My ambition is for me to boost my business to a bigger pastry shop. The dream is big, but I am optimistic that with hard work and positivity, I can achieve this. To realize this dream, I plan on saving the little me that I earn daily and also borrowing money from the bank. I am grateful for the opportunity that they gave us to uplift our lives.

The organization has uplifted the lives of many of us from grass to graze. However, l feel that the organization should consider changing its criteria to accommodate many needy people. We have people whom they left out of the program, but I feel that they deserved the aid more. But, all in all, we are humbled and forever grateful.

It is almost like a lifestyle in our culture for someone to own a cow, but this was not the case for me because of the financial constraints. This is because I make pastries on a small scale to earn a living. I am married and together we have a child. When GiveDirectly promised us an unconditional transfer, I saw it as a perfect chance for us to improve our living standards. Therefore, I bought a dairy cow worth $300, with it I knew that I would no longer spend money daily on milk and also fulfil the cultural demands. Thereafter, I used the remaining amount on foodstuffs and clothes. I am so grateful and happy to have achieved so much within a short span.

I had heard people earlier on in the day say that they had received their transfers. This had made me stay vigilant throughout the day and when I heard my phone ring twice in the evening that day, I knew my time had come. I checked and indeed I had been sent the KES 55000 as promised by the officers during enrollment. I felt so happy at that moment. This as because I knew that I will be able to implement my plans owf buying dairy cows and get the dignity that comes with it in my community.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am now living a stress free life. Having bought the dairy cows rejuvaneted my hopes of having a brighter future and also gave me the confidence and pride that comes with ownership of livestock in my community. I have also been supporting myself in school and at some point I had to drop out due to lack of school fees. I am optimistic that I can now rely on transfers from GiveDirectly to diversify and improve my farming activities and thus be in a position to pay my school fees and raise my young family comfortably.

I used KES 45000 to purchase two young heifers and used the remaining KES 10000 to buy food and clothes for myself. The money came at a time that I was single and thinking about getting married. I had desired to at least own some livestock that will enable me and my young family to easily walk through life. This was not going to be realized since I was s still a student struggling to raise my own school fees at the university and relying entirely on farming to do this. I am happy and proud as a young man now that I already bought the livestock and looking forward to them producing milk before the end of the year. This investment also bestowed the confidence in me of getting married since the future as it is si promised.