I have many goals on my mind right now, but the most urgent is repairing my house. Recently, I noticed that the walls were unstable, so I took the initiative to start renovating. I’m currently halfway through the process and aim to complete the repairs before the next rainy season. If not addressed soon, the damage could worsen significantly. To achieve this, I plan to use the transfers and sell some of my goats to fund the repairs, as it is an urgent priority. I’m confident that once the work is finished, I won’t have to worry about being left homeless, and it will remain a positive memory even after the organization’s support ends.

Upon receiving the recent cash transfers, I used about $34 to start renovating my house. The walls were weak and at risk of collapsing, so I knew it was essential to begin the renovation. Unfortunately, I ran out of funds before completing the project, but I am hopeful that I will be able to finish it soon and regain my peace of mind. The timing of the money was also fortuitous, as one of my daughters fell ill. Thanks to the funds, I was able to rush her to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with malaria. I'm relieved that she received treatment and is now back to her normal activities. Currently, I rely solely on raising goats and farming for my income, with no other sources of support. I had to use $34 to buy food for my family, especially since we didn’t have a harvest this season. The money has been incredibly helpful in ensuring that we have enough to eat during this challenging period.

My main goal for the coming year and beyond is to stick with my farming activities and continue raising livestock, particularly goats. Being old, I find solace and security in this endeavor, knowing that it's the most reliable path for me and my family. The goats serve as a form of insurance; in case of any emergencies, they can provide us with valuable resources. Moreover, engaging in substantial farming ensures that we never go hungry. It's a comforting thought to know that our hard work will always keep food on the table. So, despite my age, I'm committed to tending the land and caring for our livestock, ensuring that my family's needs are met now and in the future.

After receiving the cash transfer, I felt a surge of excitement, knowing that I finally had the means to fulfil a long-held desire: owning livestock. With a particular fondness for goats, I wasted no time in purchasing two, envisioning them as the foundation of a future herd. Beyond mere companionship, these goats symbolized security to me, a safety net in times of financial uncertainty. As I watched them graze contentedly in the fields, I couldn't help but feel a sense of reassurance, knowing that their presence would provide a tangible resource that I could rely on in times of need. Alongside this investment, I recognized the importance of investing in my farm, despite my advancing age. Hiring someone to prepare the land for planting ensured that I could maximize the yield from my two-acre farm, securing a bountiful harvest that would sustain my family in the months to come. With the remaining cash, I made sure to prioritize the immediate needs of my household. Food, a fundamental necessity, was purchased to sustain my wife, granddaughter, and myself. The assurance of regular support from GiveDirectly brought a sense of stability to our lives, particularly for elderly individuals like me who rely on farming as our primary source of income. With each passing month, the arrival of funds from GiveDirectly serves as a lifeline, ensuring that we can continue to meet our basic needs without undue hardship.

Inspired by my success in livestock rearing, I aspire to expand my sources of income by venturing into commercial farming. My plan for the upcoming year involves renting oxen to till and plant maize on my three-acre piece of land, with the intention of selling the harvest. I have initiated the process of saving my transfers toward this venture and am determined to realize it before the next planting season. Beyond fulfilling the need for food consumption, growing maize holds the potential to generate proceeds from sales, enabling me to acquire more goats for my livestock. I eagerly anticipate a prosperous new year filled with blessings as I embark on this agricultural venture.

Experiencing the struggle of lacking a reliable source of income to support my family was undeniably challenging. Previously, I earned a living by rearing livestock for others to sustain my family of eight. The assistance from GiveDirectly has brought considerable joy as it allowed me to invest in my own goats, and presently, I am rearing eighteen with plans to sell them later for a profit. Allocating $34, I purchased building poles and cement to renovate my house, which had suffered a lot of damage during the heavy rains. Another $34 was spent on acquiring rice, flour, and two chickens, which were enjoyed during the Christmas festivities. I prudently saved the remaining amount for use in the upcoming new year. The positive changes in my life brought about by GiveDirectly fill me with happiness and gratitude, as I feel indebted to the organization for improving my circumstances.

I find great satisfaction in the financial support I receive through monthly transfers, which has significantly improved my ability to meet my family's essential needs, including purchasing food. In addition to securing nourishment for my family, I've been able to invest in eight goats using these funds. Since I began receiving this financial assistance, the goat population has grown to over twenty. My most significant achievement lies in consistently making prudent financial decisions each time I receive these transfers.

In August, I settled a $12.5 loan using my monthly transfers. However, an unexpected crisis arose when my son fell seriously ill and urgently needed medical attention. Unfortunately, I didn't have the necessary funds at that moment, so I turned to a friend for assistance. Upon arriving at the hospital, my son was admitted and diagnosed with malaria. His condition was critical, necessitating the infusion of two liters of fluids. Fortunately, his health has improved significantly, and he is now on the road to recovery. With the remaining $14 from my transfers, I purchased food to ensure that my family had enough to eat. At the time I received the transfers, our maize crop on the farm was not yet ready for harvesting. This compelled me to buy food from the store to prevent my family from going hungry. It's important to note that I don't generate any income from livestock farming, making these transfers a crucial lifeline for my family's well-being. I am deeply grateful for the support provided by these transfers, as they enable me to care for my family during challenging times.

