I currently have two acres of maize seed plants that I plan to harvest next month. I am expecting to yield around 60 sacks of maize, which should bring in a profit of about $3,400. I plan to reinvest this profit into tomato farming immediately after the maize harvest. The good news is that I do not have any outstanding school fees for my children this year, as I have already cleared all of them. This allows me to reinvest the entire amount into the tomato farming project. While the operational costs for buying seedlings and managing a tomato farm are quite high, the experience of my neighbour indicates that the returns are significantly better than those from maize farming. I am optimistic about the potential success of this project and look forward to seeing how it can further improve our family's financial stability.

What I appreciate most about GiveDirectly is their method of providing transfers in the form of unconditional cash transfers. This approach gives us the flexibility to spend the money according to our priorities. Thanks to this flexibility, I was able to revive my cattle-keeping project, which I had lost due to banditry. Additionally, the enrollment process was very fair. I am glad that even those of us who had been displaced and were not originally from the village got the chance to be beneficiaries. I truly believe that GiveDirectly is doing its work perfectly and I do not see anything that needs improvement. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for your support and for empowering us to make choices that best suit our needs.

Upon receiving the transfer, I decided to use it to buy two cows. I am a victim of banditry that displaced us from our area of origin. During this tragic event, I lost all 46 of my cows, leaving me with only 10 calves. Over time, I have been rearing these calves, but I was eventually forced to sell them to fund my children's education, as I have two in secondary school. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly, I used about $430 to buy two female cows. I have realized that cows offer better returns than goats. For instance, selling one cow at $200 (at the lowest price) can cover a whole year's fees for one child. In contrast, I would need to sell about five goats to raise the same amount. In addition to buying cows, I used $10 on dewormers for them to ensure their health and productivity. With the remaining $10, I bought some essential foodstuffs for my children. This has been a significant relief, knowing that I am gradually rebuilding our livestock.

Living in a small, grass-thatched house with muddy walls has been tough, especially when it leaks during the rainy season. After being displaced by floods, my family and I had to relocate and settle in a temporary house because we didn't own the land. However, through hard work and determination, I managed to buy a quarter-acre of land with the dream of building our own home. Now, I am planning to use my final transfer from GiveDirectly, I am excited to begin constructing a better, more secure house for my family. This new home will provide us with a more comfortable living environment.

What touched me about GiveDirectly’s approach was the unconditional cash transfer, which has greatly benefited my family. This flexibility has had a positive impact, sparking numerous changes and developments within our community, including new houses, new businesses, increased livestock, and enhanced farming activities. The officers from GiveDirectly were respectful and patient, which made me feel valued and respected. Their fair and free enrollment process enhanced equity, and impressively, there was no political involvement, which is quite rare. I chose to enroll with GiveDirectly willingly after their officers explained everything about the organization in detail before enrollment. I hope GiveDirectly continues with this same approach, as it has greatly benefited our community and has been a great experience for all of us involved.

With the final transfer I received, I made a strategic decision to invest in livestock to secure a more sustainable future for my family. I bought a cow for $250, primarily to provide us with milk, which is essential for my young children as they are at a high risk of malnutrition. The cow will not only cater to our immediate needs but, as it breeds, I plan to sell them in the future to cover school fees for my children. Additionally, I invested in two more goats, costing $50 each, adding to the three I previously acquired. Goats thrive in our harsh climatic conditions and their quick multiplication will allow me to sell some for extra income, which I'll use to pay for school fees and meet other family needs. My focus remains steadfast on my children’s education and ensuring they can continue their studies without financial hindrance. I never had the opportunity to attend school due to security issues and financial constraints, which eventually led to my reliance on casual jobs and charcoal production alongside my wife-an unsustainable means for our family of six. To further alleviate our situation, I also purchased two bags of maize for $90 to help address our immediate food shortages. I am deeply thankful to GiveDirectly for their support, which has been instrumental in these investments and in planning a brighter future for my children.

Receiving a message after an alert filled me with immense joy, and upon checking, I instantly recognized it as being from GiveDirectly when I saw the exact amount I had been expecting. At the time, I was at home alone around 3:00 PM. Despite my excitement; being alone meant I could not share the news with my children right away since they were not at home yet. I spent the day carefully planning, and the following day, I collected the funds to set my plans going. This moment marked not only a financial boost but also a hopeful step toward realizing the goals I had planned.

Since I received the first transfer from GiveDirectly, the biggest difference in my daily life revolves around achieving family stability across various aspects. Previously, the struggles in securing casual labor, which was crucial for buying daily necessities for my family of five, have significantly reduced. This transformation is evident in the assurance that I now have enough food for my children, allowing me to focus on my goat farming without the constant worry about their well-being. Consequently, my children are well-fed and dressed appropriately, and their education is progressing positively. The financial relief from the initial transfer has not only mitigated the challenges of daily survival but has also fostered an environment of stability and well-being within my family.

After returning from my initial home due to tribal conflicts between the Pokot and Tugen, I found myself alone, caring for my four children as my wife left to remarry a year later. When I received the recent transfer, I promptly went to the nearby shopping center, Marigat, to collect the money. I invested $110 in buying two goats, adding to my existing herd of 17, aiming to rebuild my livestock assets that were significantly reduced during the conflicts. To sustain my family, I spent $45 on purchasing foodstuff, particularly a sack of maize. Allocating $10, I bought clothes for three of my four children, and the other $3 covered school fees arrears for the fourth child who never got a pair of new clothes. Formerly reliant on unreliable casual labor, which often led to selling goats for income, I am pleased to stabilize my finances. With aspirations to construct a new house, I initiated the process by hiring labor for $40 to dig the foundation. My current grass-thatched house motivates me to improve our living conditions, and I am grateful for the support, looking forward to further enhancements for my family's well-being.