My current dream is to expand the number of animals I own. These animals have proven to be a reliable way to cope with extreme weather, allowing us to sell them for school fees and food. We currently have 8 chickens and 8 goats, and I plan to grow this by purchasing more animals through my monthly transfers. I also intend to breed my goats to increase their numbers, which will provide financial support in case I face any challenges. This is a dependable way for me to improve my living standards, especially as the transfers come to an end. I also run a motorbike taxi business to help support my family, along with the assistance from GiveDirectly.

When I received my most recent transfer, it was during a time when my grandmother was seriously ill. I donated $34 to cover her medication, and she was rushed to Mariakani Hospital. Thankfully, she has since recovered and is now doing well. I also spent $38 on food for my family, as we are currently facing a drought, which often forces us to purchase both water and food, making things difficult. Additionally, I decided to invest $20 from the transfer to buy a goat. Since we were informed that these transfers will soon come to an end, I’ve started thinking about investments that could provide income in case of future emergencies. Goat rearing appealed to me because goats multiply quickly, adding financial value over time.

My dream right now is to increase the animals I own. This animals have proven a resilient way of fighting the extremes of weather and ensuring we can sell the and get money for school fees as well as food. We now have 8 chicken and 7 goats which I plan to build on buy buying more animals. I also plan on breeding my goats to also increase their numbers which will be beneficial to me.

Givedirectly provided us a chance to venture into farming as it is quite an expensive affair. I spent $34 tilling my and and a half piece of land making it ready to plant maize during the rainy season. The harvest was however not as good as the heavy rains affected the planted maize and we did not have a good harvest as we had expected. I was now forced to use the cash transfers to buy a bag of maize at $34 to supplement the small harvest that we had. The cash also allowed us to buy other food items such as sugar and oil for use in the home. I was also able to also pay school fees for my two girl at $10 which allowed them to go to school without being chased away. I also got a chance to buy a kid goat which has now gotten my herd up to 7 goats.

Over the course of the next two months, my intention is to utilize the transfers for weeding the farm, thereby optimizing the yield of maize, beans, and green grams that I intend to harvest. Ensuring an abundance of food for my family not only satisfies immediate needs but also enables me to allocate resources towards acquiring livestock. This investment serves a dual purpose: creating wealth and providing a reliable contingency plan for unexpected emergencies. I am genuinely thankful for the support extended to me by GiveDirectly thus far.

With the onset of the rainy season, I've taken steps to maximize the farming potential of the available land. Allocating $30, I've had 11/4 acre of the land plowed for cultivation. My intention is to cultivate maize alongside cereals like beans and green grams. A successful harvest would not only ensure an abundance of food but also provide the opportunity to reinvest in additional livestock in the future. Recently, I acquired two goats for a total of $37, a decision I am pleased with as it promises profitable returns once they mature for sale. Moreover, I've allocated $30 towards school fees, covering the educational expenses of my two children and two siblings. It brings me great satisfaction knowing that this investment secures their continued access to education. Despite facing the challenge of unstable income, I am grateful for the assistance from the transfers, which enables me to provide for my family and pursue wealth accumulation through livestock investment.

My focus is on expanding my goat farming venture. The idea is simple yet profound: by increasing the number of goats I own, I hope to create a reliable source of emergency cash. Given the absence of a permanent job, this strategy is not just a business venture; it's a lifeline. Goats, with their versatility and ability to adapt to various environments, seem like the perfect investment. They could provide a financial cushion during unforeseen circumstances, relieving the pressure that comes with the unpredictability of job security. It's more than just rearing goats; it's about building a sustainable safety net, a tangible means of navigating the uncertainties of life and ensuring a more secure and stable future.

I made strategic use of part of my recent unconditional cash transfer by hiring a tractor for $25 to plough my one-acre farm. Previously, I relied on manual labor, using my hands to cultivate the land, which often resulted in limited harvests. To compound matters, the oxen I had for farming succumbed to the prolonged drought, leaving me in a difficult situation. With the tractor's help, I'm hopeful of improving my yield and ensuring a more productive harvest. The ability to till efficiently has rekindled my optimism for a better farming season ahead, offering a chance to secure sustenance for my family. After allocating for the tractor, I used the remaining $9.7 to purchase food for my family of five. As a herdsman earning around $40 and with my wife currently unemployed, securing daily meals has been a consistent challenge. The support from the organization's unconditional cash transfer program has been a true lifeline for us. It's heartening to know that we can now put food on the table without worrying about going hungry. The relief it brings is immense, and I'm sincerely grateful for the ongoing support that has eased our daily struggles.

