My current house is in very poor condition. It was built a long time ago, and the walls are now very weak, making it prone to collapse at any time. Therefore, I have decided to focus my transfers on purchasing building materials to construct a better and more spacious house. Having a secure home will bring me peace of mind, as I will no longer live in constant fear that the house might harm us. We have no other place to go, so we must persevere until we can build a safer home. Alongside this, I also plan to invest in livestock keeping. This will serve as my future financial security once the transfers come to an end. If my livestock rearing project succeeds, it will also make it easier for me to educate my children. I am deeply grateful for the financial support from GiveDirectly.

My son was completing his fourth year of secondary school, and I had an outstanding fee balance. To ensure he could sit for his exams, I allocated $34 to clear the balance. I also have six other school-going children, so I used $14 to pay their fees, dividing the amount among them. Additionally, I purchased school books worth $9, as they were required. I also bought two goats for $30 as part of my investment in goat rearing, which I see as a future financial security plan. I spent $5 on food for my family and used the remaining $10 to buy building poles. This is part of my plan to construct a stable house, as the one we currently live in is on the verge of collapsing.

My goal now is to increase my animals. A week ago one of my goats got a bad illness and died, it was expectant and so I lost the goat and its kid. I had banked on them for a project but this loss hit me badly. I am still grieving this loss. I have now learnt it is necessary to take care of my animals and use the right medication to ensure the numbers do not go down. My plan is to find better ways to keep all my animals in good health as I buy medicine and pay the doctor to come see them as I also buy some more animals.

My husband has been out of the picture for a long while, I cannot even remember when we last spoke. I have had to carry the burden of educating, feeding and housing our seven children. Givedirectly has lifted my burdens by providing this cash transfers. My life now is much lighter that it was before. I have used $27 to pay school fees for my oldest, I used $34 to finish my building project my sons and also got some goats and chicken at $34. I am so excited for the difference cash has had in my life.

In the coming year and beyond, my main goal is to fix up my house. It's not looking too good lately, and I'm worried that when the rains come, it might just fall apart. So, I've made up my mind to start saving up for this big project. It won't be easy, but I know it's something I have to do. I'll cut back on some expenses, maybe skip a few luxuries here and there, all to make sure I can afford to get my home back in shape. It's not just about the house; it's about keeping my family safe and secure. So, I'm determined to make this renovation a success, no matter what it takes.

It has been a challenging journey since my husband left us, leaving me to navigate the rough waters of single parenthood with seven children in tow. The burden of providing for them alone weighed heavily on my shoulders, especially with the irregular income from my casual labour. However, the cash transfer brought a ray of hope into our lives. Allocating $70 towards my children's school fees lifted a significant weight off my chest. Witnessing them back in the classroom filled me with immense relief and gratitude for the support that made it possible. With a portion of the funds, I invested in a goat, three chickens, and a small security blanket in the face of uncertainty. These assets provide a sense of stability, knowing that in times of need, I have something to fall back on. As the dry season persists and we await the much-needed rain, the remainder of the cash was wisely spent on food, ensuring that my family's basic needs are met despite the challenging circumstances. Though the road ahead may still be tough, I am grateful for the assistance that has eased our burdens and given us renewed hope for the future.

With a total of five children enrolled in school, my primary focus is to utilize the transfers to ensure their uninterrupted education. Given the absence of a consistent income source, these monthly transfers are crucial for covering my children's school fees. Additionally, I am determined to address the long-standing issue of my house's deteriorating roof, which has been causing significant problems. The continuous leaks during rainy weather have taken a toll on my household, and it's crucial to resolve this situation. Using the transfers, I have managed to acquire 8 pieces of iron sheets so far. My goal is to purchase a total of 16 sheets to complete the renovation of the house's roof. By securing the necessary materials for the renovation, I aim to create a more stable and comfortable living space for my family.

I spent $68 towards supporting my five children, each enrolled in different school levels—one in high school and the others in primary school. I am grateful that this money enabled me to provide for their educational needs, including covering their travel expenses to school. Acquiring the necessary funds for their fees was a challenging endeavor, and receiving the transfers brought a sense of relief. Thanks to the financial assistance, my children are now comfortably attending school, and I was able to pay for their fees on time. Additionally, I used part of the funds to purchase new school uniforms for two of my children entering junior high school. Aside from educational expenses, I invested $50 from the recent transfer in acquiring three pieces of iron sheets and a goat. My current living space is in dire need of renovation, requiring a total of 16 iron sheets. So far, I have purchased 8 sheets and aim to procure the remaining materials to stabilize and expand my home, ensuring it accommodates my growing family. I am also glad that I expanded my livestock assets by adding one goat, bringing the total to three. These goats serve as valuable resources, offering a potential financial cushion for future needs, such as covering my children's education fees. I spent the remaining portion of the transfer on buying essential food items for my family, as well as household items and toiletries that were lacking in our home.

