My current objective is to purchase livestock, especially goats, so that I can breed them and sell them to generate income. As a widow who mainly relies on subsistence farming, I currently have no source of income and believe that owning some goats will be a good investment for me. I currently own seven goats, but my focus is to buy more. My goal is to breed and let them multiply, and I can readily sell the offspring to generate income when I am in a dire financial need.

I have been saving $10 from my monthly transfers in our merry-go-round group for the past few months. Since I rely mainly on subsistence farming and do not have any source of income, I decided to invest in buying goats. I currently own seven goats and plan to use my savings to buy more when my turn comes. I am also grateful that the monthly transfers have allowed me to adequately provide for my family. I recently had a farming season, but the harvest was very little due to excessive rainfall. I have been relying on subsistence farming to ensure that my family is well-fed, but last season was not successful, and I now have to buy food daily for my family. However, the transfers have been a lifesaver for me because, despite the financial hurdles, my family is well-fed and has enough food to eat. I am at peace with my family because taking three meals a day is no longer a challenge for us. I spent $50 on buying enough foodstuffs, such as maize flour, which was adequate to feed us for weeks. So far, my family is well-fed and has never lacked food, as my household had enough food supplies to serve us for many weeks. In addition to this, I have also longed to purchase a new mattress to replace the old and uncomfortable one that I have been using. After saving a portion of the transfers for the last few months, I finally managed to purchase the mattress for $45. I am now enjoying a comfortable sleep and have peace of mind knowing that I have a good place to sleep.

In the coming year and beyond, I wish to continue acquiring livestock, particularly goats. Owning these animals ensures financial security even after the cash transfers conclude. This will be a more reliable source of income than the practice of making charcoal that I currently partake in.  As they reproduce and increase in number, I can sell them in the future to cover various needs, such as food. As a widow, having livestock becomes a crucial source of funds, reducing my dependence on my brother-in-law for provisions.

Upon receiving the recent cash transfers, I directed $10 to contribute to a merry-go-round club. When it is my turn to receive the share, I intend to invest the funds in increasing my herd of six goats. The goal is for these goats to reproduce, allowing me to sell the offspring to meet my ongoing needs while enabling the mother to continue reproducing. Over the past two months, I also contributed a total of $20 to savings groups with the same objective of acquiring livestock.  I also used $15 to purchase four chickens for rearing. Since the passing of my husband, my brother-in-law has become the primary provider for the family, primarily relying on livestock rearing. However, this is not always sufficient to cover the family's needs. So I spent the remaining $24 from each of these transfers to buy food. I am pleased that, thanks to the cash transfers, I have been able to contribute hugely to buying food for the family, thereby easing the burden on my brother-in-law.

The transformative impact of the cash transfers on my life is something I deeply appreciate. Thanks to the funds, I now possess a decent cooking area that also serves as a shelter for my livestock during the night. This change is significant, given that the previous cooking structure I had was vulnerable to wind and easily blown away. My current objective is to invest in livestock rearing, which I see as a means to address my future financial needs. The earlier transfers allowed me to obtain five goats, although the recent demise of my mother resulted in the consumption of one of the goats at her funeral. Presently, despite the relatively high cost of acquiring goats, approximately $30 each, I am resolute in my determination to procure more. In the short run, I am actively working towards saving through a self-help group, intending to accumulate enough funds to eventually acquire additional goats.

Tragically, the day after I withdrew the transferred amount, my mother passed away. I had intended to utilize the funds to purchase a goat, thus expanding my existing herd of five goats. However, the unexpected and sorrowful event compelled me to allocate a significant portion of the transfer toward the funeral arrangements. So I used $19 to contribute to the burial ceremony which catered for food contributions and my transport to and from the send-off. Upon our return from the burial, our household had no food, as our absence from home had lasted for about a week. Having managed to save $15 from the transfer, I was able to secure nourishment for my family. Normally, both my son and I, being the primary earners, rely on casual jobs such as farm work and charcoal production to sustain ourselves. However, after returning from the funeral, our window for working and earning was limited. At that moment, the cash transfers were a lifeline, ensuring that my son and I did not struggle with food scarcity. I cannot express enough how thankful I am for the support.

