I am unable to take on any job that demands my full attention because I need to care for my sick child. My child has epilepsy, and it’s important for me to be present. Consequently, I spend most of my time on childcare. I want to establish a business that I can manage from home, which will help me balance my household duties while allowing me to focus on my child. I've considered starting a chicken farming business. Additionally, I plan to use part of my funds to purchase more goats. My aim is to raise about 10 breeding goats, and along with the chickens, this will create a source of income for me. Once these projects are up and running, I will feel less stressed, even when my income ends, as I will have an investment to depend on. If I encounter financial difficulties, I can sell some of my livestock to generate money for my support instead of relying on relatives.

We currently do not have a latrine, which is why I have been focusing on purchasing building materials to construct one. I have made significant progress and am nearly finished buying all the necessary supplies before starting the actual construction. With my latest transfer, I spent $82 on cement and sand. At the moment, we have no place to relieve ourselves as the bushes where we used to go have all been cleared for planting and firewood collection. This has created a challenge, as we now have to ask our neighbors for help, and they are quite far away. Because of this situation, I prioritized this project, as it is quite embarrassing when we have visitors at home. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for making this possible.

I am unable to engage in any gainful employment as I need to be around my child who is epileptic unless they are in school. This means that I spend most of my time is given to childcare. I would want to spend a business that allows me to focus on my child and that's why I have invested in chicken farming. The plan is to get this animals up to about 10 goats which can all reproduce this with the chicken gives me a chance to make an income.

I am a mother of four with one of my children suffering from epilepsy. I was never given a clear diagnosis at the beginning and it has taken a while before I got the final diagnosis at KEMRI in Kilifi. I require some transport and cash for drugs whenever we go for hospital visits. I have been able to facilitate this from my transfers at $12. I was also able to buy two goats at $68. I have also used the cash to feed my 300 chicken at $15 buying chicken feed.

With my daughter now progressing well and attending school, I am now shifting my focus towards livestock farming. I currently have over 500 chicken and I am excited to expand into goats as well using the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly. I already have two goats and plan to add more, hoping that they will multiply and increase in numbers. Once they have added in numbers, I will then sell them at the market and use the income generated from the proceeds to support my family. Livestock farming has been my ultimate goal, and I am happy that my dream is finally becoming a reality, all thanks to the support from GiveDirectly.

With the previous transfers from GiveDirectly, I ventured into poultry farming,which has become my primary source of income and I am happy that I am creating a good market for them. Upon receiving the transfers, I spent $46 on chicken feed and medicine to ensure the health and well-being of my chickens, which in turn increased their value. To add to my livestock, I purchased a goat for $28, hoping it would multiply in numbers into a large herd and contribute to my goal of becoming a livestock farmer, specializing in raising and selling chickens and goats. With school-going children in my household, I also used $10 to settle school fee balance so that they could attend school without any outstanding debts when schools reopened after the holiday break. I further spent $4 to buy additional food to add to our household supplies, ensuring that my family would not go hungry. Finally, I have a daughter who is epileptic, who requires regular medical attention. To achieve this, we started visiting the Epilepsy-Specialized clinic at KEMRI, where she received treatment for free. To facilitate her medical care, I spent $16 on transportation to take her to the clinic, where she was treated. I am grateful that we received the necessary care that we needed, and my daughter is now on medication and attending school. Initially, her condition prevented her from attending school, but with the current treatment, she is making very good progress, and I am thankful to God for this.

I pray that God will continue to keep us safe and grant me the strength to provide for my family. In the coming months, I have plans to establish a source of income that aligns with my responsibility as a parent. Unable to leave my children on their own, I'm planning to pursue large-scale farming as a business venture cultivating crops not only for sustenance but with the intention to sell and generate income. My aspiration is not only to have something substantial but to build a thriving business that can support my family. I'm so excited.

Receiving this Givedirectly monthly cash transfers has been a turning point for me and my family. With $19, I invested in chicken feed and bought a goat for $34.5, envisioning a source of income that could sustain us in times of need. The goat not only provided financial security but also allowed me to save for potential emergencies. This was crucial as my 5-year-old child is epileptic, and the medical expenses become overwhelming. Transport to the hospital, medication, and a proper diet are always necessary, and without the financial support, it would be a struggle.. I then spent $48.50 of the transfer on school fees for my two other children. I can now witness the positive impact on my family and the broader community.

My child has issues with speech and I have been seeking treatment to settle this. I sometimes get caught off guard when he falls sick which makes me take loans to ensure that we see a doctor. My hope is to add animals to my herd so that I can have the animals as an emergency fund in case of need. I want to also ensure my two children in school get a good education and I hope to achieve this by adding more animals which will reproduce to make more money.

I have 6 chicken with chicks. I needed to replace my rooster as I had gotten rid of the older one. I spent $12 from my July transfers acquiring a new rooster. I also bought chicken feed for the rest of my chicken at $11in July and September. In August I also added one hen to the already existing hens. This month I have been looking for a goat and still looking with a budget of $20. I also spent some of my transfers buying food in August at $5 and also paying school fees for my child at $60 in July. I sought treatment for my child with speech issues adding $4.5 from my July transfers to my savings to get enough medicine and paying for consultation. I accrued a debt of $2 in July which I paid with August transfers.

