I have two important goals for now. The first is to renovate my house by specifically cementing the floor and walls. Currently, I have been dealing with dust and cold nights because the walls have holes all over. Thanks to the transfers, the renovation process is ongoing, and I believe that in the months to come, the house will be fully complete, and I will no longer have to worry about my safety or that of my children. My second goal is to buy goats using the transfers, and I plan to start this goal as soon as I finish the house. The goats will serve as reliable assets that I can depend on in case of financial crises I might encounter.

My husband passed away many years ago, leaving me with the burden of raising our children singlehandedly. It was never easy for me since I relied solely on the charcoal business, which could not sustain our basic needs as a family. As time went by, another challenge that gave me sleepless nights was the state of my house. It has been on the verge of collapsing due to its very weak walls, and I am certain that it might collapse soon. Therefore, over the past three months, I used the $102 to buy bags of cement, sand, and all the necessary materials needed for the renovation of my house. I am now planning to renovate it by cementing the floor and the walls as well. I believe this is the only way to make the house stronger and semi-permanent. I will also no longer be exposed to the cold winds that used to cause me cold-related illnesses like pneumonia. It will be a relief to me, as the floor will no longer be as dusty as it was before.

Here in our community, where subsistence farming is the backbone of survival, I've set my sights on something different. I dream of owning a plowing bull, a simple yet significant step toward stability and progress. With it, I can provide a service, plowing fields for others for a fee. It's a small business idea, but it holds the promise of transforming my life and the lives of those around me. To make this dream a reality, I've committed myself to saving $20 every month. It's not much, but every dollar saved is a step closer to my goal. Beyond the coming year, I see a future where I am not just a subsistence farmer, but a small entrepreneur.

My most recent transfers from GiveDirectly were a lifeline in more ways than one. Out of the $102, I prioritized my grandson's education, using $60 to pay his school fees. He's an orphan, relying solely on me, and I see his education as his ticket to a better future. I want him to have opportunities I never did, to stand on his own two feet and carve his path in the world. Even as I faced my health challenges, with $20 I sought medical attention for a troubling leg problem. The relief of knowing I could afford care was immense, and thankfully, the treatment worked wonders, restoring me to health. With the remaining $22, I turned to the most basic necessity which is food. As a widow, I bear the weight of providing for myself and my family alone, with my son's sporadic income from casual labor barely covering our needs. Those $22 meant a filled pantry, a sigh of relief knowing we wouldn't go hungry for a while.

I have a strong desire to utilize my future transfers in investing in livestock. Livestock represents a wise and strategic investment since they have the potential to multiply, thereby increasing my initial investment. This will provide me with a sustainable source of income even after the financial aid concludes. The prospect of having something to rely on and generate income fills me with gratitude and appreciation for the transformative impact that the financial support has had on my life. Words cannot adequately express the profound positive changes that have occurred as a result.

I allocated $10 to settle a medical bill that arose from my visit to the hospital when I was unwell. I am grateful for the specialized treatment I received, and I am currently recovering well in the comfort of my home. In September, I incurred expenses amounting to $34 while taking care of my daughter, who faced complications during the birth of my grandson. I am overjoyed to share that both the mother and child are in good health and thriving at home. Additionally, I spent $34 on purchasing food to sustain my family, which consists of three members: my daughter, grandson, and myself. This expenditure was necessary during a time when we had not yet harvested our crops, and we had to rely on purchasing food from stores at inflated prices. I am immensely grateful that the financial support we received helped us navigate through that challenging period, and now we have an abundance of food thanks to the bumper harvest. Lastly, I fulfilled my responsibility by paying the school fees for my grandson, who is studying at Malindi Secondary School. Since the unfortunate passing of his mother, I have taken on the role of caring for him, and supporting his education is my top priority. By investing in his education, I aim to provide him with a brighter and more promising future.

I planned to save some money monthly to purchase some goats because I wanted to start a livestock-keeping investment. This aim has not seen the light of day because of the demanding responsibility of educating my grandchild. Based on that, I have decided to lower my goal and start poultry farming since it requires little capital to run. Therefore, I will be ensuring that I get one hen in every transfer. This will enable me to have several chickens by the end of the year. This investment will also aid my family because chickens have available markets.

