The harsh weather has made farming particularly challenging, leaving me vulnerable since I have no maize left, my staple food. As a result, I now have to purchase my food from the store. I plan to allocate part of my future transfers to buy food and ensure I have a steady supply at home. Additionally, I want to save a little from each transfer to invest in more goats. Although they are currently expensive, I am determined to set aside money so I can expand my herd. I am very grateful for the financial assistance from Give Directly, which has been a tremendous help to me.

As an elderly woman, my age significantly limits my ability to work and provide food for myself. I rely heavily on my eldest son, who works as a motorcycle taxi rider, for financial support. Unfortunately, his earnings are modest, making it challenging for him to meet both my needs and those of his own family. However, with the financial assistance I receive, I can manage my expenses more independently, which has alleviated some of the burden on him. I used part of this support to buy two goats for $100 each, and I now have a total of seven goats, all purchased with these funds. Investing in goats is a smart decision for my future, as I can sell them if needed to cover my expenses. They also serve as a safety net in case of emergencies. I'm genuinely pleased with the progress I've made in acquiring these valuable animals. I spent the remaining $2 on food. Unfortunately, the lack of rain has made it very difficult to grow crops, forcing me to buy food at high prices. Thanks to the financial support, I can ensure that I have enough to eat, which brings me great relief.

Since I now have six goats from the transfers, my focus is to increase my herd because investing in livestock is securing security for the future. Over the next year, I aim to double the size of my herd through careful breeding. I am passionate about learning the best practices in livestock-keeping, and ensuring my goats are healthy and well-cared for.

I am a widow relying on my casual job son for provision. With the recent three transfers totaling $102, I carefully allocated this amount to support our immediate needs and future stability. With $50, I invested in purchasing a goat. This decision is part of a broader strategy I have been implementing to secure a better future for my family. Over time, I have been buying goats in intervals, and now I proudly own six. I chose to invest in goats because they are relatively inexpensive to maintain, and they have a ready market. This investment gives me hope for a more stable financial future, knowing I can eventually sell these goats when needed. With the remaining $52, I focused on addressing our immediate needs by buying food for my family. This purchase relieved my son, who has tirelessly worked to provide for us. The weight of his responsibilities has been heavy, and I wanted to ease some of that burden. Seeing him run up and down, taking on exhausting jobs to ensure we have food on the table, has been heart-wrenching. By using part of the transfer to buy foodstuff, I gave him a break and showed my appreciation for his unwavering support.

My main objective for the coming year and beyond is to continue saving a portion of my monthly transfers so that I can purchase more livestock, particularly goats and chickens. Despite my advanced age, I find these animals easy to care for and maintain, and they serve as a reliable source of income when I am facing financial difficulties. At present, I own three goats and several chickens, and my goal is to breed them and increase their numbers. I can easily sell them to meet my financial needs since I do not have a steady source of income to rely on.

I have been practicing subsistence farming, which has always guaranteed that my household always has enough food and ensured that I can adequately provide for my family. A good harvest is critical for food security in my family because we have had long seasons of drought for the past few years. When I received my recent transfers, I spent $30 on hiring a pair of oxen to plough my acreage since it was the planting season. I managed to plough two acres, and I hope that because of the early preparation and timely cultivation, I will get a bountiful harvest. I have also been saving a portion of the transfers for the last few months, and I am delighted that I managed to buy a goat and two chickens for $50. This has increased my goats to three, and my plan is to let them multiply so that I can rely on them to settle my future financial obligations. As a subsistence farmer, I lack a source of income, and owning livestock will help me generate some money by selling them. Lastly, I spent the remaining transfer on purchasing household items that I lacked and toiletries.

I am currently in the process of expanding my livestock holdings, with a particular focus on acquiring more goats and chickens. At present, I have two goats, and given my lack of a steady source of income, these animals play a crucial role in supporting my financial stability. Therefore, my intention is to use these transfers to invest in livestock and allow them to reproduce. This strategy will provide me with a valuable financial resource to tap into when I encounter unexpected financial challenges. These livestock are the most suitable assets for me to raise, given that they demand minimal maintenance, especially considering my current status as a subsistence farmer.

