My ultimate goal is to own two bulls. These bulls will be instrumental in helping me plough my 5-acre farm during the rainy season, making farming more manageable and productive. In addition to plowing my land, the bulls will assist in fetching water for my household needs. Furthermore, I plan to offer plowing services to others in the community, generating additional income for my family. To achieve this goal, I intend to save more money through the merry-go-round group I am part of. By contributing regularly and receiving my share, I will gradually accumulate enough funds to purchase the bulls. This plan gives me hope for a better future, knowing that I am working towards a stable and sustainable source of income. I am very grateful for the financial support, which is helping me realize my dreams despite not having a stable income.

To maximize the potential of the transfers I receive from Give Directly, I joined six other women to form a merry-go-round savings group. Each of us contributes $10 monthly, and the collected amount is given to one person who then invests in income-generating projects. I have contributed $30 to this group so far, and I have already received my share three times. I invested all the money I received into purchasing three goats. These goats are a strategic investment for the future, as I can sell some in case of an emergency and use the money to take care of myself and my family. I also spent $20 on school fees for my two children, one in secondary school and the other in primary school. Additionally, I paid $10 in transport fees for my daughter to return home from school. To ensure my family had enough food, I used $42 to purchase food supplies, ensuring we never missed any meals. This financial support has been invaluable, especially considering the challenges I face as a livestock businesswoman, including losses when purchasing livestock for sale. Despite these challenges, the support has enabled me to provide essential needs for my family, including their education. I am very grateful for the assistance, which has significantly improved our lives.

I intend to utilize the savings accumulated through my savings group to acquire bulls for farm plowing purposes. This strategic investment not only benefits my own farm operations but also opens doors for additional income by offering plowing services to others in the community. The prospect of owning these bulls fills me with optimism, as I envision a future where they become invaluable assets, contributing not only to the productivity of my land but also to the financial stability of my family. With their help, I aim to not only provide for my loved ones' basic needs but also to support their educational pursuits, ensuring that they have the tools and resources to achieve their dreams.

As my daughter transitioned to secondary school, the heightened school fees became a significant concern, surpassing our usual expenses. To ensure she could enroll and pursue her education, I allocated $54 towards her schooling, prioritizing her academic journey above all else. Dreams of owning bulls for farm plowing have long been in my heart, yet the steep costs have kept them out of reach. However, through diligent saving within a savings group, I've been slowly but steadily working towards this goal. Investing $30 of my transfers into savings brings me one step closer to realizing this aspiration, instilling a sense of purpose and determination within me. Lastly, I utilized the remaining $18 to provide sustenance for my family, ensuring that no one goes to bed hungry. While it may seem like a modest amount, the impact of a full stomach resonates deeply, fostering a sense of security and well-being within my household.

My primary achievement for the year is to accumulate sufficient funds from the transfers, enabling me to purchase bulls. These bulls hold significant importance in enhancing various aspects of my life. Initially, they will be utilized to plow and prepare my land, eliminating the associated costs. Additionally, I intend to generate income by offering these services to others. In times of dry weather, the bulls will prove invaluable in fetching water from locations exceeding 10 kilometers away. I express profound gratitude for the transfers, recognizing their instrumental role in helping me realize my goal and subsequently improving the quality of my life.

Allocating $34 for my daughter's school fees at Chyulu Secondary School has brought me joy, knowing that this amount facilitated her enrollment in a new school, ensuring the continuation of her studies. In addition, I invested in a goat for my livestock buying and selling business, with the initial cost being $36. This investment is particularly exciting as the value of the goat is expected to increase over time, especially through multiplication. The potential for sustained income from this investment offers a sense of security for the future, even beyond the period of receiving transfers. Unfortunately, I experienced a setback when I lost $34 to theft during an attack by goons on my way home after withdrawing money for our savings group. Despite the distressing incident, I am grateful for my safety and express deep appreciation for the financial support received from Give Directly.

My foremost aspiration is to finally own a pair of oxen through disciplined monthly savings. These sturdy creatures hold the key to transforming my farming activities, making them more efficient and productive. Furthermore, I intend to not only benefit personally but also contribute to the prosperity of my community by hiring out these oxen to friends and neighbors. This dual-purpose investment not only symbolizes progress in my life but also represents a bridge to financial stability, helping me support my family.