With the goal of providing a stable source of income while caring for my ailing younger child, I am determined to make a significant investment in poultry farming. Currently, I am meticulously tending to a small group of hens and ducks, ensuring they receive proper nutrition to facilitate rapid multiplication and growth. As their numbers increase, I plan to sell them and generate substantial earnings, which will enable me to meet my family's needs, assist my husband, and cover our household expenses. Thus, my objective for this year is to embark on a poultry business and establish a reliable income stream.

My husband is the sole breadwinner for our family of four. He is employed by a power company, but as a contracted worker rather than full-time, which means he earns very little. This makes it difficult for him to meet all of our family's needs. Unfortunately, I am unable to contribute financially because my youngest son has epilepsy and requires round-the-clock attention. When I received my mail transfers, I used $7 to purchase medication for my son, ensuring his condition remains stable. Additionally, I bought 5 packets of 2 kg maize flour for a total of $10,000 since we had almost no food left at home. This purchase brought smiles to my children, who were worried about missing meals due to our financial constraints. To sustain our livestock, I spent $6 on animal feeds for the hens and ducks that I bought with the transfer money. I am hopeful that with the number of hens and ducks increasing, I will be able to sell them at a higher price in the market and earn some income. Finally, I used the remaining amount to pay my two children's school fees and purchase stationery items, creating a conducive learning environment for them at school. I am deeply grateful to the organization for their significant financial assistance. These transfers have enabled me to fulfill needs that were previously out of reach due to the extreme poverty I was experiencing.

My poultry farm, which had more than 67 hens, failed at the end of last year. A strange illness that affected the hens caused them all to die. My attempts to save the situation were unsuccessful because all of the hens passed away within a two-week period. This year, I want to dedicate all of my time and effort to raising livestock, such as goats. I want to build up a sizable flock of goats by the end of the year, which will increase my initial investment. The choice of livestock is influenced by the severe weather we are currently having as well as the accessibility of medications that can be given to the animals in the event that a disease outbreak occurs. I'm crossing my fingers that this will work out as I search for a reliable source of income to support my family.

Because of my four-year-old daughter's condition, I have not had a single peaceful moment in my life for the past four years. She has been suffering from a chronic illness since her birth. With my recent transfer, I spent $9 on her medication since I always take her for medication every month. Secondly, because I cannot engage in any formal job since I have to always be at home to look after my daughter, I spent $15 on a small goat. My goal is to keep livestock that I can always attend to while at home to diversify sources of my family income. It will allow me to comfortably care for my six-member family in the long run. The remainder of the transfer, $10, assisted me in obtaining food for my family.

I spent $8 on paying school fees for my child in a primary. She is now studying well without being sent home like before. I am so happy because this has given me peace of mind to do my daily chore at home. I repaid a debt of $4 that I had borrowed from a friend to pay the medical bills for my child who was unwell. The remaining amount of money $18 I purchased a goat. I have always loved goat rearing. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards.

I commend the organization for helping the needy by giving out unconditional transfers. However, I would like to encourage the organization to conduct a physical follow-up in the village and assess the impact of the funds on changing lives for the better.

I am a small-scale farmer who ventured into poultry farming after the commencement of the drought. I lost all I had invested in the farm when all the crops dried up. When I received my transfer, I spent a large portion of KES 2000 on buying chicken feeds (starters mash). I depend heavily on this project because of the earnings I get to pay school fees for my 2 children, buy food and clothes and use some for medication. I spent KES 500 on paying school fees for my children after schools opened. Finally, I spent the remaining KES 500 on buying 2kgs of sugar, 1kg of sugar and tea leaves to add to the dwindling stock of food in my house.

I got home at 8 pm. After I finished up with my errands, I went to bed at around 10 pm. I then woke up to breastfeed my child and minutes later I got a message. Upon checking, I saw that I had received funds from give directly. I was very delighted and filled with so much gratitude towards the organization for fulfilling the promise they made. Since I wished to grow my business, I went out to purchase some poultry feed for the 36 chickens I rear for a living.

Although my life has been full of struggles, I have never dared to give up. I engaged myself in small businesses like poultry farming and charcoal manufacturing. This is so I could ease the burden of paying bills for my husband who works as an electrician. With the intention of opening a canteen near a school, and providing for my children, I ensure I work very hard. Now that I'm receiving these funds, I believe my life will be greatly improved as I will have an extra income that will help me thrive in business as I will invest in it.

I am a poultry farmer, currently owning 36 chickens. I also practice charcoal manufacturing. When I got the funds from give directly, all I wanted to do was improve my business. From its profits, I would ensure that my children's needs are well taken care of and I could support them through school. So, I used the funds to invest in my poultry farming business by purchasing some poultry feed.