With the transfers I’ve been receiving, I am driven by two significant dreams. The first is to build a better house for my family, as our current home is in such poor condition that it feels like it could collapse at any moment, with holes visible from the outside. Realizing this dream will not only restore my dignity as a family man but also greatly enhance our security. My second goal is to expand my goat herd and purchase chickens. I believe this will be crucial for my financial stability, especially once the GiveDirectly project ends. Having these animals will provide a reliable source of income to support my family. I plan to grow my herd to at least 20 goats, which will serve as a vital financial safety net for us.

I have been working as a watchman at the nearby school for some time now, but the salary has been quite low, making it difficult to provide for my wife and grandson. One major concern that has been weighing heavily on me is the state of our house. It's been leaking badly, is in poor condition, and feels like it could collapse at any moment. Over the past few months, using the cash transfers I have received, I've been purchasing building materials bit by bit. So far, I’ve spent $45 on some  materials, and I'm hopeful that with the remaining transfers I expect in the coming months, I'll be able to complete the new house. In addition to the housing issue, food insecurity has been another significant challenge. With the prolonged drought affecting our ability to grow food, I used nearly $57 to purchase enough foodstuffs to sustain our family. This has been crucial for us, as it has helped us cope with the difficulties of the drought and ensured that we have enough to eat. Despite the ongoing challenges, I remain hopeful that with continued support and careful planning, we will overcome these obstacles.

My dream is to expand my goat herd and purchase chickens. I believe this will be crucial for my financial security, especially after the GiveDirectly project concludes. By growing my flock, I aim to become self-sufficient, ensuring I can meet emergencies and support my family's needs. I also plan to save and invest in more livestock, aiming to reach at least 20 goats. Eventually, I hope to exchange some of these goats for a cow, which will provide milk for personal use and an additional source of income. I rely on the support I receive from my salary and the assistance from GiveDirectly to make these dreams a reality.

With the quarterly transfers from GiveDirectly, I decided to change my living situation. My current house was in bad shape, leaking and on the verge of collapsing with the next rain. I used $71 to buy building poles, a step towards achieving my dream of building a sturdy two-roomed house for my wife and me. As a casual school security worker earning very little and inconsistently paid, I am accumulating materials slowly but surely to provide a better home for my family. The rest of the money went towards buying food, as heavy rains destroyed our harvest. I rely on these transfers along with my small salary to make ends meet and improve our living conditions.

In the upcoming year, my primary objective is to renovate my deteriorating house, which is currently in a dilapidated state. I've initiated the process by purchasing new iron roofing sheets to replace the old, rusted ones, and I am eager to extend these renovations to address issues with the walls and floors. To fund these repairs, I plan to utilize both my current income and the transfers expected in the future. The prospect of having a secure and improved home holds great significance for me, as it will undoubtedly bring peace of mind and a renewed sense of comfort.

Over the past eleven years, I have served as a guard at a nearby school, and the income from this occupation has been the steadfast support for my family of four. Faced with hardships, we endured periods of hunger and lacked sufficient resources. Fortunately, positive changes have manifested in our lives, courtesy of these transfers. We now have a reliable supply of food, enabling me to invest in livestock and acquire additional land. Capitalizing on the rainfall in my village, I wisely allocated $34 to hire oxen for plowing, ensuring the readiness of my land for maize planting and securing ample food for the upcoming year. Another $34 was dedicated to the purchase of a goat, a valuable long-term investment. The remaining $34 was utilized to acquire new iron roofing sheets for my house, as I am currently engaged in renovating it due to its deteriorating condition. I take pride in the positive changes these actions have brought about in my life.

My primary goal is to build a new house. The condition of my current house is deteriorating rapidly, and I fear that it may not withstand adverse weather conditions. As a security guard, the income I earn, along with the cash transfers, provides me with the means to construct a new and safer house. Specifically, I aim to build a two-room house with an iron sheet roof and mud walls. With 18 iron sheets already acquired through previous transfers, I plan to continue accumulating the necessary building materials before hiring someone to construct the house. This new house will provide my family with a secure and comfortable place to live.

One of the most significant achievements I have made through the cash transfers is the ability to finally build a more stable house. My current house is in a state of disrepair, with the roofs appearing sunken and at risk of collapsing over time. It was a daunting task to save enough money from my job as a security guard to construct a new house, but the cash transfers have made this dream a reality. So far, I have managed to purchase 18 pieces of iron sheets, which will be used in building the new house. I only need two more sheets to complete the roofing. With the recent cash transfer, I allocated $20 to buy additional iron sheets, bringing the total to 18 sheets. At the same time, my niece, who lives with me and relies on my support, had been consistently out of school due to unpaid tuition fees. I used $8 from the transfer to settle her tuition debt, and I'm pleased that she has not missed a single day of school since then. The remaining $6 from the transfer was spent on purchasing essential food supplies such as sugar and vegetables for the family's consumption.

