For the past six years, I have been battling a persistent illness with constant fluctuations in my blood pressure. Despite frequent hospital visits, the problem has persisted and deteriorated my health. Every month, I travel to and from the hospital for check-ups to ensure my blood pressure is at the recommended level. I spent $50 on transportation, doctor fees, and purchasing prescribed medicines. I am glad my health is improving, and with the help of the transfers, I am optimistic about getting better. I also spent $15 on the monthly fee for my solar panel, which provides light for my house. Additionally, I saved $15 with the aim of purchasing livestock as an investment for the future. With the recent rains, I plowed my 1-acre farm, preparing it for planting and hoping for continued rains to guarantee a bumper harvest. Lastly, I purchased food worth $4, ensuring I had enough to eat and never had to sleep on an empty stomach. I am very happy and appreciative of the financial support. Despite my health condition preventing me from working, this support helps me take care of my immediate needs. It has also reduced the burden on my son, who has been taking care of me, which is a relief for both of us.

My goal for the coming year and beyond is to invest in purchasing livestock, especially goats. They will multiply over time, and once the herd grows large, I can sell some during emergencies to meet my needs. Additionally, I plan to build a proper shelter for the goats. Currently, we share the same house with the goats, which is not good for my health. I am very grateful for the financial transfers, which have transformed my life and enabled me to get proper medication.

Last year, I needed to prepare my land for the planting season. So, I hired a pair of oxen to plow my three acres of land. This was necessary because my old tools were not efficient enough to cultivate the whole area in a reasonable amount of time. Thanks to the oxen, I was able to harvest enough maize to provide plenty of food for my household. However, I had not paid off the debt for hiring the oxen until recently. When I received my recent transfer, I cleared the debt of $25. In addition to this, I also saved $10 at our local merry-go-round over the past few months. I have been sleeping on old mats or even on bare ground, which is not good for my health. Therefore, I plan to use the savings to buy a new mattress and a wooden bed to replace the old bedding. Having a new sleeping arrangement will ensure that I can sleep comfortably and avoid any health issues. I also purchased a chicken for $4, which I added to my poultry. I am now breeding four chickens, and I hope they will multiply as time goes by. I can sell some of them to meet my financial needs when I am faced with a financial crisis. Finally, the transfers arrived during the festive seasons of New Year and Christmas. So, I did some shopping for food and household items to celebrate with my family.

I'm planning to change my sleeping arrangement as it has not been comfortable. I have been using an old traditional bed, mats, and rags as my bedding, which have not been able to offer me a good sleep. To achieve this, I have started saving by joining a merry-go-round group where I contribute $10 every month. My goal is to purchase a new bed and mattress to replace the old bedding. Having a good quality sleep is not only beneficial for my health but also an improvement to my living standard. Once I have achieved this, I plan to invest in more livestock, such as chickens and goats. They are valuable assets that I can rely on in case of financial needs. Currently, I own four chickens and four goats.

After enduring a year-long drought, a welcome bout of rain rejuvenated my ability to resume farming. My livelihood is entirely dependent on subsistence farming, which has consistently provided food security for my family. A successful harvest not only minimizes food shortages but also reduces our expenses. I did not hesitate when I received my recent funds; I invested nearly $100 to plough my five-acre farm, cultivated maize crops, and eventually reaped a bountiful harvest. The impact was immediate. Our expenses on food significantly decreased compared to when the drought hit us. My family now enjoys three satisfying meals daily, thanks to the ample food supply. Furthermore, this windfall has opened doors for me to use the funds for other ventures, such as poultry farming. Presently, I am tending to nine chickens that I acquired using the funds, with aspirations to establish a full-scale poultry project that can yield substantial income. In addition to these endeavours, I also acquired a solar panel on a convenient credit basis. I have been managing to pay $4 weekly in advance without encountering financial strain. Finally, I spent $20 towards medical expenses when I fell ill, ensuring I received the necessary treatment without any financial hardships. I am grateful for these opportunities that have improved my family's well-being and opened up new possibilities for our future.

In the coming year and beyond, my intention is to invest in livestock, particularly chickens and goats. Financial hardships have frequently left me struggling to meet even the most basic needs of my household. I lack a consistent source of income and rely solely on subsistence farming, without any additional employment opportunities to support my family adequately. I firmly believe that owning livestock is a promising venture in our economically challenged area. These animals serve as valuable assets that I can rely on to overcome my financial difficulties. Currently, I already have two goats and nine chickens that I am raising within my homestead. My overarching goal is to acquire more goats and chickens, nurturing them to multiply in numbers. This will enable me to sell these animals when needed, providing a dependable solution to my financial challenges and ultimately lifting me out of any financial crisis.

