I carefully allocated my recent transfer, addressing our family's essential needs and improving our quality of life. Understanding the challenges of relying on casual jobs, I prioritized wisely. Firstly, I invested $1000 in purchasing four chickens, providing a sustainable source of food and potential income through egg sales. Next, I allocated $5700 for school fees, ensuring my three children have access to education, which is crucial for their future. Additionally, $500 was set aside for food expenses, ensuring our daily nutritional needs are met. Moreover, I invested $5000 in acquiring a goat, offering another source of income and contributing to our financial security. Before receiving support from GiveDirectly, life was challenging, especially with reliance on charcoal production for income. However, with the monthly transfers, our circumstances have improved, providing a better quality of life for my family. My spouse also engages in casual jobs to supplement our income, making every resource allocation crucial for our well-being and future prospects.

I've strategically invested in a chicken business venture to support my children's education. This initiative is specifically aimed at generating income to cover school fees. By allocating resources to this venture, I anticipate a reliable source of revenue that can effectively meet our educational expenses. This business holds great promise as a sustainable income stream, ensuring my children's educational needs are met without financial strain. This decision reflects my unwavering commitment to prioritizing my children's education and securing their future opportunities. Through nurturing this business, I aim not only to alleviate the burden of school fees but also to instill in my children a sense of entrepreneurship and financial responsibility from a young age.

I'm currently investing in a sustainable source of income for my family's future. I utilized the entire three months' transfers together with some savings to purchase two goats at $13 recognizing their potential as valuable assets. These goats will serve as both a means of generating income and a safety net for times when finances are tight. The idea is that when the need arises, I can sell a goat and use the proceeds to address other essential needs, providing a reliable financial cushion for my family. Reflecting on the past, I used to earn a living by producing and selling charcoal, but the earnings were inconsistent and often fell short of meeting our needs. With my husband's irregular work schedule, where he only gets to work when there are plenty of clients, financial stability was a constant challenge. Now, with the goats as a sustainable income source, I am grateful for the new found security and peace of mind, knowing that I am laying a foundation for a more stable and prosperous future for my children.

My vision for the upcoming year is to expand my livestock business. Goats, in particular, have proven to be a lucrative venture for me – they multiply quickly, and the climate in my region is ideal for their thriving. I am confident that by increasing the number of goats in my herd, I'll not only secure a steady source of income but also tap into the available market for these animals. My ultimate goal is to accumulate enough funds to build a stable and comfortable home for my family, providing them with the security and comfort they deserve. Additionally, I'm eager to use the financial assistance to ensure that my children receive a proper education, thank you Givedirectly for making things to work out for us.

Givedirectly transfers have had a transforming effect on my children, my home and even our feeding. We had had a bad drought that persisted for a long time but we farmed in May and so we could now look forward to a bounty harvest. My children have also been able to get quality education and even resources to get them through school. I spend $10 of my transfers monthly on paying school fees. I have also bought an additional two goats and 10 chicken in the months of June and July. I spent $24 in August of my transfers to transport maize from my farm to home as the maize had mostly matured plus also the Elephants had already started wrecking havoc on neighbouring farms.

I have been trying to build a herd of goats and chicken. I have always felt that animals were a good way of ensuring you had an emergency fund and grow your investments. Two of the goats I got have already given birth and now I have 7 goats. I want more of this. I plan to continue adding a few more animals to the heard as the year progresses to ensure they are sufficient even when trouble strikes.

I am a resilient mother of three wonderful children, determined to make ends meet. Currently, I support my family by producing and selling charcoal. With the recent transfer I received, I wisely allocated $10 towards my children's school fees, ensuring their education is taken care of. Additionally, I utilized some of the funds to provide nourishing food for my loved ones. In a stroke of entrepreneurial spirit, I invested the remaining amount in purchasing a valuable calf, which cost me $14, thereby expanding my existing livestock. I am excited about the opportunities this acquisition presents and the positive impact it will have on our future.

I am filled with immense excitement and gratitude as my life undergoes a remarkable transformation. With every transfer, I seize the opportunity to invest in a new calf, expanding our cherished livestock at home. This not only signifies growth but also holds the promise of breeding and multiplying our precious animals. As I envision a brighter future, I am diligently planning to sell a portion of our livestock, utilizing the proceeds to expand our flock of chickens beyond the current six. Through these strategic endeavors, I am driven to ensure a comfortable life for my beloved family and elevate our living standards to new heights.

With the transfer from the previous two months, I spent $30 for two goats. They are advantageous since, after giving birth, I will not only have more goats but also be able to sell them in the future to pay for a cow. Currently, we purchase milk, but it is pricey and rarely within our means. My family often goes a month without drinking milk. We will have adequate milk for our family's usage after purchasing a cow in the future, which will improve our nutritional situation. The remaining $38 I used on kerosene to light our lamp and food for our family. We still use lantern lamps because we cannot currently afford to buy a solar panel.

I am grateful to GiveDirectly because through the transfer, I have been able to purchase a goat every month since last year August. This has been my main objective, and so far I have four which I acquired through the transfers. My plan is to buy more goats which is a security for the future of my children's education. The goats will reproduce and increase in number, and have many of them.I have three children in school and I am expecting to sell the goats in future for their education. I do not have any source of income and I believe raising the goats will help me raise fees for them.

With my most recent transfers of $ 30, I withdrew and saved $15 in my account, bought food for my family worth $5, and gave my younger sibling who is in her second year in high school $10 to purchase some of her school items because I am the only one she could depend on since our father is currently not in a helpless situation. With the savings that I am setting aside, I plan to join a college to further my education in folk lifting, a course that I had longed to do but I couldn't since completing my high school education because I had nowhere to get the financial support. Thanks to GiveDirectly for coming to see me through my struggles.

GiveDirectly is entirely doing great in offering support to people like us who had dreams but did not know how such dreams would be achieved. I now feel happy that knowing that in the near future, I will be in a position to pay my school fees.

My family is entirely dependent on my husband, who works as a chef in Mombasa. Every two weeks, he sends me KES 1,000 to help with family needs like food. However, due to rising food prices, this amount rarely lasts a four-person household through the next two weeks. As a result, I am mostly prompted to obtain maize flour on credit from the store, promising to pay later after my spouse delivers cash. Besides food, the little he earns barely covers school fees for my two primary school children. In fact, when I received the transfer, they had missed a day of classes due to past-due fee balances. As a result, I utilized KES 500 to cut off the tuition debt so they could resume classes. I spent the remaining amount on food since my children had starved the whole day.

Before the transfer, my three children and I would occasionally starve throughout the day due to a lack of money to buy food. After I received the cash transfer, I was able to purchase food for my family. At least it has lasted us to date and bought time for my husband to raise more funds through his chef job.

I was relaxing in my house at around 4 p.m. when I heard a message alert on my phone.  After checking what it was all about, I confirmed that Give Directly had sent my first transfer as promised. I could not hide my happiness and I skipped with delight. The cash I had anxiously been waiting for throughout the month had finally arrived. I could never be more grateful.