In addition to building a new spacious house, my primary goal is to venture into raising livestock. I hope to accomplish building my new house in the course of this year. It will save me from adverse weather conditions caused by rapid climate change. As a result, my family member will no longer be victims of colds during extreme weather conditions. Keeping livestock is a promising venture, and everyone from my community practices this. It is always beneficial during emergencies because we can often sell livestock to raise quick cash. Currently, I have seven goats, but I desire to add more. I value them as live assets that can help me in case of an emergency.

I live in a pathetic house. I am always afraid during rainy seasons because it leaks. I had desired to repair it, but I was unable due to my constant struggles. I do not have a reliable source of income since I live from hand to mouth. When I received my recent transfer, I spent $20 to buy two additional iron sheets. At the moment, I have acquired 15 iron sheets, and I aim to get 10 more. I intend to use them to build a spacious and better house. In addition, I used $10 on food and the rest, $4 to pay school fees for my child in nursery school. I could not do that earlier because I did not have adequate income to help me build a house. I am a security guard, and my low income cannot easily sustain us. My wife does subsistence farming; for the past five seasons, we never got harvests due to back-to-back droughts.

I had been purchasing construction materials with the monthly transfers I receive from GiveDirectly in order to use them in the construction of a new house to replace the old one we are currently living in. So far, I have purchased 16 iron sheets out of a total of 20, and I still need to purchase building poles in the coming months. After finishing the construction, I hope to start a chicken buying and selling business in the coming year. I plan to collect chickens from the local community and sell them at a profit in the nearby markets. With the proceeds from this venture, I hope to expand the business and ensure its long-term viability even after the GiveDirectly program expires.

For years my four-member family has been living in an old, mud-walled grass-thatched house. Unfortunately, it is in disrepair and leaks whenever it rains. I had always wanted to build a new house before enrolling in the GD program, but I could not because I did not have adequate money. As is customary, I spent $9 on one iron sheet as soon as I received my recent transfer, and I now have 15 iron sheets. I look forward to purchasing five more iron sheets and later using them to build a spacious house. Because we never had enough food and it was the holiday season, I spent $25 on food that lasted my family two weeks. I am glad life was bearable and enjoyable in December courtesy of GiveDirectly's transfer.

As soon as I realized I had received the donation I decided to spend KES 2,000 on iron sheets and this is because I was planning to build a better home for myself. The house I live in at the moment is quite old and the roof is always leaking whenever it rains. Afterwards I went ahead and used the remaining balance of KES 1,000 by spending it on buying five packets of maize flour, a quarter kilogram of sugar and beans to cater for nourishment.

The conditional transfers have helped me purchase iron sheets I will use to improve the condition of my house. I am happy that when the housing is ready, I will not have to stay awake during the rainy season drenching water outside of my house. I urge the organization to increase their monthly stipend to ensure we can finish projects that require a lot of resources to accomplish.

 For over 16 years, I have lived with my family in my dilapidated house. The roof is partly grass-thatched (Makuti) while the other end is with old worn-out iron sheets. During a heavy downpour, the roof leaks, and the rainwater seeping through destroys property in my house. The poles used in the house's building are very weak and can no longer support the house, making it tilt to one end. As a watchman, I earn very little (KES 3000 per month) and I cannot buy iron sheets to build a new roof for my house. Therefore, when I received my transfer of KES 3000, I spent half of it on buying two pieces of iron sheets I will use to build a new roof for the house. Besides buying new iron sheets, I spent KES 1000 on paying back a debt II owed a friend who helped me when I did not have money to buy food for my family. Last, I spent the remaining KES 500 on paying school fees for my son, who is in college undertaking a mechanical engineering course. 

I was relaxing at home when the transfer came in. The amount of delight I felt at that moment is immeasurable. Also, the overdue debt at the shop and constant reminder from the shopkeeper to repay it had stressed me. When I received the money, the pressure was lifted off my mind for I set to settle the same immediately.

Before receiving transfers, my wife and I would survive with a single meal (dinner) per day, which made us starve for the most part. However, after obtaining the cash aid, we enjoy the luxury of three meals including decent tea and bread for breakfast. Moreover, the shopkeeper gained more trust and built confidence in our ability to repay debts; thus allowing us to frequently acquire foodstuffs on credit.

The money I make working as a school guard barely fulfills the needs of my household of two. Sometimes I am forced to obtain food on credit from the shop to ensure the family consumes at least one meal daily. Additionally, I cannot afford to settle a pending school fee balance of KES 23,000 for my son in a Mechanic College. Two days after resuming school this year, the institution cut short his studies unless the arrears are cleared. As a result, he opted to stay in town where he could easily land casual jobs to source funds for his education. For now, supporting his academics is my priority, so I saved KES 1,500 from the transfer to implement that course. Also, I deducted KES 1,000 to repay the accumulated debt at the store and saved KES 500 which I intend to spend on food once we run out of the same.