I am relieved that I now have two heifers to fill the void left by the previous cow, which used to provide us with enough milk. In the coming year, I hope to improve my farming activities in order to increase the productivity of my subsistence farming, the surplus of which will be used to purchase building materials. When I got the transfers, I needed a house, but it wasn't a top priority. I had to invest in livestock in order to begin construction later this year after the farm products were sold.

Everyone in our village appreciates GiveDirectly's support because it came when we least expected it and was timely in addressing the pressing challenges that we faced. Despite the incitement and scary stories, we heard from the village, we couldn't resist enrolling and receiving the transfers that brought a lot of change to our homes. Unlike the scary stories we had heard before, GiveDirectly provided us with clear information and assurance about the source of the money. The results of our spending decisions have been brilliant, and I am grateful that we are still in close communication with the office about our progress.

I had been buying milk for my family of seven for a long time before receiving support from GiveDirectly because I had sold the only cow that produced milk when I couldn't pay my children's school fees. Managing the cost of milk alongside other household goods was difficult, but I am grateful that I worked harder on my farms and received support from my sons, who later dropped out of school when I was unable to meet all of my financial obligations, which included their tuition payment. They had been doing odd jobs and helping to pay the bills. I was relieved to receive the first transfer after spending $400 on two dairy heifers. This gave me hope that I would soon have a plentiful supply of milk. I also purchased a $54 sack of maize for food, as most of my farm's produce failed due to the prolonged drought. I also purchased school uniforms for my two primary school daughters, paid their $9 tuition, and saved the remainder to pay other household bills later.

I was taking dinner when my phone rang and upon checking its contents, it was a Mpesa message indicating that I had received KES 55000 from Segovia. I became so excited until I started crying out of joy as I already foresaw myself owning a dairy cow which has been my goal.

I am taking care of my old mother who can no longer walk and I have to carry her like a small child. This has made me depend solely on farming and my children since I can not leave her alone in the house and go around looking for some casual work to do. I am glad that with the transfer, I was able to purchase two heifers. These are an investment that will generate income through the sale of surplus when they reproduce. With this, I will no longer be depending on my children most of the time for our needs.

With the transfer, I bought two heifers at KES 30000. In addition, I spent KES 7000 on farming by hiring a tractor for land preparation purposes and bought hybrid seeds for planting. Using the remaining amount, I bought some foodstuffs to last us for some time. I settled on buying the heifers since I have been depending on farming and my children to buy food for us. Aside from this, buying milk has been our routine and it is costly since I take care of my old mother who needs a lot of milk for consumption. With the money that I will be getting from the sale of surplus, I will be using it to meet some of our needs so that my children can also concentrate on their families.