I am glad that I finished revamping my kitchen structure with the help of the cash transfers. Next, I want to continue growing my herd of five goats, all of whom I acquired through previous funds from Give Directly. Keeping goats is the surest way I can build my wealth and raise quick funds in the future to meet my needs. Although the cost of acquiring these animals is rising by the day (now selling at $35), I will never tire of investing in them. Am sure that if I buy them now, and let them reproduce, I will sell them even at a higher price and gain more money. 

The structure that doubled as a kitchen and shelter for my goats crumbled a few months ago, which left me squeezing the tiny space in my house to find a cooking spot. My priority was to renovate the damaged structure. However, my business of making charcoal could have not raised enough funds to do the job. This is why I spent most of my previous two cash transfers on buying building poles after which I hired someone to take on the task. By the time I received the recent cash, I owed the builder $20 for labor and I prioritized settling the debt. Also, my house had run out of maize flour that morning, which prompted me to spend the remaining $14 on more food. Since am alone in the household, the food has served me to date. Am happy that I have never gone hungry and that my kitchen structure is fully renovated and functional. 

In the coming year and beyond, I intend to concentrate on improving the goat rearing, that I started with the transfers. This is a reliable source of income that I currently rely on to support myself. At the moment, I have 4 goats and planning to acquire more with the transfer, Additionally, I intend to purchase proper bedding, as at now, I am using a mat that is not comfortable resulting in experiencing body pains every day after waking up.

As a widow, I rely on the sale of charcoal for income. I no longer make much money from this economic activity because it has gotten worse recently. I can only sell $10 worth of charcoal in a month, which is insufficient to cover all of my expenses. Due to the high price of food commodities, the situation has gotten worse. A 2 kg packet of maize flour now costs me $2, up from less than $1 at the beginning of the year. I have a hard time making ends meet. When I received my December transfers, I immediately spent a sizable portion of $19 on food to celebrate Christmas and New Year's with my family. I'm appreciative of the money because it gave me a significant financial boost and allowed me to feed my family. I set aside the last $15 so that I could pay tuition fees for my children, buy some food while I awaited my next transfer, and also profit from selling the charcoal.

Fifteen years ago, I lost my husband who was the sole breadwinner of my family. Having not received rain for the past three years, I cut down some woods and make charcoal for sale. The job is very tedious and has low returns considering that I am aged. In a month, I sell two sacks of charcoal at KES 350 each. The money is too little to cater to all my needs (food, medication, and clothing). When I received my transfers, I save half of it intending to buy some goats at the end of the year. This is a wise investment toward the creation of wealth. Once the goats multiply, my wealth doubles up and I can take care of myself. Besides saving, I spent the other half to buy more food to add to the dwindling stock of food remaining.

I love the fact that the Give Directly staff were trained to offer high-quality services to the people in the village. This is good because we feel safe as we disclose essential information to them, knowing that it will be safe. I would like to recommend an increase in the monthly stipend by the organization which will help us deal with the sharp rise in commodities.

Two days before receiving my transfer, I lost my relative, who was involved in an accident. When I received my transfer, I spent KES 2000 as a family contribution to be used in the preparations of the burial. We spent the money to buy a coffin and gravestone flowers and offer him a good send-off under our cultural norms. I then spent the remaining KES 1000 on buying food for my family. I work as a casual laborer making and selling charcoal. I spent more than a week involved in the burial preparations of my relatives and did not sell any charcoal during that time. The food stock in the house got depleted and adding more was very important to prevent my family from starving.

I was hurriedly walking to the market to buy vegetables when I suddenly had my phone ring out loudly. I checked it out and found out that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. Wow! I stopped and jumped up and down, attracting the attention of passer-byes who curiously stared at me. After having that moment of celebration, I continued with my walk to the market, feeling thrilled and all smiles.       

Buying the goats is the biggest difference in my life since I started receiving the transfer. The goats are a future smart investment for the future together with my family. Through the funds, I plan for the future, which I had not thought of previously.      

I spent an additional KES 2000 on top of the KES 3000 I received for my first transfer to buy two goats. The goats I bought are a smart investment for the future. I will rear them and once they multiply, I can sell some and use the money to attend to my most pressing needs. I am the only sole breadwinner of my family and my charcoal selling business does not earn me much. The harsh economic environment informed the decision to buy the goats we currently are in. I can provide fully the needs (food, school fees, and clothing) for my child, but in the future things may change for the worse. When that happens, my only hope will be to sell the goats and take care of their pressing needs.