In the coming year and beyond, my biggest hope is to add a room to my small one-room mud-wall house. Right now, the house is too small to accommodate me and my five grandchildren who live with me. Every night, we all squeeze into that one tiny space, and it feels so congested and uncomfortable. I dream of giving my grandchildren a bit more space to sleep and play, where they can grow up healthy and happy. Adding a room would mean so much to us, providing not just more space, but also a sense of dignity and a better living environment. With the help of GiveDirectly, I believe I can make this dream a reality and create a more comfortable and hopeful future for my family.

Out of the recent transfers amounting to $102, I spent $45 on a new goat to add to my herd. This was an important decision because I already had four goats, which I had acquired earlier using the GiveDirectly transfers. Adding another goat to my herd brings me immense joy and a sense of security for the future. Goat farming has become my chosen investment, and seeing my herd grow reassures me that I am building a stable foundation for the days ahead. Each goat represents a step closer to a more secure and self-sufficient life, giving me hope and a tangible sense of progress. With the remaining $57, I followed through on my commitment to save. I put aside $33, as I had vowed to save at least $11 every month. After four months, I plan to use these savings to purchase another goat, continuing to expand my herd and my investment. The remaining $24 went towards buying food for my family. My son, who we rely on, only manages to find casual jobs, and his earnings aren't enough to support all nine of us. By taking on the responsibility of providing food, I aim to relieve some of his burden, allowing him to regain his strength. Despite my old age preventing me from working, I am grateful each day I wake up healthy, and I trust in God to help us through our challenges.

I aim to save $11 each month to improve my house, which currently lacks sufficient space for my three grandchildren residing with me. With these savings, I plan to acquire building materials like iron sheets and poles later this year. Additionally, I intend to replace my worn-out beddings, crucial for my health as I battle tuberculosis. My primary goal is to create a comfortable living and sleeping environment, and I am hopeful that this monthly support will help achieve this.

I want to express my gratitude for the crucial support that has made my medication more affordable and accessible. I have been spending almost $25 every month on medication and food. Dealing with tuberculosis for nearly a year has been financially challenging, with weekly check-ups costing $6. My sons, despite their own family responsibilities, have been supporting me but the help has not been enough. Thankfully, the financial assistance has covered my medical expenses, enabling me to focus on regaining my health. Besides medication, I now have a balanced diet, allowing me to comfortably have three meals a day. Moreover, I also acquired a goat for $40 which I see as a valuable asset that I can rely on in case of a financial need. I am expecting it to multiply and be able to sell the offspring in the near future in order to generate an income. My current house in in bad shape and I am planning to renovate it in the near future, thus I can use the goats to fufill this goal.

Looking ahead to the coming year, my goal is to expand my current one-room house to create an additional room. This expansion is necessary to provide adequate living space for my four grandchildren, who are currently sharing a single room with me. As they are growing, it has become impractical for them to continue sharing the house space with their parents, who also have four younger children to provide shelter. To achieve this goal, I plan to gradually purchase the required building materials such as iron sheets and building poles. I have been saving a portion of my previous cash transfers whenever possible, and I intend to continue saving until I have enough funds to undertake this construction project.

Upon receiving the cash transfer, I was in a challenging situation as I had recently broken my arm after stumbling on a stick in the field. Unfortunately, there was no money available at the time for proper medical treatment. My son, who is the main breadwinner in the family and works as a herdsman, had not received his wages yet. Fortunately, the cash transfer came through, and I was able to immediately seek medical attention, for which I paid $15. However, my health took another turn when I developed asthmatic complications shortly after, leading to an additional medical expense of $12. Thanks to the cash transfers, I was able to access the necessary medical care, and my health is now improving. I also saved $7 through a self-help group. I also managed to save the remaining $7 through a self-help group. My goal is to accumulate enough funds to expand my current one-room house by adding another room. This expansion is essential because my four grandchildren currently share the same room with me, and the space has become cramped as they are growing. This new room will provide much-needed living space and comfort for them.

My grandsons do not have a good shelter, and I am the one taking care of them. They have been seeking shelter from neighbors, and they are still young. I am planning to build an extension of one room in order to accommodate them. I will be buying some iron sheets and building poles to accomplish this. My plan is to save them from the trouble of seeking shelter elsewhere. I am also planning to buy a new mattress and a new bed to replace the old and worn-out beddings that I have been using for many years so that I can at least enjoy a comfortable sleep.

I spent part of my recent transfers on paying fees for my two grandchildren so that they could continue with their studies. They were frequently sent home because I was not able to pay for them on time, and they nearly missed their exams. I am at peace seeing them go on with their studies comfortably after paying their fees when I received the transfer. I have also been saving Ksh. 1100 every month in our merry-go-round, and I am planning to use my savings to buy a new bed and a mattress and replace the old, worn-out bedding that I have been using for years. Lastly, I did enough shopping for foodstuffs for my family to last for some weeks. I was no longer struggling to fend for my family because they were taking three meals a day, unlike when we could go for some days without food.

The organization informed us about the different ways we could use the transfers before we were accepted into the program. This gave us psychological preparation and enabled us to make wise and moral decisions following the transfers. In order for the funds to have a greater impact on the recipients, I urge the organization to carry on with the same teaching event after we begin receiving the transfers. At this point, I am unable to criticize the organization because everything they are doing is in the right direction.

I was raised on a farm where I grew crops and cared for animals. I was selling livestock and using the extra food harvest to support myself four years ago. I struggled to support my family after the drought encroached on our village and I lost my source of income. I have to purchase all of the food from the store because the farm is no longer productive. I buy very little food from the shop because it is so expensive; however, this is enough for me to survive. Since I can no longer grow food on my farm, I am considering raising livestock as a substitute. I spent $26 on a goat when I got my December transfers. The goat is able to cope well with the extreme weather that we experience. The goat will procreate eventually, increasing my initial investment. After briefly becoming ill during the holiday season, I finally used the remaining $800 to purchase prescription medications. I'm happy to report that my health has significantly improved thanks to the money from the transfer.

At 2 p.m., I was resting at home when my phone rang with a message. Because I cannot read, I requested my daughter-in-law to assist me in understanding what was texted to my phone. She found that Give Directly had sent me the initial transfer. To be honest, I was extremely delighted since the money would help relieve the household's issues such as hunger.

When I received the money, I was experiencing difficulties procuring food for there was no money. Prior to the transfer, we spent an entire week sipping porridge in the morning and evening. I am happy that things have improved. My family ate full breakfast and supper meals for the first two days after receiving the funds. Though things have become tough again, we have not returned to drinking porridge; we only eat solid meals the evening.

I spent $8 on food. My grandchildren and I were starving since the household had run out of food the last two days. In those two days, we relied on the leftover maize flour to make porridge in the morning and evening so that our stomachs would not remain empty. My son, the family's breadwinner, had not received his income since it was the middle of the month. Besides, his wage as a herder is poor and does not cover all of our household expenses, which makes hunger a great concern for us. Apart from food, I spent $10 on asthma medication to relieve the pain and coughing I was undergoing. I'm relieved that my condition is improving and that I haven't been coughing much. Finally, I used the remaining funds to purchase pesticide for the corn plants that had sprouted so that they would not be attacked by pests.