I currently work as a motorbike taxi driver to earn some income to support my family. However, I don’t earn much, as I hire the motorbike on a daily basis and have to split the income with the owner. Before these transfers end, I want to invest in goat rearing. Growing my herd will provide a valuable safety net for any financial emergencies. I save part of each transfer in our savings group to ensure I reach this goal. I prefer goats because they multiply quickly, which increases their value rapidly. Having a reliable source of income gives me peace of mind, and once I have a strong herd, I plan to leave the motorbike business and focus fully on goat rearing. This will allow me to support my family financially with much greater ease.

My current house is in poor condition; although it has an iron roof, the roof has developed holes, so when it rains, water leaks in on us. Because of this, I'm working hard to build a better home. I'm glad I’ve been able to finish purchasing building materials with the help of these transfers. From my most recent transfer, I saved $24 toward reaching the amount needed to pay the builder so they can begin construction. I also spent $44 on food and water for my family, as we had none. It’s been a long time since we had rain, so we have to buy water since our local sources have dried up. I used the remaining $34 to contribute to our family gathering fund, as my relatives organized a get-together, and everyone was asked to contribute to support the celebrations. I am deeply grateful for the support from GiveDirectly, which has significantly reduced our financial burden.

In the coming year and beyond, my main goal is to acquire more goats. Increasing my herd will provide a valuable safety net in case of any financial emergencies. I plan to use my savings along with upcoming transfers to achieve this. Having a reliable source of income from my goats will bring me great peace of mind and satisfaction. I am genuinely grateful for the progress I have made, all thanks to the support from GiveDirectly.

I operate a boda boda taxi to support myself and provide for my child. It has been a constant struggle due to my limited income. However, since I started receiving these transfers, I have noticed a positive change in my life. I have been able to start a goat-rearing business and am now looking forward to building my own house in the future. I am pleased to say that I have already begun the construction process. From the transfers, I purchased building poles for $68 to start building my house, as I currently live in a small space and want to build something bigger. I saved $20 to pay the builder and used the remaining funds to buy food, as I had none. I am grateful for the positive changes these transfers have brought to my life.

My primary focus in the upcoming months and beyond is to procure all the necessary materials for constructing my new home. Having secured the 18 iron sheets required for the roof, my next goal is to save up for the purchase of building poles. Once I've accumulated all the necessary poles, I'll embark on the construction of the house. The completion of this project will mark the end of enduring the hardships of being exposed to rain whenever it falls. I am immensely thankful for the financial support I've received from the transfers, as it has been instrumental in realizing my most significant aspiration of owning a comfortable and secure home.

Recognizing the dire condition of my house, especially its leaking roof, I decided to take action. Utilizing a short-term solution of covering the roof with a polythene bag proved ineffective, prompting me to allocate funds towards purchasing new building materials for a new house. I earmarked $60 for the acquisition of two pieces of iron sheets, a step towards addressing the structural issues. Gratefully, I've managed to procure a total of 18 iron sheets thus far, sufficient to cover the entire roof of the new dwelling I intend to construct. With the remaining $42, I opted to allocate it entirely to purchasing food, ensuring that my family's nutritional needs are met. As a casual laborer, relying on income from motorcycle taxi services, generating sufficient funds for essential needs, let alone house construction, has been challenging. Daily earnings have dwindled from $5 to a mere $2, exacerbating financial strain and impeding savings. However, the financial aid from Give Directly offers a beacon of hope, instilling confidence in my ability to realize the dream of a secure and comfortable home.

As I said I started saving to build a new house in April. I now have enough money to buy iron sheets which is about $120. I am now saving for the building poles I need to finish with the construction. I had married but my wife left due to a disagreement hence I am left alone. I am building a one roomed house which will be made out of mud and iron sheets. I know this will be a big upgrade from my paper roof house and will withstand the harsh weather conditions that we have been experiencing lately.

Since April I made a decision to save $20 per month. I have one of those old houses with a paper roof, this house is not in the best state and this is what led me to make this decision. The remaining $14 left from each month was distributed for different needs within the home. In September I used $5 for clothes and $9 for food. In October I spent $8 to buy two chicken and used $6 to buy food. In November I added one more chicken at $5 and contributed $5 to a wedding that was happening at our home and used $4 for food.

In the upcoming year, my primary goal is to ensure that my house is prepared and ready for my family to move in, providing them with a safe and comfortable living environment. This accomplishment holds great significance for me, as it will contribute to their well-being and happiness. In addition to focusing on the house, I also intend to invest my monthly transfer in acquiring livestock. This investment serves as a valuable backup plan in case of financial difficulties. If the need arises, I can sell some of the livestock and utilize the proceeds to meet our needs and sustain our livelihood. I am sincerely grateful for the financial support provided by Give Directly. Their assistance has played a crucial role in enabling me to work towards these goals and improve the lives of my family. Their continued support is deeply appreciated.

