Our area is known for drought which is usually associated with poverty since there are no reliable economic activities. Most of the aged relied on well-wishers or their children for daily upkeep. We appreciate the efforts made by GiveDirectly to include everyone in the project. Letting us decide on how to spend our money too played a role in the great transformation seen in our village since people spent their transfers on the most pressing needs. I do not have any complaints about the organization.

With my advanced age, I am not able to actively be involved in most of the income-generating activities. I do burn charcoal for sale but it is hectic since I do not have enough energy to cut the logs of wood. The KES 600 I make weekly from the charcoal mostly covers food expenses. I, therefore, saved KES 2500 of the second transfer so that I will add to the third transfer and purchase a goat for rearing. Later after they will have given birth then I will more of them which I will comfortably sell to meet my household expenses. KES 500 was used to purchase 8 kilograms of corn flour for my family.

I was out in the field burning pieces of wood to make charcoal. My grandson came running towards me, shouting my name. He informed me that my relatives had received their transfer a few minutes ago. I became very nervous as I picked up my phone and stretched it out to him to confirm if I had received mine, too. A few minutes later, he confirmed to me I had received my transfer. I became so emotional that tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. I quickly threw away the panga and went back home, where I joined the rest of the family members in celebration.

Buying the hens is the biggest difference in my life since I received the transfer. It gives me hope soon I will have an alternative source of income away from the tedious job of cutting and burning woods to make charcoal.  

I earn a living working as a casual laborer selling charcoal in the village. My husband is employed to work as an operator of a maize grinding machine. Both our earnings are not enough to cater to the family's needs (food and clothing). The tough economy has pushed away potential clients in my business. I sell a sack of charcoal at KES 350 and I can spend a week selling no. The drought conditions preventing people from growing maize on the farm have contributed to the loss of business in my husband’s line of work. These challenges have left us with no money and forced us to sleep hungry and scale down the number of meals we eat per day. Therefore, I spent KES 600 to buy 5 packets of maize flour after we ran out of food and slept hungry for two days. Besides the maize flour, I bought 2 hens for rearing. With the hens, I am looking at venturing into poultry farming and starting selling eggs as an alternative source of income.