In the coming few months, I want to fix up my old house with a falling roof. It's tough living at my parents' place it's not my own space. Once I get my house sorted, I have this dream of buying a cow. Sounds strange, I know, but it's like a financial safety net for me. I've been working casual jobs, and I'm saving up from that, not touching my transfers. I've also started saving through this group called the Silk Group. So, step by step, I'm hoping to make my living situation more stable and comfortable.

With $34 from the transfer and $25 from my savings, I finally bought a new mattress. The old one had become so worn out that it was uncomfortable to sleep on, but now, we can rest much better. I also used $30 to repair my house after a strong wind damaged the roof. Despite the repairs, I still feel uneasy sleeping in my mother's house with my three children; it's not how I want us to live. To ensure we had enough to eat, I spent $18 on food since our stock was low. Additionally, I invested $20 to till my land, aiming for food security and extra income for other needs. Thanks to the support from the organization, I've been able to achieve a lot, like buying goats, which means a lot for our future. As a widow and a casual worker making charcoal, alongside subsistence farming, every bit of assistance makes a big difference in ensuring my family's well-being.

My objective is to ensure that I have renovated my run-down house and am residing in a comfortable dwelling. With the recent acquisition of ten pieces of iron sheets, I am steadily advancing towards the construction of a superior and more secure residence. My aim is to procure new building poles and nails, and subsequently set aside adequate funds to compensate the mason who will initiate the construction of the house. I am extremely pleased with the financial assistance; it has been immensely beneficial to me thus far.

At the onset of last month, I allocated $20 to prepare my land for farming. With abundant rains, I saw an excellent opportunity to plant maize and anticipated a bountiful harvest. Unfortunately, the excessive rains led to the destruction of all the crops I had cultivated on the farm. However, I remain optimistic and eagerly anticipate replanting this month. Additionally, I invested $82 in acquiring eight pieces of iron sheets to address the leaking roof of my dilapidated house. Furthermore, I intend to purchase new building poles to replace the deteriorating ones supporting my house. I am incredibly grateful for the financial assistance from the transfer, which has enabled me to support my family, including covering school fees for my two grandchildren, who live with me, and facilitating the repair of my house.

In the upcoming years, my primary goal is to acquire a group of goats. Once their numbers increase through breeding, I intend to sell some of them and subsequently purchase a bull. This bull will prove invaluable during the rainy season as it will assist me in tilling my land. In addition to acquiring goats and a bull, I have a strong desire to renovate my aged and corroded iron roof, finally resolving the issue of leaks whenever it rains. I am genuinely grateful for the financial assistance provided through monthly transfers, which has significantly improved the quality of my life.

During the month of July, a significant portion of my financial resources was allocated to tending to my agricultural pursuits. On my expansive three-acre farm, I diligently sowed maize, beans, and various vegetables. However, given the substantial size of the farm, it became apparent that I could not single-handedly manage the task of weeding it. Consequently, I made the decision to hire additional help to assist with this crucial task. I am immensely thankful for the bountiful harvest that is currently underway. This harvest is poised to provide ample sustenance for my household in the upcoming months, ensuring our food security. Notably, the maize crop was not yet ready for harvest in July, prompting me to allocate the remainder of $14 budget to procure food for my family. As a casual laborer, primarily engaged in the sale of charcoal, this financial support was a significant boon. With the arrival of the rainy season, I temporarily suspended my charcoal-selling activities and shifted my focus entirely towards farming, bolstered by the monthly transfers. This transition has enabled me to effectively meet the fundamental needs of my family, encompassing the provision of food and the payment of school fees for my four children. I am genuinely delighted that I can rely on this financial assistance to sustain my family's well-being.

Due to my current health condition, it has been difficult for me to provide for my family's essential needs and pay the mounting bills. This year, I have decided to prioritize my well-being, which means I will be using a significant portion of the transfer funds to purchase necessary medicinal drugs and make frequent visits to the hospital for treatment. In addition to taking care of my health, I have also decided to invest some of the funds in livestock. I believe that this will be a profitable future investment, as I can sell the livestock for a good price and earn additional income to support my family's needs. By prioritizing my health and making sound investments, I hope to improve my family's overall well-being and create a more stable future for us.

