The aim for now is to save money from the incoming transfers to build a house of my own. Currently, I have been staying in my relative's house, which is on the verge of collapsing, and I am worried that we might be left homeless. Therefore, I have been thinking of saving a portion of the money to start this project. I believe this is achievable, and once I succeed, I will no longer have to worry about shelter or my security, as it has been a major source of stress for me. Additionally, my belongings will no longer be at risk of being destroyed as they have been before.

I am an orphan and have been left under the care of my relatives, who have been looking after me since the death of my parents. However, they have also been struggling financially, so food insecurity has been a constant issue for me, especially since I cannot work due to my epilepsy. I previously spent $88 to buy enough food to last me for a while, and all I can say is that ever since GiveDirectly came into my life, it’s rare for me to go to bed with an empty stomach like before. My health had been severely affected, and I was always weak. I can’t thank this organization enough. I have no idea how my life would be without their support, as I had lost hope in life. Additionally, my clothes were always getting damaged by rodents like mice, which had been stressing me for a while. When I received the cash, I used $14 to buy a metal box to store my clothes in a better and more secure place. Now, my clothes are well preserved, and there are no more damages like before.

My primary focus in the coming year and beyond is to save up enough funds from the transfers to acquire essential building materials like sand, building stones, and cement. Our makeshift house has been struggling during this rainy season, with serious leaks posing a significant challenge for us. By investing in these materials, I aim to address the structural issues and ensure a more comfortable living environment for my family. I am deeply grateful for the support from the transfers, as it has enabled me to tend to my personal needs without having to rely excessively on relatives. This new found independence is empowering and allows me to take proactive steps towards improving our living conditions.

As a person with physical disabilities, I rely heavily on my grandmother for care. With both my parents gone, she has taken on the responsibility of looking after my five siblings and me. Despite her age, she works hard, farming during the rainy season and making charcoal during dry spells. However, the income from these endeavors is insufficient to support our large family. To contribute, I raise livestock, earning a meager $2 per day. The financial assistance from the transfers has been a lifeline for us. It has allowed me to address some of my basic needs, such as purchasing new clothes, which I bought for $10. Additionally, I spent $30 on food, ensuring that no one in our household goes hungry. With careful planning and saving, I set aside $50 from the transfers, supplemented by contributions from my grandmother, to invest in building materials for a permanent house. Our previous mud house collapsed during the rainy season last year, forcing us to live in temporary accommodations. We are now pooling resources to construct a more stable and spacious home. The remaining $12 from the transfers was used to charge my phone, as we lack access to electricity. Overall, I am incredibly grateful for the financial assistance provided by the transfers. It has significantly improved our quality of life and provided hope for a brighter future for both my family and me.

The heavy rains we experienced towards the end of last year brought both blessings and challenges. Regrettably, our previous residence collapsed due to the weakened poles. In order to shield ourselves from the cold weather at night, we have erected a semi-permanent structure while we gather the necessary funds to purchase materials for constructing a new house. I am grateful for the financial assistance as it has been instrumental in aiding us through this difficult time and will ultimately help us in building a better home for the future.

Being a person living with a disability, the transfers from Give Directly have been incredibly beneficial in meeting my needs. I currently reside with my foster family following the passing of my parents many years ago. Our earnings from casual jobs, which involve working on other people's farms and raising livestock, are quite meager. The funds I receive have been instrumental in purchasing food, as I allocated $68 towards this expense to ensure that my family and I have enough to eat. Additionally, I used a portion of the funds, $7, to acquire new clothing to replace the worn-out and torn garments that I previously had. With the remaining amount, I bought detergents and various personal essentials that are vital for my daily survival, as well as for charging my phone. I am truly grateful for the financial support I have received. It has significantly assisted my family and me in affording our necessities.

Having obtained new clothing, my current objective is to utilize my monthly transfers to invest in livestock. Livestock presents a promising long-term investment opportunity due to their ability to reproduce and increase in numbers over time. Acquiring livestock will serve a dual purpose for me. Firstly, it will provide a safety net in case of any unforeseen financial needs, as I can sell the livestock for immediate cash. Secondly, it will establish a steady source of income through the buying and selling of livestock.

