As a widow, life has been a constant struggle, but with the support from GiveDirectly, I am filled with hope and determination for the coming year and beyond. My dream is to buy more goats to add to the three I currently own. These goats are not just animals; they are my lifeline to a more secure future. Right now, I heavily rely on my son, who already carries the heavy burden of raising his five school-going children while doing casual jobs that barely meet their needs. By investing in more goats, I will be able to generate a steady income, alleviating some of the pressure on my son and ensuring a better life for my grandchildren. I plan to save at least $10 every month, adjusting as necessary to accommodate the family's needs. This way, I will gradually accumulate enough funds to expand my herd.

As a widow, I rely on my son, who works tirelessly at casual jobs to sustain me and his family of seven. With the recent three transfers amounting to $102, I made thoughtful decisions on how to use the money. First, I spent $60 to buy two goats to add to the single goat I had, which was so lonely. Investing in goats is a strategic move for me because, over time, they will multiply, providing a reliable source of income and resources for when needs arise. This small investment brings hope for a more secure future. With the remaining $42, I bought some food to assist my straining son, who was struggling to make ends meet through his demanding and often scarce jobs. This act of support allowed him to take a much-needed rest, which has left him energized and ready to venture into his work again. I am happy that he took a good rest and now feels rejuvenated. This has given me peace of mind, knowing he is better prepared to continue supporting our family.

My goal for the coming year and beyond is to become a successful goat farmer. I'm taking steps toward this dream by starting with chicken farming, knowing that five grown chickens can be exchanged for a goat. Right now, I have two goats, but by the end of this year, I aim to increase my herd by adding three more. With determination and careful planning, I believe I can achieve my dream of expanding my livestock and building a sustainable livelihood through goat farming.

With the cash transfer I received from GiveDirectly, I had a clear goal in mind that is; to start my own goat-farming business. But since the money wasn't enough to buy all the goats I needed at once, I devised a plan. I decided to use a portion of each transfer to gradually buy chickens, which I could later exchange for goats. During the last transfer, I used $12 to purchase three chickens. I had hoped to buy at least six, but tragedy struck when I lost my grandson the same week I received the money. The remaining funds had to be redirected to cover unexpected expenses, including food and burial costs. Despite the setback, the money served a crucial purpose, helping me navigate through a difficult time while still inching closer to my farming aspirations.

By the end of the transfer period, my goal is to have a growing herd of goats and chickens. If it weren't for the hunger we faced in my household over the past year, I would have been able to secure more goats by now, but I'm grateful for the one I recently acquired. In the future, I'm confident that I'll be able to sell these animals to generate funds that I can use to contribute to household needs, including food and school fees for my grandchildren. I never want to see them struggle in school due to a lack of tuition.

I'm happy that the recent rains allowed my family to plant maize for our food. This successful farming season means that most of the cash transfers can now be used for purposes other than just buying food. I allocated $45 to buy a goat, which was pregnant and recently gave birth to a kid. I'm excited because as the herd grows, I can sell the animals to help provide for the family's future food needs, rather than solely relying on my son. I also used $20 to pay school fees for my four grandchildren, which helps lessen the financial burden on my son. The remaining amount was spent on buying other essential items that we did not produce on the farm, such as cooking oil, water, and toiletries.

For quite a long time, crop farming has been a challenge in our area due to drought. Currently, I give glory to God for the rains we have this season. Since it is persisting, I aim to invest more in maize farming. By so doing I will have the opportunity to save the monthly GiveDirectly transfer for other investments after the harvesting season. As of now, I managed to plant a two-acre piece of land and the crops are flourishing.

As a peasant farmer, my main focus is on farming during this rainy season. During the ongoing rains, I seized the opportunity to engage in farming activities by allocating $20 to plow my one-acre piece of land so that I could grow some maize crops. This investment in farming holds the potential for a fruitful harvest in the future as the rains have been persisting over the last two months. Additionally, I spent the remaining funds to buy some food for my family because the drought we faced left us with nothing to rely on. I am relieved and grateful that we managed to get some food as a family and also the maize crops are doing pretty well.

My goal currently is to build a new house through the monthly transfers. I am planning to buy 20 pieces of iron sheets, and building poles in the near future. I will be buying part of these materials every month, and accumulating them until I am able to start my project. Owning my own house is what I am yearning for, which I believe will be fulfilled through the transfers.

It's almost five years now since my house collapsed and I have not been able to build another house. I have been accommodated by a fellow widow in our village, though her house is not spacious enough. When I started receiving the monthly transfers, I resolved to buy at least two pieces of iron sheets every month in order to build a new house. I thus spent a bigger portion of my recent transfers on buying iron sheets, and now I have managed to buy six. I am planning to buy the materials until I have enough to construct the new house. I also bought a goat which I am currently keeping in my homestead, I am glad that I now own two goats, which upon reproducing, I can sell the offspring in order to meet my financial needs.

In my own opinion I think the organization is doing quite a great job. At the moment I can think of buying farm animals and I am as fearful of starvation as I was before knowing GiveDirectly because of the transfers that I receive.

I was really happy I have to go to Golden to the program especially because I was struggling financially and this felt like I was getting saved from all my woes. After receiving the most recent transfers which happen to be my second time, I went ahead and bought a goat for KES 3,000 because I want to invest in growing my farm and also to serve as a reminder for the generosity offered by the Organization by the time the program comes to an end.

I slept hungry the night before, so I was really weak when I got up the next morning. I had different thoughts while I sat outside my house on how I would get money to buy food for my family. I was lost in concentration when my phone rang with a text message. I handed my daughter-in-law the phone, and once she read it, she announced that I had received my transfer. I was overjoyed. I ululated at the top of my lungs while jumping about ecstatically. I asked my daughter-in-law to cash the money out and purchase food for the family so they wouldn't go hungry.

I'm grateful for how the money has supported my family. Since I lost my farming-based income, it has been challenging to raise money for my grandchildren's school fees. My granddaughters frequently miss school because of school expenses and spend a lot of time at home, whilst their classmates continue to learn. They feel awful because it undermines their motivation to work hard in class. Thanks to the transfers, my granddaughter is now back in school, which makes me delighted.

My daughter-in-law is entirely responsible for taking care of me and my grandkids in the village. Being quite elderly and having just been in an accident where I fractured my arm, I am unable to work. My daughter-in-law makes a life in the village by selling charcoal. She has found it challenging to meet everyone's demands given that she is the only family provider (paying school fees for her children, buying food for the entire family and paying for my medical bills). My oldest granddaughter was sent home from school owing to unpaid school fees three days prior to receiving my first transfer. He was compelled to stay at home until we raised the necessary funds since we were unable to pay the school fee arrears. So, when I got my transfer, I paid KES 300 to partially pay off the debt so that my grandson could return to school and continue his education. Additionally, I used the remaining money to buy food for my family because there was none left in the house. Unlike earlier, when we would go to bed hungry and surviving on a cup of porridge, I am delighted that we enjoy eating two meals each day that are plenty to get us through.