I've been living with my children in an old, dilapidated house, and my top priority is finishing our new home. Each month, I'm saving a portion of our transfers, hoping to make this dream a reality. Having a secure place of our own will mean a lot to me. I'm content and at peace with the progress I've made so far.

Life has presented numerous challenges for my family and me. My livelihood depends on the strenuous work of selling charcoal, which offers only meager compensation, hardly enough to make ends meet. Prior to the intervention of Give Directly, our circumstances were dire; we struggled to afford basic necessities like food and education for our children. I am elated to report that, thanks to the financial support we received through their transfers, all my children have been able to return to school. Additionally, I am currently in the process of constructing a new home, as the one we currently reside in is in a state of disrepair. To further this effort, I allocated $68 towards the purchase of iron roofing sheets to expedite the completion of the construction project. The remaining $34 was put to good use by contributing to the school fees for my children.

By the end of this year, my objective is to gather all the necessary building materials for constructing my new house. The monthly stipends will play a significant role in enabling me to achieve this goal. The assurance of a spacious and sturdy house will bring peace of mind, eliminating concerns about homelessness. Consequently, I will be able to concentrate on earning a livelihood and providing a good upbringing for my children. Additionally, apart from house construction, I aspire to invest in livestock as a means of accumulating wealth for the future. This will ensure that I can continue paying for my children's education expenses even after the program concludes.

As the sole breadwinner in my family of seven, I support us through farming during the rainy seasons. When it's dry, I take up odd jobs, like harvesting stones at the quarry. In the past, raising my six children posed challenges due to insufficient funds for their needs, such as school fees and food. However, since enrolling in the program, our situation has greatly improved. My children are no longer frequently sent home for unpaid fees, and we now have two meals a day, a significant improvement from sleeping on empty stomachs. With the May transfers I received, I allocated $16 to purchase food to feed my family. This is crucial, especially since we're currently in the early stages of planting and not engaged in other cash-paying jobs on the farm. Additionally, I spent $8 to buy one piece of iron sheet. My one-room house is in a dilapidated state, and I worry it won't hold up much longer. The iron sheets will enable me to construct a new and sturdy house for my family. Lastly, I invested $10 in buying a young goat. My primary objective is to raise and breed the goat, ensuring its population multiplies. This way, in case of future emergencies, I'll have a fallback plan and a potential source of income.

I hope to start and finish building our house where together with my seven children we can stay in comfortably. The construction will begin once I have saved enough for the labor costs and bought all the materials, and hopefully, it will be completed within the next couple of months.

I am a single mother of seven children, two of whom are in college. I separated from my husband long ago and the responsibility of looking after my kids and providing for all our basic needs lies with me which has not been an easy task. I work as a casual laborer burning and selling charcoal. I have been using my transfers to pay for my children’s school fees and to buy materials to build us a house that can accommodate my family.

GiveDirectly was so effective in its work that it lifted many people out of poverty. Even though I am only two months into the program, I am already feeling the effects of the free cash assistance and am optimistic that a lot will change for the better before the project ends. So far, everything has gone well, and I am grateful for the help that has been provided to me as a single mother.

I separated from my husband five years ago and have been responsible for raising my children, including paying their school fees, clothing them, and providing daily food. This has not been easy, but I am grateful for the assistance provided by GiveDirectly.  I spent $9 after receiving the second $30 transfer to buy a piece of iron sheet that I used to repair my current house. The small holes that allowed water to enter during the rainy season are no longer a factor. I also helped my daughter get home from school, who needed $10 for transportation. I spent $5 of the remaining funds on groceries for my current family of five. This supplemented the meager earnings from the charcoal business I have been running in the village. In addition, I spent the last $6 on school fee arrears and examination fees for my four primary school children. I am relieved that they are doing well in school and are not being sent home as frequently.

After having a long day from my households chores coupled with stress after failing to find school fees arrears for my child who had been sent home, I decided to have a break and rest in my siting area. So as it may, I heard my phone vibrate. I quickly reached out to it and realize that it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly cash transfer program. As happy as I was, I could not withdraw the cash immediately since it was running late. However, I decided to withdraw the cash the following day and made sure that my child's school fees was sorted immediately. Thank you so much GiveDirectly.

My biggest difference in my daily life is seeing to it that my children's school fees is catered for. Were it not for GiveDirectly financial intervention, I would have been totally overwhelmed. Infact I do not know how many days it could have taken me to burn and even sell charcoal so as to get money.Thank you GiveDirectly.

Earlier, I had some poultry which I was forced to sell out when my children were sent home due to school fees arrears and I did not have any cash at hand then. Therefore when I received my recent transfer, I opted to buy some chicken at the cost of KES 600 as my fall back plan. Additionally, I did clear up school fees for my son whose school fees was over due. Besides, I sent my son KES 500 for his secondary school upkeep.I am happy that GiveDirectly did come through for us financially hence helping me sort out these expenses. Being the sole bread winner whose main economic activity is charcoal burning, meeting all those expenses would have been difficult. Thank you GiveDirectly.