house. The house will enhance my children's living circumstances because the nighttime cold has harmed them.

My grass-thatched, one-room home is in terrible shape. Every time it rains, the numerous openings in the roof are a major annoyance. The house becomes infiltrated by the rainwater. The mud walls have numerous large openings and cracks that allow both hot and cold air to enter making it uncomfortable to live inside the house. Since enrolling in the program, my objective has been to construct a quality home for my family (husband, two children, and me). I've bought a total of seven pieces of iron sheeting since joining the program. Up until I have the required quantity to finish the house, I intend to keep buying more pieces. My transfers for January were no different, as I shelled out $30 to buy three more sheets of iron sheeting. I then used the final $4 to buy two packets of maize flour. I try to support my family by selling local palm wine, but the business is not doing well. The most severely impacted person is my husband, a casual worker who sometimes goes an entire week without finding work. I am very appreciative of the financial support I am receiving from the transfers as I work to improve my life's situation.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well first in coming up with the cash transfer program. Visiting the less privileged people and enrolling them into the program without any discrimination is what they are doing well. Lastly, giving cash aid is the best decision that the organization did. I just wish it to continue assisting the poor people and extend its support to reach many people living in poverty.

I spent my recent transfer to purchase 3 iron sheets. This was for the construction of a decent house for myself, the house that I own at the moment is old, mud-walled, grass-thatched which is leaking. Moreover, it is about to collapse something that poses a great risk for my family members. I am constantly worried that it may fall down anytime rendering us homeless. My goal is to construct a two-roomed, mud-walled iron-roofed one for the family. The plan is to slowly purchase the required building materials using the transfers that I am receiving from GiveDirectly. The six iron sheets that I have bought since I started receiving the transfer give me the hope that I will at long last achieve my desire of owning a better shelter.

At around 4 p.m., I received a message alert on my phone while I was relaxing at my compound. Since I cannot read, I asked my phone to check the contents of the message. I could not hide my excitement when he confirmed that Give Directly had sent the promised cash; I danced with joy.

The greatest difference brought by the cash transfer is my ability to finally assemble materials for a new house. For long, my family was sheltering under a structure with a leaking grass thatched house. Building a new house was challenging because I lacked the means to finance the construction exercise. Gladly, Give Directly is making this dream a reality. I bought two iron sheets with the money and the goal is to accumulate at least twenty before contracting a builder to take on the exercise.

My palm wine selling business has not been picking well during this drought season since the palm trees are drying up. I make so little profits that can barely put food on the table for a family of seven people. So, the moment I received the cash transfer from Give Directly, I channeled KES 650 towards maize flour because the household had run out of food. I spent KES 2,000 on two pieces of iron sheets for a new house. My current house is in poor condition. The grass-thatched roof that has decayed over time, lets in rainwater which dampens the mud floor. I intend to assemble around 20 pieces of iron sheets before constructing the new two-room house to accommodate my family. I used the remaining amount to buy a chicken. The goal is to start rearing again after my chickens perished following a contagious disease that spread across the flock.