I would have loved to start and operate a vegetable-selling business as a means of income, but that would leave my herd of at least 20 goats with no one to attend to them. Since running the business seems challenging as of now, I wish to continue raising my livestock and growing the herd by buying more goats. Just as the business could bring me an income, am certain that rearing goats will build me more wealth which I could sell and make an income to settle the needs of my wife and me. So, this is what I want to focus on in the coming years.

Given my advancing age, raising livestock is the best activity I could take on to provide for my family. Ever since I started receiving the cash transfers, I leveraged the chance to obtain goats, accumulating the number to almost twenty goats as we speak. During difficult times, I usually sell some of these animals to generate money and alleviate the hardships at the time. In fact, last month I sold one goat to generate money for food. This is the reason why am always drawn to buying more goats whenever I receive transfers. From the recent transfer, my wife and I contributed $8 towards the purchase of a young goat to replace the one we sold last month. After that, we contributed the remaining $26 of each other's transfers to purchase food, that would serve us until the next transfer date.

Being elderly, my wife and I rely on our son to care for the whole family. The only source of income for our family is the livestock, which I raise. I currently have ten goats in my possession. Before the drought started, I had five cows and more than 30 goats. When I received my transfers for December, I spent $32 on a goat. The goats I'm buying will multiply in number over the coming months, making them wise investments for the future. If I ever have a crisis, I'll sell the goats and use the proceeds to care for the family's livestock, which is our only source of income. If I have an emergency, I'll sell the goats and use the proceeds to deal with it. I'm thrilled that the money from the transfers will let me make wise investments and stop relying too much on my son, who has his own family, for financial support.

I depend on my daughter who runs a small kiosk business selling vegetables. Previously, I earned a living through raising of livestock. The drought that has lasted for over three years now, killed most of the livestock. My source of income was lost and I cannot provide for the family. When I received my recent transfer, I spent KES 1000 on buying five packets of 2kg maize. We did not have any food left in the house and were just surviving on a cup of hot water and some wild fruits. Besides buying food, I bought a goat at KES 2000. Having lost so many livestock before, I want to start all over again and accumulate wealth through rearing the goats.

I love the fact that the unconditional transfers from Give Directly have given me hope of turning around my life after losing all my livestock, which I depended heavily on. I am happy that I will provide for my family and live happily as we did before the catastrophe struck. I would like to recommend physical visits by Give Directly offices to find out the impact the fans have on our lives.

For over 10 years, I've been earning a living by raising livestock for other people. I am paid by being gifted a goat once the goats multiply in numbers. In my teen years raising livestock, I accumulated a huge number of goats as payment for my work. In times of need, I sold some and used the money to cater to my family's (wife and 4 children) needs (food, shelter, and school fees). When the drought struck I lost everything (all the livestock died) that I had accumulated over the years and was left with nothing. As a result, I have struggled to provide for my family because I lack a job. My wife, who works as a Casual laborer, is currently helping in clearing the bills from the little she earns. Therefore, when I received my transfer of Kenya Shillings 3050, I spent it all on purchasing a goat. I bought the God so that I will start over by rearing the goat and eventually accumulating wealth that I will use to help my family during times of need.

I woke early in the morning and took my neighbor's livestock to the field for grazing, awaiting payment. I left my mobile phone at home in the fear that it may get lost. When I got back home at 2 pm, I received the good news from my son that I had received my first transfer. I smiled from ear to ear as my heart was filled with joy. I immediately asked my son to go withdraw the money.

My job in raising livestock does not earn me much and as a result, my family has often had to sleep with nothing to eat. The number of meals dropped from three to survive on one meal per day. Ever since I received my first transfer, my family has never gone a day without food and we now have two meals a day. Using the money from the transfer to buy food has made a vast difference in my daily life.

Without a stable income from my charcoal selling business, I was forced into selling the only tangible assets I had, which were livestock. I spent the money I got to take care of the massive family needs (food, school fees, and clothing) which were a burden to me being the only breadwinner of the family ( Husband and 2 children). Because of the challenges I was facing, my children were forced to drop out of school due to a lack of school fees. When I received my first transfer, I spent KES 350 to buy a hen. I invested the money in buying the hen so that in the future, once they multiply, I will use the funds to take care of upcoming needs, just like I did with the goats. I then spent the remaining amount of KES 850 to buy 6 packets of maize flour and 1 kg of beans for my family to have something to eat for the next two weeks.