My main focus after receiving cash transfers is to allocate funds for my grandson's school fees who is an orphan and to purchase food for our household. As a widow without any support, I must ensure that my grandson's education is not disrupted since he is in his final year of secondary school. From the recent transfer, I allocated $20 to pay for his tuition fees. I am grateful that this payment has ensured that he can continue his studies without any financial burdens. To sustain our daily needs, I rely on subsistence farming, although the yields have been very scarce due to the prolonged drought in the last couple of months. Thank you for the rains that have now started. In some cases, I am forced to purchase food on credit, promising to repay the debt whenever I get cash. Apart from the school fees, I used the remaining amount which was $14 to buy some food for the family. I am grateful that since the inception of the cash aid, rarely missed basic meals.

Receiving the monthly transfers has brought a huge relief to my household since last year. The prevailing drought that has struck us for almost two years has rendered our lives miserable, coupled with tough economic hardship. Were it not for the transfers, I would not have been able to provide food in my household as well as pay fees for my grandson. The transfers are currently the only hope which has ensured that we do not lack food despite the hardships I am facing. My goal is to ensure that food is available in my household and that my grandchild's education is not interrupted for failing to pay fees.

The prevailing drought has tormented us for almost two years now, and no farming activities are happening. Subsistence farming has been the major source of food in my household. During the times when the rains were adequate, I could harvest enough cereals, which ensured food security in my household. However, the current situation has been life-threatening to both livestock and us. I do not have a source of income, and no one is there to support me. I am now relying on the transfers for food and school fees. I thus spent a larger part of my recent transfers on buying foodstuffs, which include maize and vegetables. This ensured that my family had enough food for many weeks before the next disbursement. I spent the remaining part on paying fees for my grandson, who was joining high school. He is an orphan, and he depends on me for his fees. I have been struggling to raise his fees, and I am glad that the transfer came in on time. I am hoping that he will have a smooth learning experience despite the deficiencies in my household.

I'm appreciative that the organization gave us the unconditional transfer that will lift us out of extreme poverty. I was at a crossroads as to how I would raise the cash to cover my grandchild's school expenses. I'm glad that the transfer will allow him to finish his education. I implore the organization to assist other villages that are struggling in silence because of poverty.

My grandson, who is in his final year in elementary school, needed $5 for his baying school tuition. Since his parents passed away two years ago, I am the only one who is responsible for caring for him. Being the sole provider, I have struggled to pay his tuition, which has resulted in him being sent home regularly to pick up school fees. Since the beginning of the drought three years ago, I have lost my only source of income from cultivating agricultural crops on the farm. I can't raise enough money without a steady source of income to buy food and cover my grandson's school expenses. In addition to paying school fees, I put the $25 that was left over from my second transfer into savings in anticipation of my next transfer so I could buy a mattress. My health has suffered as a result of sleeping on a sisal twine bed for more than thirty years since it is so uncomfortable. I've endured excruciating back pain for years, and it's caused my health to decline. I'm hoping that once I get the mattress, I'll be able to sleep peacefully and reduce the pain issues I've experienced.

I was up very early in the morning brushing my teeth behind my house. I received a notification alert on my phone confirming that I had received a text message. I was shocked beyond words, after reading the message and realizing that I had received my first transfer. I jumped up and down in ecstasy and ululated at the top of my voices as I headed inside my house. I shared the good news with my children and we were all very happy.

The most stressful moments were seeing my children stay at home while their colleagues went to school. I tried my best to talk to the school head teacher but my pleas fell on deaf ears. My son whom I depended on was struggling finically and could not help either. I was very pleased when I received my transfer since it helped me a lot in ensuring my children were back in school.

I fully depend on my eldest son who is a casual laborer to take care of the family. I currently have five children who perusing their primary education. I heavily depended on farming but for three years I have not worked on my farm because of the drought. This has made me struggle to pay school fees for the children due to lack of funds. My children were sent home three weeks ago and haven’t return back to school since then. They have missed important classes and this has affected their education. When I received my first transfer, I spent KES 1500 to partly pay the school fee debt that my children owed the school so that they would be allowed aback. Besides school fees, I spent KES 500 to seek medical attention after I fell ill. With the remaining amount of KES 1000, I bought food for the family as we were on the verge of starvation after exhausting the food stock we had in the house.