As I have shared before, one of my biggest dreams is to own cows. To make this dream a reality, I have been using my transfers from GiveDirectly to invest in goats and chickens. My plan is to continue dedicating a portion of my transfers to purchasing more chickens and goats. My hope is that the chickens will multiply, giving me the opportunity to trade some of them for goats. Over time, the goats I acquire through trade and those purchased with transfers will also multiply, allowing me to exchange them for female cows. I envision these female cows not only growing in number but also providing my family with milk, significantly improving our nutrition. The idea of having a stable source of nourishment for my family fills me with hope and determination. Looking further ahead, I dream of starting a business. While I have not yet decided on the exact nature of this business, I am optimistic that, with time, I will develop a clear vision that I can bring to life. To fund this future endeavor, I plan to sell some of my cows, using the proceeds as starting capital. This plan gives me immense hope for the future, and I am deeply grateful for the support we continue to receive from GiveDirectly. Their assistance is not just helping me meet my current needs but also empowering me to work towards a brighter, more secure future for my family.

Owning cows has always been my goal, but buying cows directly is very expensive and I could not afford it so I decided to start small. To achieve this, I used $34 of my recent transfers to buy ten chickens and another $30 to purchase a goat. My hope is that these animals will multiply, growing in both number and value. In the future, I plan to trade some of them for cows, slowly building a sustainable source of livelihood for my family. Also, I have five children currently attending school, and I needed to ensure their fees were paid so they could continue their studies without disruption. To make this possible, I spent $20 of my transfers on their school fees. Knowing that my children are secure in their education fills my heart with happiness and pride. Finally, the remaining $28 of my transfers went toward purchasing food for my family. With the severe drought we are experiencing, our food stores have long been depleted, leaving us vulnerable to hunger. Providing my family with enough to eat during these difficult times gives me immense relief and hope for brighter days ahead. I am deeply grateful for the support we are receiving from GiveDirectly. This assistance is not only helping me navigate the challenges of today but also empowering me to work toward a better future for my family. My heart is filled with gratitude and optimism for what lies ahead.

I have expressed my desire, even in the past, to make enough cash to start a business. In my mind now is the acquisition of cows. I want to have at least two cows by next year. I will achieve this by buying and breeding goats and chicken until I have a good number, enough to sell to get cash for a cow. I want to get two dairy cows, this cows I plan to use and get income buy milking them and selling the milk. This will mean that I will also be an active contributor to my family finances.

I am a stay at home mother with no income generating activity currently ongoing. I fully depend on my husband and the transfers from Givedirectly to sustain us. I would like to find something to generate income and receiving this cash transfers have come in handy. I have bough a goat and about 7 chicken from my recent transfers at $60. With breeding this will become my main income generating activity. I have also paid school fees for my 6 school going children at $22. We also got some food from this cash at $8.

This year, my goal is to sell my goats, combining the proceeds with my transfers to purchase a cow and expand my livestock farming venture. Additionally,after getting the cow, I aim to continue acquiring more goats, hoping they will multiply and provide a steady source of income to support my children's education through their eventual sale. I am hopeful that the cow too will grow and multiply expanding my livestock farming venture. I'm filled with optimism as I embark on this journey, seeing it as a pathway to a brighter future for my family.

My dedication to livestock farming remains unwavering, and with the transfers, I allocated $52 to purchase three additional goats and $12 to acquire three more chickens. I hold onto the hope that these animals will multiply, eventually allowing me to trade them for cows and sell some to finance my children's education. Ensuring my children's schooling continues uninterrupted is paramount to me. Therefore, I allocated $28 from the transfers to cover their school fees, affirming my commitment to their future and the importance of education in their lives. With the remaining $10, I sought to provide a special treat for my children, preparing a delicious meal to tantalize their taste buds and bring joy to our home. It's in these simple moments of sharing and nourishment that we find happiness amidst life's challenges.

I would like to increase my investment in livestock, specifically by purchasing more chickens and goats. Currently, I own over ten birds and two goats. As I do not have any other source of income, I primarily rely on subsistence farming to provide food for my family during the planting season. However, these livestock can be a great investment for my children's education. When they reproduce, I can sell them to pay for my children's education and also help solve my financial problems. Additionally, I plan on selling these animals in the future to buy a dairy cow, which I can then use to produce and sell milk for a living

I used $50 from the recent transfer to buy livestock, which includes four chickens and two goats. I plan to rear them and let them multiply, making it a profitable investment in the long run. This way, I can sell them to offset any financial challenges that may arise. I have four children, all of whom are still in lower academic levels, and I know that when the time comes for them to advance their studies, these livestock will come in handy, providing security for their future education. I currently don't have a job, and during the rainy season, I engage in subsistence farming, while my husband does menial jobs that have a low income. I am grateful that my children are all comfortably in school, and I have been able to pay their fees on time, including clearing the $20 arrears. This gives me peace of mind knowing that their studies are not disrupted because of fees. I used the remaining amount to buy foodstuffs for my family during the festive season and household items that were missing.