Since February last year, my house has been in a deteriorated state, with sections of the roof covered in hard polythene paper. This has presented a significant challenge, particularly during rainfall, as water seeps inside the house. As a motorcycle taxi driver, my income is insufficient to allow me to construct a better home for my family. However, thanks to the financial transfers, I have been able to save a small amount of money each month. As a result, I have managed to purchase twelve pieces of iron sheets, which will be adequate to cover the roof of my new house. In the month of August, I utilized my entire transfer to acquire additional iron sheets. Now, my focus is on procuring building poles and other essential materials to commence the construction of the house at the earliest opportunity. I am immensely grateful for the crucial financial support that has assisted me in navigating through challenging situations when my income is insufficient. This assistance has been invaluable in my efforts to improve the living conditions for my family.

I want to build a house for myself this year. I have a one-room house with a thatched roof with plastic. I want to get an iron-roof house using these transfers. As I had mentioned I am using some of my transfers to buy materials for the building to have most of it by end of this year and complete construction. I work as a herder and make about $9 which on its own cannot ensure the house is completed. My thatched roof is old and is leaking and this is making me try to rush the building process. I hope by the end of this year I will have a habitable house,

GD transfers have been a source of joy for me. I have been alternating my spending since receiving my first transfer on my transfer usage. I use some months' transfers on buying building materials while other months I use the transfers on buying animals. In January I spent $36 on buying a goat and I added $6 to afford it, I used the $4 from the transfers on getting food for my family. In February I spent $30 to buy 3 sheets of iron that I want to use in my construction. I also bought sanitary items such as soap and food such as vegetables for $4. This month I spent $15 on buying 5 chicken, bought myself some clothes for $5 and I also bought maize flour worth $4, and spent $2 on vegetables. I still have about $7 which I am using for needs as they arise.

My main goal is to renovate my house. Currently, the iron sheets are very old and leak profusely during the rainy season. Apart from the renovation, I would like to start livestock farming as an investment. To achieve these two goals, I made an alternating plan for the transfers. This year, I will be spending $30 in all the even number months, specifically for the livestock and I save $20 in all the prime number months for the roof renovation. The house requires 12 pieces of iron sheets and I am pretty sure that by the end of the year, I will be having $120 which can facilitate that since an iron sheet goes for $9. And for the investment, I will also have a good number of goats since I buy a goat in every even number month. After this, the long-term plan is to convert the goats into cows. This is the dream investment I am planning for.

his year, my house fell at some point, and I haven't been able to build another one again. Since that time, I've been living with a friend who also provides me housing. I provide taxi services on a motorcycle, but my earnings are modest, making it difficult for me to build a new home. I've been putting aside money for building supplies for a new house for the past three months, and I currently have $60 in a bank account. I am eager to be a house owner so that I can live independently. I purchased enough food with the remaining $34 to last us for a while.

We are three people in my family, and I am the breadwinner. I operate a motorcycle taxi business which has been sustaining our needs. This being the only source of income, it has been challenging to raise money for investing in other projects to improve our household income. Therefore, for the past three months, I have used KES 6000 to purchase foodstuffs for my household. This has enabled me to save some money from my business. KES 3000 I used to purchase a goat to rear for business purposes. I am thankful for the support because it has relieved me of the financial burden and at least I can currently have some savings.

The unconditional funds have really boosted a lot of lives including my own. I had not envisioned renovating my house this soon and getting to marry again, but I am now optimistic that my life will take a turn in the right direction.

Receiving the KES 3000 has brought much joy and relief on my end. I was earlier married to one wife and together we were blessed with one child but due to the tough economic times, we parted ways and I moved back to my parents’ house where I reside together with my siblings. I am employed as a motorcycle taxi rider and that is how I make some small income to sustain myself. As a kind gesture to help my parents support the whole family, I bought food worth KES 1000 to last us a period of two weeks. The remaining amount of KES 2000, I bought one goat which I rare in our homestead.

I was in a different town (Mariakani), going about my daily duties as a motorcyclist when I received the funds. My mood was brightened with the excitement I had. To avoid misusing the funds, I saw it best to plan first. Since my areas of need were buying new clothes and purchasing food. That evening after work, I used 25% of the funds to buy myself some clothes. This is so I could replace the torn old clothes I had

I had gone for two days without a meal on the table. Other than this, my wardrobe lacks decent clothing. This is because, as a motorcyclist, I barely make enough to meet all my needs. Often, with the little I get, I use it all for meals. Since I started receiving this money, I have seen a great difference. Now I have new clothes that I can use to go about my daily duties confidently plus I was able to buy myself some food.

I come from a humble background, where the only need we focus on is having a meal. This also does not come easy. In the compound I live in, I have my father and grandmother who sometimes depend on me. The earnings I get as a motorcyclist are KES 300 on good days and on bad days I never get to earn. When I got this money, I had not been lucky at work for about a week, and for two days, I had gone without food. So, I used KES 900 to buy some nourishments, and the remaining KES 300 I used to buy some clothes for myself. This is so I could replace the old ragged ones I had that crushed my self-esteem.