After receiving the transfer, I allocated $10 to weed my maize farm, ensuring the cleanliness of the land for healthy crop growth. Although the entire area is not yet cleared, I am grateful that the cash transfers helped me make significant progress. Furthermore, as the household had run out of food the previous night and my son, who usually supports us, had not sent any money yet, I used $10 to purchase additional food. It provided us with sustenance until my son was able to contribute. I also managed to save $10 through a self-help group. My goal is to accumulate enough funds to hire people to work on the remaining part of my farm. Lastly, I used the remaining $4 to pay for solar bills, ensuring that my house had access to electricity for our daily needs. It was important to maintain a reliable source of power for our household.

I plan to construct a separate house for my goats, as I currently have four of them. They currently sleep in one of the rooms in my two-room house, which is quite inconvenient and unhygienic. Once the ongoing farm work is completed, I intend to start assembling materials like iron sheets towards building a stable shelter for my goats. This will provide them with a suitable and comfortable living environment, while also allowing my family to have more space in our own living space.

Due to my advanced age, I no longer have the physical strength to actively work for an income. I rely on my son, who works as a casual laborer in Mombasa to send me money for my needs like food, soap, and clothing. Depending on him weighs him down a lot considering he already bears the strain of providing for his wife and four children. Whenever I get an opportunity to fend for myself, I utilize it wisely to fit my needs and relieve him of the pressure; he deserves it. This is why I used the most recent transfer to buy food worth $24 and pay debts amounting to $10 at the shop where I had acquired food on credit. I spent the previous two transfers on obtaining two goats. I pray that they reproduce and increase the herd so that I can sell them in the future to raise finances for my needs and support my son. 

Currently, my focus is on building a shed for my three goats. Since I acquired them, they have been sheltering under the same roof as me, which I presume is not healthy. Besides, as these animals reproduce, they will need a larger space for the offspring, which my one-room house cannot provide. I would be happy if I could save enough money from future transfers to construct the shed in a span of a year. 

Since I am unable to work, my son provides all of my financial support. My biggest barrier to taking care of myself is a paralyzed leg. My son works on odd jobs in the city, doing manual labor on building sites and peddling goods by the side of the road. It is challenging to financially support me because he doesn't work daily. When he doesn't send me money, I am forced to go without food or buy it on credit, which results in debt. So, after receiving my first transfer, I went shopping and spent $10. I have enough food to last me two weeks since I live alone. Having this much food gives me enough peace of mind to know that I won't go without eating because of a lack of funds. Additionally, I save the $20 that is left in the hopes of using it to purchase a goat when I get my next transfer. I want to start raising livestock so I can make money by buying and selling animals. I'll be able to take care of myself and move closer to financial freedom as a result.

I'm particularly grateful to the GiveDirectly team who attended to us during the enrollment process with care and patience. To ensure that I have a better life than I did before, the organization's funding is essential. I have hope that with the right investment strategy, I can change my life and achieve financial security. I kindly request that the organization send the money, according to the scheduled dates each month because I am completely dependent on it. Delays prevent me from making food purchases or timely debt payments.

My health has recently gotten worse to the point where I can no longer work. I am unable to move around because my leg is painful and swollen. I now depend on my son who works as a casual laborer, building houses for people. The scarcity of employment within our village has made it impossible for him to acquire a job. With no source of income to buy food, I accrued a lot of debts totaling to KES 1000 by buying food on credit. When I received my transfer, I completely paid back the loan I owed the shopkeeper. I also purchased two hens as a long-term investment. In the likely event I have an emergency, I can sell them and use the money to attend to the problem. Finally, I spent the remaining KES 1400 on buying food, I bought five packets of maize flour, two kilograms of sugar and a kilogram of beans. This guaranteed that I had plenty of food for the next two weeks until I can figure out where to acquire money and buy more.

The transfer significantly impacted my ability to purchase food. I was having a difficult time both financially and physically. The fact that I was taking on additional debt while having no way to pay it back stressed me out immensely. I'm appreciative that the transfer enabled me to pay off my debts and purchase food during this trying time.

I was at home gathering the small twigs from the nearby trees to use as firewood to cook supper. My phone rang very loudly catching my attention. I was intrigued, when I heard that I had got my first transfer after reading the contents of the message. With the aid of my walking stick I headed towards the house where I conveyed the good news to my grandson. Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks as my heart was overflowing with joy.