My goal for the upcoming year is to buy more goats to secure my family's future. Currently, I have seven goats, and they have become a vital part of our livelihood. However, I realize that I need more goats to ensure that we have something to rely on even after the GiveDirectly program ends. By steadily increasing my herd, I can build a sustainable source of income and food for my family. Each month, I will save a little from what I receive to buy more goats, one at a time. With every new goat, I am taking a step toward self-sufficiency, ensuring that when the program is no longer there, my family won't struggle. I hope that, over time, this small investment will grow into a stable foundation for us, providing us with peace of mind and a better life long after the support has ended.

My husband is quite old and unable to work, so we rely on the little support from our two sons, who do casual jobs in town. I also try to earn some money through charcoal burning, but it’s never enough to meet all our needs. With the last three transfers amounting to $102, I first bought some food for $34 to ease the struggle my sons are going through to provide for us. It was important to ensure that we had enough to eat, especially since our income was so uncertain. Having food gave us peace of mind and the strength to keep going. With the remaining $68, I decided to make an investment that would benefit us in the long run. I bought two goats, adding to the five we already had. Now we have seven goats, which is a source of pride and security for our family. These goats are not just animals; they represent hope for a better future. As they multiply, they will provide us with an opportunity to sell some in the market. This investment will help us become more self-reliant and less dependent on our sons, ensuring that we can take care of ourselves as we grow older.

In the coming year and beyond, my biggest hope is to grow my goat farming project. Thanks to the GiveDirectly transfers, I currently have four goats, which is a great start. I plan to buy a small goat every two months, steadily growing my herd. I believe this will help me achieve my goal of becoming a successful goat farmer. This project is not just about having more goats, but about building a stable future for my family. I am determined to work hard, save wisely, and invest in my goats, knowing that this will bring us security and prosperity in the years to come.

With the recent transfers amounting to $102, I made some important decisions for my family’s future. First, I spent $84 on three small she-goats. These goats are not just animals; they are a long-term investment. They will eventually have kids, which will increase our livestock. This means a more stable income in the future and the possibility of growing our small farm. I’ve always dreamed of having a sustainable source of income that doesn’t wear me down every day, and these goats are a step toward that dream. They represent hope and a brighter future for my family. With the remaining $18, I bought some food for my family of four. It felt incredible to bring home enough food to ensure we won’t go to bed hungry. Before these transfers, I relied on charcoal burning to provide for us. Charcoal burning is exhausting and takes a toll on my health, but it was all I knew to keep us afloat. Thanks to the transfers, I can take a break from this tiring task. Now, I am not only relieved from the daily grind but also content knowing that my family is well-fed and secure. This support has given us a much-needed respite and a chance to plan for a better future.

My objective is to expand my livestock holdings with the anticipation that their multiplication will open avenues for additional income. This newfound income holds the potential to elevate the quality of my life, rescuing me from the clutches of poverty. I am genuinely pleased with the positive influence of the transfers, as they have enabled me to acquire livestock, a resource I did not previously possess. Utilizing these transfers, I have also invested in food purchases, leading to a notable enhancement in my daily meal intake.

I am deeply passionate about livestock ownership, and a significant portion of my recent transfer was dedicated to acquiring animals. Specifically, I invested $28 in purchasing a goat and $25 in acquiring a sheep, considering this move as a strategic investment for the future. This decision stems from the belief that, in the face of unforeseen emergencies, I can sell some of the livestock to address urgent needs. Beyond the goat and sheep, I expanded my livestock holdings by purchasing four hens for $20. I am appreciative of the progress I am making in increasing the number of animals in my possession. Unfortunately, during this period, I fell ill and incurred a $17 expense for my treatment. Nevertheless, I am grateful for my recovery and improved health. The remaining $27 from the transfer was utilized to procure food, providing essential sustenance. I am pleased that the funds from the transfer have significantly contributed to meeting my needs, which were challenging to address with my limited income from selling charcoal.

I've been a stay-at-home mother for years, primarily engaging in subsistence farming when we have sufficient rainfall. Unfortunately, I lack a steady source of income to meet my financial needs, like food, and at times, I find it overwhelming to fulfill the various household requirements. Meanwhile, my husband makes a meagre living from his construction job which is frequently insufficient. However, in the coming year and beyond, I intend to open a shop in town where I will sell charcoal and make a profit. To make this happen, I plan to save any extra money, add to my small savings, and save enough money to buy a large stock of charcoal for resale. This opportunity will change my life by allowing me to be self-employed and earn my own money. With this newfound financial stability, I will be able to meet my needs more effectively and comfortably. This goal is extremely important to me, especially now that I have enough food after a successful harvest. I am determined to pursue this opportunity and build a better future for myself and my family.

