This year, my primary goal is to complete the construction of my new house. My previous home was very small and on the verge of collapsing. With the support of the transfers from GiveDirectly, I have been gradually purchasing building materials, and I intend to use a portion of my future transfers to continue buying the remaining building materials needed to finish the house. I am very excited about the progress we are making, and I am very hopeful that soon enough we will move into our new house. Once we complete the house, my focus will shift to livestock farming. I intend to invest another portion of the transfers into buying goats, with the hope that they will multiply and increase in value over time. This will allow me to sell some of them in the future and provide for my family’s needs. With these livestock, I will have created a sustainable asset that I can rely on in the future, especially when this program comes to an end. I am genuinely grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has provided me and my family. Their assistance is helping me build a brighter future, and I am optimistic that my plans for both house and livestock farming will come to fruition. Each step I take brings me closer to achieving my dreams, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

I am currently in the exciting process of building a new house, as my previous one was not only too small but also worn out and on the verge of collapsing. With each transfer I receive from GiveDirectly, I gradually purchase building materials. Recently, I spent $29 on some essential supplies, and I am thrilled with the progress we are making. I can already envision my children and me moving into our new home, where we will finally have the comfort we deserve. In addition to the house, I also prioritized my son’s education by spending $45 on his school fees so he could sit for his final exams. To keep our family nourished, I allocated another $22 for food, ensuring we would not go hungry. Lastly, I spent the remaining $6 on some chickens, hoping they would multiply over time. I plan to sell them in the future and use the proceeds to buy some goats and also support my family further. These goats will multiply and be a reliable source of income in the future.

Over the coming years, I am determined to construct a new house for my family. Right now, our home is weak and very small, barely enough for all of us. I dream of a strong house, where my children can sleep comfortably and study without distractions. With a new, spacious home, my family will feel secure and happier. This new house will be the foundation of a better life for us, allowing us to focus on other important things like education and work. I believe this will open doors to more opportunities and a brighter future for my family.

When my husband fell ill and became unable to work, the responsibility of providing for our family fell heavily on me and my eldest son, who does casual jobs to help us get by. Life became even more challenging when one side of our house collapsed, leaving us with no choice but to renovate it. Out of the three recent transfers totaling $102, I used $20 to buy some building poles to repair our house. Ensuring we had a secure place to live was my top priority. With the remaining money, I made a few strategic decisions to better our situation. I spent $10 on two hens, seeing them as a small but valuable investment in poultry that could help us in the future. I also bought food for $14, ensuring my family had enough to eat. Finally, I saved the remaining $18 for emergencies, knowing how unpredictable life can be.

My main goal is to acquire all the necessary building materials for constructing a new, durable house, which for now I have successfully acquired 30 building poles with hopes that soon I will be able to acquire all of them since the recent heavy rains have left me feeling unsafe residing in the current house, as it is at risk of collapsing at any moment. I aim to construct a resilient dwelling that can withstand adverse weather conditions. I am delighted and hopeful that with the financial assistance from the transfers, I will be able to realize my ambition of building a quality home for myself.

As a casual worker, I've carefully allocated the quarterly transfers from GiveDirectly to secure a better future for my family. With $30, I invested in a goat, seeing it as a long-term asset for when my current work project ends. I hope that when they multiply, I can sell them for profit and explore other investments. Concerned about my son's education, I used $25 to pay his school fees, ensuring he wouldn't be sent home. Additionally, I put $9 towards building materials for the house I've started; completing it would bring me immense joy, especially since one side has already collapsed. Investing in my farm's productivity, I spent $30 to till an acre of land and $4 on fertilizer, aiming for a good harvest to ensure food security. As a charcoal burner and with my husband unwell, I rely on my son's income from working in a hotel, making these transfers from GiveDirectly vital for our well-being and future stability.

My main goal is to acquire all the necessary building materials for constructing a new, durable house. The recent heavy rains have left me feeling unsafe residing in the current house, as it is at risk of collapsing at any moment. I aim to construct a resilient dwelling that can withstand adverse weather conditions. I am delighted and hopeful that with the financial assistance from the transfers, I will be able to realize my ambition of building a quality home for myself.

I have been living in a deteriorating house for nearly a year now, with one side already collapsed, making it unsafe for me to reside in. I utilized my recent transfers, amounting to $34, to procure building poles for the construction of a new, secure dwelling. The new house will guarantee my safety and provide peace of mind. Additionally, I invested $20 in purchasing a goat, aiming for it to multiply and serve as a future asset. Clearing my son's school fee arrears allowed him to take his end-of-term exams as he pursues his education in form three. As a subsistence farmer, my income is limited due to the modest yield from the farm. The funds from the transfers, totaling $29, were allocated to purchase food, ensuring that my family never goes hungry. I am truly grateful for the financial assistance I have received, as it has significantly improved my life.

Currently, my primary focus is directed towards the construction of a new house. The distressing condition of my current dwelling is a matter of concern, and it keeps me awake at night as I contemplate how swiftly I can gather the necessary resources for the new project. The fear of the house collapsing on me at any moment makes it difficult to feel safe while sleeping inside it. However, I find hope in the monthly stipends I receive, and I am optimistic that they will enable me to have a new and spacious home in the near future.

