Given the current drought and the hunger we are facing, my plan for this year is to continue using part of my transfers to make sure my family has enough food to avoid going hungry. It is a struggle, but I will keep prioritizing our food needs, especially during these tough times. At the same time, with my grandchildren still in school, I am committed to using another portion of the funds to pay their school fees, ensuring they can stay in school and continue their education. Another big concern for me is the roof of my house. It is very old and rusty, and it desperately needs to be replaced. However, with the drought still ongoing, I cannot focus on the roofing just yet. So, I am waiting for the rains to come, hoping that we will farm and have a good harvest to sustain us for a long period. Once we have enough food stored, I will begin redirecting part of my GiveDirectly transfers from buying food to gradually buying iron sheets to replace the roof. It is a slow process, but I am determined to fix our home, step by step. The support I am receiving from GiveDirectly gives me hope that I can take care of my family and our needs, even in the face of so many challenges.

I live with my grandchildren, who are all in school, and I have been doing my best to support their education since their parents are currently unemployed and do not have sustainable income. Recently, I used $20 of my transfers from GiveDirectly to help one of them join a technical college, hoping it would give her the skills she needs to secure a job and become self-sufficient. I also spent another $18 to cover the school fees for my other grandchildren, ensuring they would not be sent home due to unpaid bills. I feel truly grateful to be in a position to help, and I remain hopeful that they will complete their education and be able to take care of themselves in the future. With the remaining $52 from the transfers, I made sure to buy food for the family. This was especially important given the ongoing drought and the food shortages we are facing. It has been a tough time, but I am thankful for the support from GiveDirectly, as it has allowed me to meet the immediate needs of my family. I appreciate this assistance, as it gives me hope and the means to continue caring for my grandchildren during such a challenging period.

In the coming year and beyond, my main aspirations revolve around two key goals that hold deep significance for me. Firstly, I am determined to purchase a sewing machine for my granddaughter. I firmly believe that this investment will empower her to become self-sufficient and support both herself and me, especially as I navigate my elderly years. Secondly, I aim to renovate my current house, which is in a state of disrepair. This home has been a place of comfort and security for me, but its condition now requires attention. I have made plans to achieve these goals using incoming transfers, ensuring that I can provide a better environment for myself and my family. These dreams motivate me each day, and I am committed to realizing them soon.

On getting my transfers, I was unwell and had to go to the hospital, where I was admitted and diagnosed with severe malaria. The diagnosis was frightening, but with the cash transfer, I was able to afford the necessary treatment. After days of care, I recovered and felt a renewed sense of energy and vitality. The relief of regaining my health was immeasurable, knowing I could now continue caring for my family without the looming threat of illness. The first step was ensuring my well-being, and with that accomplished, I turned my attention to my grandchildren's education. Paying school fees for my three grandchildren was a significant priority, totalling around $54. Additionally, I spent $14 on uniforms for two of them. The joy of seeing them dressed in their new uniforms, ready for school, was overwhelming. Education has always been a cornerstone for our family, but the financial strain has often interrupted their schooling. With this support, they no longer faced the uncertainty of being sent home due to unpaid fees. Their consistent attendance is a newfound source of happiness for me as I watch them embrace their studies with enthusiasm. This opportunity has provided them with a stable educational environment, something I deeply cherish.

In the coming year and beyond, I desire to replace my tin roof with new iron sheets. Although the house was recently built, I had to use old iron sheets from the previous house, which have corroded over time and developed holes, allowing water to seep in when it rains. I would never want my new bed and mattress, obtained with the transfer funds, to be dampened and damaged by rainwater. That is why I plan to start saving towards purchasing new roofing materials. Additionally, I would prefer this responsibility to solely fall on my shoulders, as I do not wish to burden my son, who is already constrained by the school fees of his seven children. I am hopeful that the transfers will fully support this endeavor.

Other than my son, who works in house construction, the cash transfers are now my main source of income. In fact, they have alleviated my overdependence on him and have allowed him to better care for his seven children and wife. However, there are times when things do not go smoothly in his job, and I have to support whenever I can, especially in terms of school fees for the children. Recently, two of them were sent home from school due to outstanding tuition balances. Since their father was unable to raise the amount, I allocated $34 to cover what was owed, and they happily returned to school, where they have been studying uninterrupted since then. Additionally, I used $9 to purchase school uniforms for two of them whose old attire had been torn from repeated use. I also spent another $34 to buy a mattress for a new wooden bed that I acquired through the transfers. No longer sleeping on a sisal-twined bed, I cannot describe the relief I feel waking up every morning. I allocated the remaining amount towards Christmas celebrations so that my family could gather and enjoy a delicious meal together.

Looking ahead, my primary goal for the upcoming year is to ensure the education of my grandchildren. Earlier this year, my son, who also serves as the father of the children, lost his job. He has been struggling to secure another well-paying position, which has subsequently affected his ability to pay for their school fees. I am delighted to provide assistance so that my grandchildren can receive the education they deserve and have a brighter future.

In August of this year, my husband tragically passed away after a long battle with an unfamiliar illness. I dedicated $34 to the preparations for his burial to ensure he received a dignified farewell. For over a decade, I had been sleeping on a bed made of sisal twine, but I finally had the opportunity to purchase a $50 mattress. Now, I am able to sleep comfortably without waking up to backaches and body pains as I did before. In addition to acquiring the mattress, I provided assistance to my son in paying the school fees for my two grandchildren, who are currently enrolled in secondary school. They were at risk of being expelled due to the large outstanding balances. I am grateful that they were able to continue attending school and even sit for their exams last term. The financial support I received during a challenging period, particularly during the drought when I often went to bed hungry, has left me profoundly thankful.