In the world of smart investments, the animals I've gotten through my GiveDirectly transfers are real winners. Now, there are four lively goats prancing around our homestead, reminding us of the amazing opportunities these funds have brought our way. Guess what? Two of our goats are soon-to-be moms, with their round bellies promising the adorable pitter-patter of tiny hooves come August. Just thinking about those playful little kids bouncing around fills my heart with excitement and optimism. You know, animals have this incredible superpower of multiplying quickly, which makes them a real lifeline during financial rough patches. They're more than just regular livestock; they're like the seeds of prosperity I've sown from my transfers. With lots of love and tender care, I'm confident this investment will thrive and become the sturdy foundation of a brighter, more prosperous future.

The relentless drought had kept our land barren for years, leaving us unable to till it and sow our crops. But finally, a silver lining emerged with the arrival of this rainy season. It was a breath of fresh air and a glimmer of hope for our livelihood. With the $34 I received from GiveDirectly in May, I seized the opportunity and invested in tilling our land. The earth was turned over, one and a quarter acres readied for planting, and I could almost taste the promise of a bountiful harvest. In April, I had used $25 to bring home a goat, a valuable asset that would provide us with milk, meat, and a potential source of income. As for the months of April and June, $9 and $34 respectively were dedicated to securing the sustenance we needed, purchasing food to sustain our family. Each expenditure was a calculated step towards securing our future amidst the changing tides of fortune.

Based on the high value placed on goats in our area, when the year began I developed a goal of focusing on buying goats as a primary investment for my family. I, therefore, hope to buy an additional six goats by the end of the year. I consider buying livestock since it is viable and can be of great reward. As a result of this venture, my family will stand a chance of benefiting post the transfer period. To me, that is way better than spending the whole of it on food.

I had never had any formal job in my life. To support my family, I occasionally do a motorcycle taxi though I raise little money from it because I do not have a personal motorcycle. With my recent transfer, I spent $25 on a goat. Since my enrollment into the program, I began buying goats to keep, and currently, I have five goats. I have bought with GiveDirectly's transfers. I also spent $9 on food for my family of five, and for a week we never had many struggles to get food despite the famine situation in our area. Now, life is bearable courtesy of the transfer.

When I got the promise that I would receive cash from GiveDirectly, I knew this was a perfect opportunity for me to transform my life. In the coming year and beyond, I aspired to start a goat-rearing business by purchasing a goat at $25 every month. I have four goats so far and plan to have several in the future and possibly also include cows. This is because of the ease with how they mature fast and when the need arises, I sell.

I spent a significant amount of my transfers on food. For $22, I bought twelve packets of 2 kg maize flour. Buying food in large quantities was sufficient to guarantee that my family wouldn't go hungry. I get paid commission each time I successfully sell livestock at the market. The severe drought that started two years ago has had a significant impact on my job. There aren't many animals available for sale at the market, and the few that are sell for low prices due to their poor condition from lack of access to grass. I currently make $2 a day on average, which is insufficient to fully support my family's needs. It was a good idea to purchase the food so that I could focus on earning more money to provide for my family's next meal. I used the $12 left over to purchase a goat in addition to food. This will help me increase my herd of six goats and bring in money. In an emergency, I'll sell some of them and use the proceeds to deal with my issues.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly is a well-organized NGO and it does pretty well in contributing to improving the lives of the people with lowest cadre. As a result, of the unconditional cash transfer, I have been able to get money in order to obtain food for my family. Therefore, I least struggle like before because of this assurance of the monthly transfer. So far I have not yet observed anything that GiveDirectly does not do well.

From my transfer, I spent KES 1,200 on buying food for my family. At that moment, I never had any food because I do not have a reliable source of income. Painfully, I just help in looking after people's livestock in order to earn a living, though at a very low pay. Therefore, with the transfer I am glad that I have been able to comfortably fend for my family. As a way of striving towards fulfilling my goal of raising livestock, I topped up the balance with part of my wife's savings to buy a goat.

I was actually on my way back home when the transfers finally came through, but I only realised after I got home and I was honestly very ecstatic and grateful that I fj ally received the funds because there was barely any food in the house and yet I had a family to look after. Therefore it was definitely a huge relief.

I am glad I received the funds when I did because they enabled me to settle my debts which had really been troubling me for a while. Apart from that were it not for me receiving the funds when I did, my family and I would have probably gone hungry that night.

I used the most recent transfers that I received to settle most of the debts that I had accrued over time. For instance, at some point when I barely had any food in the house I went ahead and asked for a loan on a couple of items at the store so that I could feed my family, so as soon as the funds arrived I went ahead to pay KES 300 to settle the debt. I also used KES 180 to settle another debt in solar energy because it had been three days since it had been cut off due to my failure in paying for it. I still have to clear a balance of KES 650 which I still have. I also used KES 220 to pay for a loan on my phone that I had recently acquired. Lastly I was left with KES 500 which I opted in using it on nutrition since I barely had any food in thr house.