In our household, I reside with my stepmother and six stepsiblings. My daily responsibilities revolve around tending to our cattle. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to attend school due to my difficulty in expressing myself verbally and my slower thought process. Additionally, the pervasive poverty in our surroundings also played a role in preventing me from pursuing an education. To sustain our family, my stepmother works as a peasant farmer. However, her income is meager and insufficient to meet the needs of all seven of us, especially considering that my siblings are attending school. Upon receiving my transfers for the month of June, I allocated $10 towards purchasing food. Thanks to this purchase, we were able to avoid going to bed hungry. In addition to buying food, I managed to save $20. My intention is to utilize this amount to acquire new clothing. Currently, I only possess two worn-out garments that are in dire need of replacement. Obtaining new clothes will enhance my appearance and present a neat and respectable image. It has been quite some time since I had the opportunity to wear new clothing, so I am eagerly looking forward to this upcoming change and the chance to appear presentable once again.

The house I live in with my aunt needed repairs, and that was my biggest accomplishment this year. Large cracks have begun to form on the mud walls as a result of the weakening of the poles. This alone is sufficient evidence that the house needs to be renovated as soon as possible. Around the two-room house, I want to erect stone walls and pillars. This will strengthen it and make it habitation-safe.

I was an orphan when I was very young because my parents died a long time ago. Since I stopped going to school, I've had a hard time developing. Because of my mental instability, I find it difficult to learn new things quickly. I'm grateful to my aunt who adopted me and has taken good care of me. My aunt works as a temporary employee selling charcoal, so she does not make a lot of money. We must pay for food and water out of the little she makes. Due to the extreme temperatures, our local water sources have dried up, forcing us to purchase water at exorbitant prices. To ease the burden on my aunt, who struggles to put food on the table for the family, I have been using my previous transfers to buy food. When I got my February transfers, I decided to spend the entire $34 on a goat. I want to expand my purchases and start raising livestock. By doing this, I will have solid assets that I can rely on if I ever find myself in need of money.

My aunt takes care of me because I have physical limitations. She sells charcoal to make a living. She lost her main source of income, farming, as a result of the drought that started three years ago. She harvested a large amount of food from the farm prior to the drought and sold the extra to generate some income. She currently faces financial difficulties because of a lack of adequate income to support the family. I feel powerless because I am unable to assist her in obtaining jobs so that she can pay off the mounting household bills. As a result, when I received my transfer, I spent a sizable portion ($25) on food. Due to recent increases in food prices, we can only afford to eat one meal per day to survive. With $25, we were able to purchase five packets of maize flour for $10 each, one kilogram each of sugar and beans, one litre each of cooking oil and detergent, and three cents worth of drinking water per 20-liter jerrican. We have enough food to last a week on this amount. I'm glad the money made sure that my family and I wouldn't go hungry from a lack of food. In addition, I spent $5 on a blanket to protect me from the chilly weather at night. I don't have a bed or a mattress, so I sleep on the bear floor covered by a thin sisal mat. My health has been negatively impacted by the frigid conditions on the flour. I appreciate that the blanket will keep me warm as I eagerly anticipate purchasing a mattress.

I applaud GiveDirectly for the great job it is doing, because prior to getting involved with it, I had a lot of financial problems. Even when I got money it was very little and never enough to take care of me and my grandmother. I only have seen nothing but good things from the involvement with this organisation.

When I received the money I decided to save it at first because I was still indecisive on how I would want to spend it. So after much thought I decided I should buy a goat because it seemed like a proper investment since I took care of livestock for a living. I plan to breed the goat and after it has a kid or a couple of them, then I can go ahead and sell them so as to make some money. I plan on sending my trustee tomorrow to go check the price of the goat then he can buy one for me. Therefore I still have all the funds I received which is KES 3,000. If any of it is left after the purchase then I plan on buying some clothes since most of the ones I possess are old and worn out.

I was outside our house with my mum chatting after we had completed taking our lunch. I am uneducated, my parents could not afford to pay the school fees at a special school since l am disabled because of the poverty condition. I did not know that I received my transfer until my helper come to inform me that our colleagues have received the transfer. After confirming on my phone, I was very happy when I was informed that I had received the transfer.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am optimistic that I will be able to reside in a better shelter like other once we completed the renovation our my house. This will restore the happiness that we had been missing for a long period. I am very grateful for the aid, I did not imagine that we will be able to renovate our house soon. In addition, the poultry farming will be my reliable source of income that will help me cater for most of my essential needs.

I spent KES 500 to start small-scale poultry farming by purchasing 2 hens, this is a reliable source of income for me. I will be able to sell them when they multiply to support me whenever I face any financial challenges in the future. With the remaining part, I bought sufficient foodstuffs for our family. I am planning to spend the next transfer and added with that of my mother to renovate our house which has collapsed on one side and is no longer stable something that presents a risk to our lives. I intend to purchase building poles and threads and pay the labor charges.