I used my most recent transfers to buy and invest in livestock. This included acquiring four chickens for $11, a goat for $2800, and a sheep for $2600. Owning livestock has always been a dream of mine because these animals are valuable assets, especially for people like me who do not have formal employment. My daily activities revolve around subsistence farming, which ensures food availability but provides no investment value. I take great pride in being the owner of these chickens, goats, and sheep. I am currently raising them, allowing them to breed and multiply. I can confidently meet my financial needs by selling the offspring they produce as they grow. Moreover, I have ambitious plans to start a shop business where I'll be selling charcoal. To accomplish this, I plan to raise the necessary capital by rearing and selling my livestock. Aside from investing in livestock, I made sure to set aside a portion of the transfer to buy food for my family. We now have an adequate supply of maize flour and cereals, allowing us to enjoy three meals a day. This newfound stability brings me immense happiness and contentment.

Goat keeping is commonly practiced in my region. I believe it is because of the animal’s ability to survive harsh climatic conditions as compared to any other kind of livestock. Furthermore, around here,  owning goats is the surest way of investing one’s money. As the animals reproduce and grow the herd, they expand one’s wealth, which can be sold to generate money in times of need. Since I lack a reliable source of income, this venture is what to focus on more. Gladly, I already acquired two goats through previous transfers and I hope to carry on with the same practice. 

Whenever I receive the funds, I usually budget it to acquire a goat and food for my family. However, this time round,  buying a goat was not an option because of the underlying medical bill debt at the hospital, where I had received treatment for an illness I was suffering from. Since I had been sick, I could not have worked on making charcoal to cover the bill. More so, my son, who I mostly depend on, had not earned his monthly wage to help settle the debt. So, I was obliged to clear the medical balance of $17 and was discharged from the hospital. Going back home, I felt there would be little to no food left, so I spent $12 on corn flour. The remaining amount would have not been enough to secure a goat for sure, so I spent it on a pair of khanga instead since I direly needed a new one anyway. Am eternally grateful for the cash transfers, as they help lift a huge burden on my shoulders. 

I want to have 25 goats as an investment by the end of this program. I am a subsistence farmer, but drought is a big problem; as a result, I typically acquire enough food to feed my family. In addition, I am getting older and won't have the same amount of stamina to work on the farm in a few years. As a result, the goats are a perfect fit because I can sell them to increase our household income because they breed on a monthly basis.

My husband and I rely on burning and selling charcoal to support our family. Given the high cost of living, the most we can make on a good week is $10, which barely buys enough food to last the household the full week. As a result, I cannot afford to purchase other things like livestock. Gladly, the cash transfers provide me with an excellent opportunity to obtain these animals; at least, the sum is sufficient to afford a goat or hens. So, I used $28 from recent cash transfers to acquire a female goat. The plan is to let it reproduce and then sell the offspring to pay for household necessities like food. I used the rest of the money to obtain maize flour because we had gone hungry all day owing to a lack of money. I am relieved that the food will last at least three days as I produce more charcoal to sell.

In my opinion the organization is doing quite great especially since it promised to send us money and kept its promise. I plan on making proper investments with each transfers that i will receive so that by the time the program is coming to end I will be at a better place than where I was when getting enrolled which is quite life changing.

I just recently received the funds from the organization and unfortunately I had been quite occupied with some family matters so I did notchsve the time to withdraw and utilise the funds. Apart from that though, I plan to use the transfers to purchase a goat and when it eventually breeds and has a kid then my farm could grow and in case I get any financial emergency I could always sell. After that, if I happen to still have any funds left then I will use the rest on nutrition since drought has really taken a turn for the worst and having a meal is challenging.

It was around 8 Am, busy with the usual house chores when my helper called me to confirm if I had received my money since most already received including him. This prompted me to check my phone, and I was surprised to confirm that I had indeed received the cash. I felt happy and thanked God because I knew my children were finally going back for their studies. The three of them had stayed back at home for three days due to the school fees arrears they owed the school.

My heart is at peace knowing that I will be receiving monthly transfers which will be a boost for my household income. This is the biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving transfers from GiveDirectly. Burning charcoal for sale consumes a lot of time and does not pay much since it takes a whole week to raise 600 KES from it. Now that I am assured of an additional 3000 KES monthly, I will purchase goats every month for rearing so that by the time my children graduate from primary school to high school then I will sell some of them to raise their school fees.

I burn charcoal and then sell it for a living. It takes a week to raise a bag of charcoal that goes for 600 KES. When the money was sent I was still in the process of looking for logs of wood for making the charcoal and my children had stayed back at home for three days after they were sent for school fees. Since I did not have any other source of income, there was no choice but to let them stay at home as they waited for the charcoal to be ready. This meant that they would stay home longer and hence miss many lessons. The moment when I received the first transfer I paid 500 KES for the three children who are in classes 8, 4, and 3 respectively. They could not hide their joy when I informed them that I had cleared their school fees arrears. 650 KES I spent on 3 packets of corn flour for my family.