Receiving the monthly stipend is a tremendous financial relief for my entire family. As we look ahead to the coming year and beyond, my primary objective is to utilize these funds to ensure an ample food supply for our household, eliminating the need for us to endure hunger. In addition to purchasing food, a portion of the stipend will be allocated towards covering the school fees of my grandchildren. This will alleviate the burden on my son, who is currently facing challenges in securing employment and providing for his children's education.

I reside with both my husband and co-wife, and I have taken on the role of the sole provider for our family since my husband fell ill three years ago. His condition has rendered him unable to perform tasks independently, necessitating assistance from both his wives in his daily activities. To aid his recovery, I utilized $5 from a transfer to purchase necessary medication from the pharmacy. Thankfully, his health has significantly improved since he began taking the prescribed medication. A substantial portion of the remaining $20 was allocated towards procuring food for our household. I earn a livelihood by working on people's farms in exchange for payment. However, the daily earnings of $2 that I receive falls considerably short, especially when faced with the growing number of expenses. This financial strain occasionally results in nights of hunger or having only one meal per day. Nevertheless, there is hope on the horizon as abundant rainfall has arrived, and we are anticipating a bumper harvest in the coming months. Lastly, I utilized the remaining $5 to settle the school fees of my grandson, who is currently studying in secondary school. Due to my son's unemployment struggles, he was unable to pay the fees, resulting in his son being sent home. I am grateful that my grandson can now resume his education, and it brings me a sense of fulfillment to see him back in school.

Over the years, I intended to replace the roof of my house but lack of finances hindered me. The iron sheets corroded over time and developed perforations that let in water whenever it rains, thus dampening the space. Thanks to Give Directly, there is potential to renovate the roof through cash transfers. First, I plan to start buying the iron sheets until I assemble at least 24 pieces then hire someone to complete the project later. Regardless of the financial obligations like food and school fees, I hope to be able to save towards this goal

Working as a casual laborer in house construction, my son is the breadwinner for his wife, six children, and me. After the hit from COVID-19, his job was affected, making it challenging for him to secure regular work. This accelerated the hardships in the household, where the children missed days of school due to unpaid tuition and the family frequently slept hungry from lack of food. Luckily, I started receiving the transfers at the heart of the pandemic, which alleviated a huge amount of the suffering. From the recent cash, I spent $20 on a new bag and school uniforms for my granddaughter who was set to join high school. At least, this brought relief to her father. I secured food with the remaining $14 as the household had run out of maize flour. In December, I bought a goat worth $25 for rearing and bought food for $4. The remaining $5 went towards clearing land in preparation for planting maize crops. I will forever be grateful to Give Directly for contributing to my family’s basic needs.

As soon as I realized the transfer had been sent out I immediately went ahead to withdraw the money and my first priority was nutrition. This is because at the time I was almost on the verge of starvation so I ended up using KES 1,000 and bought four packets of maize flour. Afterwards I was left with a balance of KES 2,000 and I decided to pay tuition fee for my granddaughter who had out of school for a week because her parents were lacking the finances to send her back.

GiveDirectly explained to us that their coming was as a result of the poverty we are in and they are eradicating it. The monthly transfers have enabled us to fend for our families and also pay fees for our children in school. Giving us unconditional transfers is what GiveDirectly does well. It would have been difficult for us especially now that we have not been able to do farming due to inadequate rainfall.

It has been my desire to own livestock which forms the biggest part of the assets that one can own in our region. Due to financial hardships, I could not afford to buy any. However, I am happy that I now own a goat through the first transfer that I received. My expectation is to use the goats to educate my grandsons since their parents are not well off. When I received my second transfer, I took KES 2000 and paid fees for my grandson. He was resuming his studies and his fees had accumulated to Ksh. 8000. I am glad that he was allowed to continue with his studies after paying part of the arrears. This will give me ample time to prepare for the next payment. I spent KES 1000 on buying food for my family. At least for last month, we had enough food for the family and no longer skipped meals.

It was in the morning and one of my grand children broke the news to me.Happiness filled the air and I could not hold back doing the happy dance with my grandchildren. For a moment I could feel my family forgot all our daily struggles and enjoyed the moment with lots of laughters.

I am an old woman who believes in the African culture of women doing all that is expected of them to make sure your children have everything and they are happy.My plan is with the funds received am going to be able to assist my son educate his children and provide food for them since its quite a large family. I have prospects of expanding my house and improving my roof as well. The ironsheets are rusty with holes and am afraid with the rains it will be a nightmare to live in that house.

My transfer of KES 2200 was spent on buying a doe that is still not mature .The rest of KES 800 was used to buy food.My initial plan has been keeping goats and since its expensive to buy the mature one ,I would rather buy a small and young goat and as it matures am able to arrange for mating thus in a few months am able to have multiple of them.As I forecast to have herd of kids which can be a mixture of bucks and doe,It will be easy for me to support my family of 11 grand children.My son is vendor who buys goods in retail and sell them directly to customers, his wife is a charcoal burner and it been a struggle for them to raise their children because of the inconsistent flow of income.