I aim to buy more chickens and sell their offspring to eventually purchase a cow. I already have seven bulls, and with the cow, I can provide milk for my children and sell the extra to neighbors to support my family while I am unemployed.

I am a mother of six children. I used $24 to pay for the school fees of four of my children. At the moment, I have two chickens. I spent the remaining $10 to buy another chicken and added it to the ones I already had.

Utilizing my monthly transfers, I intend to establish an additional income stream that can complement both my husband's earnings and the produce from our farm. One of my aspirations is to acquire a dairy cow, as the sale of its milk will generate a significant income to meet some of my personal requirements. To realize this goal, I have devised a plan to purchase goats initially. Over time, as the goat population multiplies, I will sell some of them and utilize the proceeds to eventually buy the desired dairy cow.

The day before I received my May transfers, my three children were sent home from school due to their substantial outstanding school fee balances. I was overwhelmed with distress, unsure of where to find the funds to settle their fees. My husband, who works as a casual laborer in Mombasa town, struggled to secure employment due to the poor economy and limited job opportunities. However, my heart was filled with joy the following day when I received my transfer, knowing that my children could finally return to school and continue their education alongside their peers. To address the accumulated school fee debt that had been building up since the beginning of the year, I allocated $10 towards its partial payment. Additionally, I used $16 to purchase essential items such as five packets of maize flour, a kilogram of sugar, washing detergents, and personal necessities that I rely on daily. While I still have to buy all our food from the store at inflated prices, I am grateful that our situation has significantly improved. Unlike before, when we would experience prolonged periods without enough food, we now rarely miss meals, and our diet has improved thanks to the transfer money. As a future investment, I invested $8 in acquiring two hens. In a few months' time, they are expected to reproduce, allowing me to sell some if an emergency arises and fulfill my needs.

Previously I had seven fully grown goats. Unfortunately, all of them died barely two years ago. Since then, I have not raised some, although I desire to keep livestock. Goats are my preferred livestock because they have shorter gestation period and are more beneficial than sheep. I will start working toward raising cows as soon as I acquire at least five goats. The seven cows I currently own make me long to have more. Once these goals are achieved, my family will have access to free milk. As a result, we will have food supplementary.

I am a housewife, and I occasionally rely on subsistence farming which is not doing well nowadays as a result of periodic droughts experienced in our area. However, my husband does casual jobs to support our family of seven members. Since I got enrolled in the program, I have been relieved from the struggles of raising school fees for my children. With the most recent transfer, I paid $7 in tuition for my four school-going children, Hamisi, Saidi, Emmanuel, and Zawadi. I am happy to see that they are making good academic progress. I spent $20 on food for the family, which has been incredibly helpful. Finally, after losing my previous flock, I spent $7 on two hens and am happy to have started poultry farming.

GiveDirectly's support in the form of cash was the best option for us. I am grateful to be a part of this project because it has helped us overcome our hunger over the last few months. Purchasing daily food for my family of seven with hard-earned money has been difficult because we always work extra hard for long houses with low pay. So far, GiveDirectly has delivered on all of its promises without complaint.

My husband works as a casual laborer in Mombasa town, where he has been for over a year, to help pay most of the family bills as well as school fees for my four children, who are currently in primary school. I was relieved to relieve him of the burden when I received the most recent transfer, which I used to pay $10 in school fees, $10 for maize flour to replenish the food basket for my family of seven, $5 for green groceries, and the remaining amount on water, which has been in short supply and is currently going for $0.5 for a 20-liter container. My husband appreciated the help, and I hope todo a lot with the subsequent transfer. 

I was cooking supper for the family at around 8 pm. My daughter came running towards me, shouting that I had received a message on my phone. I checked it out, and I was shocked beyond words to learn that I had received my first transfer. Ripples of excitement sparkled down my spine as I hummed my favorite thanksgiving song. Later that evening, I shared the good news with my husband, who, too, became very excited.

The reality of seeing my children stay at home as their colleagues go to school was hurting for me. I value the importance of education and believe that it will empower them to have a wonderful future. The unconditional transfer made a tremendous difference for my children at that critical moment when I was helpless and could not raise the required amount of money to take them back to school.

I have four children who are in primary school, classes 6, 5, 3, and 1 respectively. My husband, the sole breadwinner of the family, struggled to pay their school fees. This culminated in them being sent home. My efforts to get a loan from friends and family were futile, as they claimed they did not have money too. For two weeks, they stayed at home while watching their close friends go to school. It stressed me a lot, and I lacked peace of mind. There was light at the end of the tunnel when I received my first transfer because I spent KES 2000 to repay all the debts they owed their school. I am glad that they are back in school and continuing with their education. Having dealt with my children’s school problems, I bought food for the family with the remaining KES 1000.