A month ago, I was involved in a minor accident on my way to the farm. I was hit by a bicycle, which caused me to dislocate my leg. Since then, I have been unable to carry out my daily activities, which has been challenging for me because I am the only provider for my family of three children. My husband passed away five years ago, and life has been tough since then. I have had to endure the pain from the severe wounds on my leg, which has resulted in me accumulating a lot of debt due to purchasing food on credit. When I received my April transfers, I decided to spend $10 on hospital treatment that would help me recover quickly and get back to work to provide for my children. I also bought $14 worth of bulk food supplies, which will last me for the next two weeks while I recover. The remaining $10 was used to pay off a school debt for my son, who is in primary school. This payment ensured that he could continue his education and sit for his end-of-term exams. I am grateful for the funds that I received, as they have significantly improved my quality of life during this difficult time.

Over 5 years ago, I was hit with a tragedy when my daughter passed on and left her little kids under my care. I love my grandkids, and so I had no choice but to take care of them while their mother was not around. This was not an easy task, especially considering the fact that I had no job. The opportunity from Givedirectly came a few years later, allowing me to care for my grandchildren. I intend to use the money to pay for both of their tuition fees and take care of their basic needs. I also plan on buying a couple of animals, because so far I have bought three goats as an investment for the future, and I will buy some more with the money. Lastly, I will ensure that we always have a meal because occasionally that is also a problem.

More than ten years ago, my husband passed away. We had five kids at the time of his passing. Three of them are still in school, while two of them are now adults. I mainly rely on farming, and I occasionally burn charcoal for sale, but neither of those sources of income is sufficient for me. I give God gratitude for the help I have been receiving through GiveDirectly, which has increased our family's income. I purchased a goat for $30 and two hens for $10 using the transfers from the previous three months with the intention of raising them and later selling part of them once they will have given birth to help pay for my children's school expenses. I paid $15 in school to help my three kids' tuition costs. With the remaining $39, I bought food for my family.

My three school-age children are completely dependent on me. Eight years ago, I lost my husband. My life has now changed drastically for the worse. I've struggled to provide for my family (buying food, paying school fees, and buying clothes). I work as a casual laborer,_selling firewood and charcoal in the village. Owing to clients' preference for using alternate fuels over charcoal, the business is struggling. My oldest daughter, who is in third grade, was forced to stay at home since I was short on funds when she was sent home for not paying her school fees. I paid the KES 2000 fee arrears as soon as I got the money from my transfer so that she could return to school and continue her education. There wasn't much left in the house for my consumption, so I used the remaining KES 1000 to buy food.

Give Directly does an excellent job of funding the livelihoods of people.  I am grateful because, since receiving my transfer, I have never returned to my charcoal-selling business. The monthly transfer is sufficient to meet the needs of my family. I cannot think of any fault with the way Give Directly works.

Making and selling charcoal for a living has become too strenuous for my body. I must carry a sack of the product every day and walk for miles to the market to find customers. On a good day, I make around KES 200; on a bad one, I head home empty-handed, which means no food for the family that night. When I was enrolled in the cash program, my plan was to use the first transfer to purchase a goat for KES 4,500. This, however, did not occur because the house had run out of food, and it was necessary to prioritize our meals. So I bought maize flour at KES 1,000. I saved the rest of the money, which I hope to supplement with the next transfer in order to purchase the goat and rear it.

I work day in day put in the farm trying t find trees and cut them down so that I would have enough wood to make charcoal out of and then eventually sell to make money. The job itself is quite tedious and on most occasions I am fatigued but I cannot dare to stop because without money my family starves. When I realised I had received funds from the organization I was filled with son much euphoria and I even got time to take a break from being in the farm everyday.

The biggest difference for me would be that I managed to get funds which helped me manage to afford a meal without working mercilessly in the farm like I did normally. I was able to afford a meal for both me and my family which meant the world to me especially since at times we would go for days with nothing to eat. I was also able to take a break from working in the farm day in day out with no rest.

Famine has been one of the biggest challenges that we have been facing due to excessive drought which has brought about incredible amounts of starvation. It has made striving to relieve hunger as one of our biggest ambitions for ourselves and family. That is why as soon as I received the funds I went ahead and bought eight packets of maize flour for KES 1,000 and two kilograms of beans for KES 200. After that my money was done but I was glad I had taken care of one of the most vital priorities for the well being of family.