In July, a significant portion of my transfers, totaling $20, was allocated towards purchasing building poles for constructing a new house. The current state of my mud-walled house, covered with rusted iron sheets, is dire as they fall apart whenever strong winds blow. To mitigate this problem, we have resorted to placing stones on top of the iron sheets, but the supporting poles have weakened, and the mud walls now bear huge cracks and holes. Building a new house has become imperative to secure my safety, preventing the risk of collapse and potential homelessness. In addition to the construction expenses, I also invested $3 in purchasing a single hen, increasing the total count of hens in my possession to three. My plan is to further expand the flock by acquiring more chickens and eventually selling them once they mature. This would provide an opportunity for additional income to support my family. Moreover, $5 was utilized to pay my son's primary school fees, ensuring that he can continue his education without being sent home for non-payment. Given my husband's advanced age and declining health, we heavily rely on my son's casual labor income to sustain our needs. With the remaining $6, I managed to buy food for my family. Considering our circumstances, this was immensely beneficial as my husband's illness restricts his ability to contribute to the household income. This financial support is crucial for ensuring our well-being and sustenance.

My husband, co-wife, and I live under the same roof. The house is in a dilapidated condition and is almost collapsing. The “Makuti” thatched roof is seriously leaking and has contributed to the destruction of my property whenever it rains. The mud walls have developed huge cracks, jeopardizing the safety of all of us. I plan on purchasing iron sheets, bags of cement, nails, and timber to build a new house. I will be relieved to have a new house where I will feel safe living under it.

I am the only person providing for my family. My husband is unable to work due to his advanced age. To make ends meet, I sell charcoal and do various odd jobs, such as fetching water for others. Providing food for my family is a big challenge, given the low income I earn from these jobs. For a period of two weeks prior to receiving my transfers, we were forced to make do with just one meal per day. This was because we couldn't buy food on credit since we already had a large debt at the shop. It was a big relief for my family when I received my March transfers. I used a significant portion of the $15 to pay my two children's school fees, allowing them to continue their education with their peers. I also bought two hens for $6, which I see as a future investment. My plan is to let them breed and then sell them at a profit in the market. Lastly, I spent $13 on buying food in bulk, which was enough assurance that my family would have enough to eat and not go hungry.

My first objective is to invest in my farm, especially because the money can also be used to purchase a few goats and poultry. When the program ultimately ends, this will serve as a wonderful remembrance of the organization's generosity and assist me financially in the future. Since my kid is in secondary school and his tuition is typically costly, I also plan to use the funds to cover his tuition. Last but not least, I am excited to use the money to finally build a better house because my current one is seriously in danger of collapsing. I am grateful that it hasn't rained because if it did I doubt if I would still have a house.

I have a secondary school going child in Form 1. I paid $10 to partly pay the huge debt that my son owed their school. As a result of the debt, he was unable to access school meals, which affected his learning in school. Moreover, he was constantly sent home to pick up school fees, which ended up making him miss a lot of lessons. Although there is still a deficit of $6, I am glad that he has never been sent from school and that he has been accessing meals too. Besides paying school fees, I bought a goat worth $20. I previously bought a goat with my previous transfers, and it is good that I have two now as I continue to accumulate more wealth. My husband is in an advanced age and cannot actively provide for the family, so I take on charcoal burning to cover the household expenses for my two sons and him. There are no more trees left to cut down, and what's left are tree stumps, which are very strenuous to cut down. The hustle gets me to a maximum of $6 in two weeks, which is very little to cater to all the family's needs. Finally, I bought food with the remaining $4 since the house had run out of maize flour the previous two days. This forced us to survive on a cup of tea, which barely gave us enough energy to work.

GiveDirectly has definitely played an impressive and important role in my day to day life ever since I got enrolled into the organization. At times my son would stay for more than fortnight due to lack of fees but I am glad that the funds I receive have helped me keep him in school unlike before. I am grateful and honored to be associated with the program .

I still happen to have one of my children who is still on school, and since he is in high-school the institution normally requires quite a huge sum of money when it comes to tuition fee. Unfortunately two days prior to receiving the funds, he had been kicked out of school due to a pending debt. Luckily less than a week later, the funds came in and I used KES 1,500 to settle some part of the debt so that he could atleast be allowed back to class in the meantime. Since I just recently received the transfers I haven't completely finished the balance of KES 1,500 left. So far I have used KES 200 as transportation fee when I went go the hospital today because I have been feeling ill, and then used KES 150 for my medication. I still haven't used the rest of the funds but I will mostly likely use the funds in matters concerning nutrition since occasionally having a meal us quite challenging.

While on my way back to the house from fetching water, I received a notification on my phone. I got surprised and happy to learn that I had received my first transfer. I screamed at the top of my voice in excitement, attracting the attention of other road users who inquired what was wrong with me. Hurriedly, I went home and shared the good news with the other members of my family.

Paying school fees for my son is the biggest difference that the funds have made in my life. As the sole breadwinner, I am overwhelmed by the lots of bills I have to pay from an unstable source of income. The funds from Give Directly have helped me in ensuring that my son remains in school and continues with his studies.

I am the sole breadwinner of my family (husband and 1 child). My husband is of age and can no longer work. My son is in secondary school and the biggest challenge I face is paying his school fees on time. I work as a casual laborer making and selling charcoal. I earn very little from the business, which is only enough to buy food for the family. The drought that has persisted for over two years has prevented us from working on the farm which we earned a living from. In the past year, my son has spent more than half of his school time at home due to school fees arrears. Upon receiving my first transfer of KES 1200, I opted to spend it on paying part of the school debt so that he would stay in school and continue with his studies. I am glad that he is still in school and this will motivate him to work harder and post excellent results despite the challenges he has faced.