Repairing the collapsed section of our house is currently my top priority to safeguard the health and well-being of my children, particularly the youngest one, from exposure to cold and potential health risks. Once this renovation is completed, my focus will shift towards investing in goats, which have long been my preferred type of livestock. Goats are an ideal investment due to their ease of care and ability to generate income during times of financial need. They are resilient animals that can thrive in various environmental conditions, making them suitable for our circumstances. Additionally, goats have a high reproductive rate, allowing for the expansion of our herd over time. By investing in goats, I aim to create a sustainable source of income and a financial safety net for my family. In times of financial urgency, I can easily sell some goats to meet immediate needs, while also benefiting from their ability to provide milk and other products for consumption. Overall, repairing our house and investing in goats represent critical steps towards enhancing the stability and resilience of our household, ensuring a better future for my children and myself.

Receiving my monthly transfers has significantly impacted my ability to manage various household needs and unforeseen expenses. Upon receipt of the transfers, I allocate $10 towards savings within a local group comprising six other GiveDirectly beneficiaries. The remaining funds are then distributed across essential expenditures, including food, clothing, medical expenses, school supplies, and occasional investments, such as purchasing chickens. In November, I utilized a portion of the transfer to acquire two chickens for $10, while allocating $12 towards covering my son's medical expenses. The following month, December, saw me invest $20 in purchasing new clothes for the children. As January approached, the entirety of the $34 transfer was dedicated to procuring essential school items for my son, who was transitioning to junior secondary school. Moreover, the transfers have been instrumental in addressing unexpected emergencies, such as renovating sections of our house damaged by rainfall. By leveraging the transfers, we have been able to procure necessary construction materials, including poles, thereby advancing progress towards completing this renovation project. Overall, the transfers have served as a lifeline for managing our household's financial needs, addressing emergencies, and facilitating investments in the pursuit of long-term stability and prosperity.

My ultimate goal is to own goats. I've been trying to keep chickens, but they often succumb to coccidiosis. I bought two hens with the cash transfers, and they also fell victim to the disease. This has discouraged me from continuing to raise poultry. I believe that goats have a better survival rate and are more resilient, which is why I'm now focusing on them. I aim to build wealth by raising goats so that when the transfers end, I can sell them to support my children's education.

I usually save $10 from each cash transfer in a savings club. My goal is to accumulate enough money to buy livestock, particularly goats. I've always wanted to own livestock, but the lack of funds has been a challenge. I believe that having livestock will allow me to build up enough wealth to generate funds in the future to support my children's education. Currently, their father is the sole breadwinner, but his work in house construction is quite scarce, making it difficult for him to cover all the school expenses for our three children. I'm grateful that the cash transfers have helped bridge that gap by allowing me to contribute to the children's school fees. I also used part of the money to settle $12 in tuition debts and spent $6 on new shoes for each of the children to wear to school, as their old shoes were torn beyond repair. Additionally, I recently had a baby, and the funds helped me acquire new clothing for her, for which I spent around $44.

I have a plan in the near future to enhance our living situation by expanding our house with an additional room that will serve as our children's bedroom. Presently, our single-roomed house is already quite crowded. Additionally, I intend to acquire a goat for raising, which will not only serve as a lasting reminder of the positive impact of GiveDirectly but also provide a means of sustenance for our family.

In our savings group, consisting of five members, we regularly save $10 each month from the transfers we receive from Givedirectly. This month followed the same pattern, and I saved $10 as usual. However, this time it was my turn to receive the savings. With the savings I received, I finally fulfilled my long-held desire to purchase a mattress, which cost $56. Previously, due to financial constraints, I couldn't afford it. I used to sleep on an old, worn-out mattress that was so uncomfortable that I would wake up feeling more tired than when I went to bed. Additionally, I allocated $18 from the transfers to pay the school fees of my three children: Saumu, Pendo, and Ezra, who are in grades 6, 5, and 3 respectively. The remaining amount from the transfers was used for buying food.

I would like to buy a mattress for myself. My current mattress is so old and is totally worn out you can feel the ground. It is so uncomfortable to sleep on this mattress due to this issue. I want to make sure that when I get some money I can buy a new mattress at $36. I also want to add another room to my house. My house is currently one roomed. My wish is when I get money i may buy iron sheets, at least 2 sheets when I can, so I can add that room. I want to buy goats too when things get better. If my husbands gets jobs at a better rate, It will take care of the needs at home and so I can buy goats and chicken.

My husband is our breadwinner. He works in construction as a casual worker and his work has been going down since December last year. We have had a hard time since, we sometimes have money for food sometimes we do not, and even school fee debts have been had to resolve with this state. I also started a small business out of house where I sell general items but it is small and hasn't been making much. I have three school going children, the eldest is in class 6, the follower is in class 5, and another is in class 3. I had a debt at their school which I am still being asked for. I used $8 from the transfer and bought books, $1 for pens, and paid school fees worth $15 to reduce on the debts. I also bought four bags of flour at $1.9 as their was no food at home.

GiveDirectly plays a pivotal role in ensuring that its potential recipient is well-informed. It conducts sensitization programs that aim to make recipients comprehend its way of operation. It does not practice partiality and ensures that every household is visited during the enrolment stage. Furthermore, it ensures that recipients' safety is upheld by using mobile money platform to send the transfer. As a result of this cash transfer, villages are experiencing positive transformation. However, I have not yet witnessed what it does not do well.

To be a good mother to my children, I run a few small businesses to supplement my income. Fortunately, my husband works in construction, so we are always assured of daily meals despite the hard economic times. However, his work is irregular, and he may go days without working. This makes it difficult for us to raise school fees and purchase new uniforms for our children. So, when I got my transfer, I spent $6.5 on a new uniform for my daughter, Saumu, who is in fifth grade. Her uniform was old and unappealing to her classmates. I also paid a $5 school fee for one of the three children. Lastly, I bought four hens for $8 and am planning to raise them as part of my live assets.

After having finished doing the house chores, I decided to peruse through my phone message log where I realized that GiveDirectly had already sent me cash. For a moment, I could not contain myself for I was overwhelmed with joy. Since it was already late, no withdrawal could be affected. However, I woke up very early in the morning went to the nearest Mpesa agent, withdrew some cash and bought food for my family. It was quite remarkable that it was the first time in many days that my family was cooking it's own food. Moving forward they have never gone with out any meal.

The biggest difference in my life since I started getting GiveDirectly's cash transfer is that we have never missed food in our house thus desisting from seeking hands out from relatives. We are now self dependent courtesy of GiveDirectly Cash transfer program.

Two days before getting the cash transfer, I was down financially thus I could not fend for my family. This made me depend on hand out from my relatives for the survival of my family. However, things became better when I received the cash transfer and bought foodstuff for we did not have to beg anymore. Even though my husband is a casual labourer, he has not been able to fend for the family due to his deteriorating health. To add salt to the injury, my business which would supplement our income also crumbled down. However, we were quick to forget our tribulations since GiveDirectly had come to our rescue. Thanks GiveDirectly.