As a widow left to care for eight children after my husband's passing just a year ago, life has been an enduring struggle. The recent unconditional cash transfer provided a glimmer of hope. Firstly, I allocated $10 to my merry-go-round for future needs. This decision was crucial for building a safety net in these uncertain times. Next, I took care of my two children's education, who are still in lower classes, by paying $14. Education is a priority, and I am determined to provide them with the best opportunities I can. With the $10.7 that remained, I purchased food supplies to sustain my seven family members. The livestock business has been our primary source of income, but it's unpredictable. Therefore, having enough food on the table is a constant concern. This cash transfer not only eased the immediate financial burdens but also instilled a sense of hope for a more stable future.

Being a widow, am the only hope my three children count on to provide for their basic needs such as food and school fees. However, my income from working as a field doctor barely covers all these needs at once. This is why I wish to venture into goat rearing as an additional income stream. Besides keeping goats, I also plan to run a business of buying and selling them during market days. This will allow me to generate funds to support the needs of my family.

After withdrawing the cash transfer, I immediately used $10 to settle the school fees arrears for my three children. They had been on the verge of being sent home, but I managed to persuade the school to allow them to continue studying until I could make the payment. Am glad that they have not been sent home to date. Additionally, three days before receiving the transfer, we had run out of food, but I was able to use $10 to purchase more food which has sustained us until now. I saved the remaining amount. My goal is to accumulate up to around $200 to purchase bucks and rear them for eventual sale. I believe that they are more profitable than the female goats. The income will supplement the little I earn as a field doctor and help me support my three children, who are still in primary school.

I've faced serious stumbling blocks being the only provider for the family. I am unable to overcome my current difficulties because I don't have a reliable source of income. I want to start a livestock selling business this year, and I want to save enough money from my subsequent transfers to do that. This will enable me to make a good living and use the money to provide for the needs of my family.

Since I don't have a steady job, I rely primarily on the meager income I generate from volunteer work in the village. After the death of my husband in March of last year, I am the only provider for my family of three. Since my husband passed away, I've had a hard time making ends meet for my family while also taking care of their other basic needs, like paying their school fees. When I got my January transfers, I spent $15 on my three children' school expenses. Because of the significant school fee arrears, the money I paid was crucial in allowing them to stay in school and avoid being expelled. Despite having sizable school fee balances, I am happy that my children are in school and continuing their education. I spent $14 on food to keep my family from going hungry. I'm thankful that the money helped us out of the miserable situation we were in even though we had little food left and no money to buy more. I set aside $5 for the future purchase of goats. I want to start a livestock sales venture, and the $5 I save each month will help me realize this goal.

I lost my husband two months ago, he was the breadwinner of the family. His death depressed me for a while. I was left with seven children that depend on me. Bills such as school fees have accumulated and the children are now at home. I am thinking of selling a few goats to send them back to school. The most recent transfer was used to buy food for $5, paid $15 for school fees, and saved $10 for rainy days.

GiveDirectly is definitely doing a great job because through the funds I receive I have managed to keep my children in school unlike before where paying school fees was challenging and being kicked out of school was almost normal to my kids which was terrible. Also not forgetting that I can even manage to save money so as to indulge in future projects through the funds.

After I received the transfers I decided to cater to matters concerning school fees for my children since they had already been kicked out of school and I had plead with the teachers to allow them back to class as I looked for money to pay what I owed. As soon as I received the transfers I went on to pay KES 1,000 splitting it between the three of them. I was left with KES 2,000 which I left in my savings account because I wanted to let the money accumulate so that I would eventually have enough to purchase some cows that I needed to help me plough my land during the rainy season. This is due to challenges we were facing in nutrition so I contemplated buying an ox as the way out.

I was on my way home from the mosque because we are in the month of Ramadhan. On my way home my husband looked happy and confirmed to me he had received his share of Give directly funds. I left in haste to check if I had received my share because my phone was back at home. I was excited to see the Mesa message and I shared the message with my children, who equally celebrated with me.

The difference in my daily life since I started receiving the cash transfer is that night we had neither money nor food in the house. My husband was contemplating on how to visit a nearby shop and get goods on credit. I also believe that in the next five years in the support program, I will own a few cows which will be used for ploughing our farm and leased to some of our neighbors’ will also be financially stable to educate all my children at least till they finish their High school education.  

I work voluntarily in a nearby clinic and my husband is a religious teacher, “Madrassa”. The biggest challenge is educating and feeding our four children who are still in school. Most of the time, our income comes from the contribution he gets from well-wishers and the part-time job of trading livestock on behalf of owners to earn a commission. On a good day, he may earn as little as KES 200 per animal sold depending on the price and earn between KES 3000-7000 on a monthly basis in the teaching job. When I received the cash transfer, I spent the entire amount on food because that day we had no money for food.