I have been facing numerous financial hardships within my household, to the extent that the idea of buying clothes for myself seemed like an unattainable dream. My primary concern revolved around putting food on the table, a task that was often quite challenging. I lacked any viable source of income to adequately provide for myself and my family. I am incredibly thankful that I can now contemplate purchasing new clothing. Consequently, I utilized $20 from recent financial assistance to buy these clothes. This has significantly elevated my self-esteem and enhanced my ability to interact with others. Additionally, I invested $40 to acquire a goat, which has expanded my livestock to two. My objective is to raise them, enable them to multiply, and utilize them to address my financial obligations. I also received a monetary transfer during my farming activities and I allocated $10 to hire an Oxplough. Timely and efficient farming practices ensure a bountiful harvest, ultimately resolving the issue of food scarcity in my household. The remaining funds were allocated to purchasing essential food items, including maize flour, which has helped ensure that my family does not go without food.

In the past months, my transfers were solely covering food expenses, leaving me unable to afford to purchase livestock. After diligently saving for several months, I was able to acquire just one goat. However, a positive turn of events has occurred: I successfully cultivated my entire farm and reaped a fruitful harvest. With the matter of food security now addressed, I am now able to shift my financial focus towards alternative endeavors, particularly investing in livestock. Livestock are assets that I can readily manage and maintain, and they represent my primary income-generating opportunity, especially since I do not currently hold a job.

Subsistence farming has served as the sole means of securing sustenance for many years, ensuring a reliable source of food. Achieving a bountiful harvest has consistently been the key to addressing food scarcity in my household. Given this context, upon receiving my recent transfers, I chose to invest in plowing and cultivating all three acres of my land. This strategic effort yielded a successful crop, bringing a significant sense of relief as it eliminated the need for me to purchase food supplies. With an ample harvest, I can now redirect the funds that were previously allocated for buying food towards other ventures, such as acquiring goats. Moreover, as I had not completed the full cultivation and harvesting process, the transfers also played a vital role in providing for my family while we awaited the maturation of our crops. This ensured a consistent food supply, preventing any instances of scarcity within my household.

I intend to do crop farming this rainy season. If everything goes well, I'll have some food after harvesting. This will allow me to save the monthly cash transfer for some investments because I rely solely on it for survival. Because of the hunger that has gripped us, I have decided not to save anything from the transfer. I'm not regretful; instead, I'm grateful because the money has kept me going during this difficult drought season.

I spent $2 to buy a chick when I received the most recent transfer because I didn't have any and wanted to start keeping one as well. I am hopeful that I will have a lot of chicks soon because chickens have a quick breeding cycle. I then paid for my upkeep with the remaining $32. I am an elderly widow who is unable to perform any type of laborious task for survival, such as burning charcoal. As a result, my only source of guaranteed funding is the monthly remittances from GiveDirectly. I'm happy that, due to GiveDirectly, the frequency with which I used to go hungry in a month before assistance arrived has significantly decreased. I'm grateful and overjoyed.

I appreciate the organization's cash assistance programs for assisting us in navigating the currently challenging circumstances in our community. Sincerely, the cash has enabled me to weather the severe effects of the drought. Without the money, I'm not sure how I would have survived. I implore the organization to keep up the good work they're doing because it has a positive effect on people's lives in our villages.

I purchased food for my family with a significant portion of my transfer, totaling $24. My sole source of income is agricultural farming. I have had financial difficulties ever since the drought emergency two years ago, including struggling to pay my last-born son's school expenses. He recently finished his secondary education, but he hasn't joined university because I don't have the money to pay for his school expenses. My son would like to enroll in college, but I am unable to provide for him, so I am saddened by this circumstance. I lost my only source of income, so I rely on my two oldest sons, who work as temporary workers, to help me pay for food. The $2 they give me is only enough to cover one day's worth of food, so I either have to go to bed hungry or borrow food from kind neighbors. We've had rain for the past three days, and I'm crossing my fingers that it keeps raining so I can return to working on the farm and achieve financial independence. In addition to purchasing food, I set aside $10 so that once I received money from my subsequent transfer, I could purchase a goat. This will give me the chance to start raising livestock and make money from it.

I was at home, napping in my home, sheltered from the sweltering sun. I got a text message and gave it to my son, who read it over for me. He told me that I had received my first transfer. I was beaming from ear to ear as my heart was filled with great joy. I prayed silently in thanksgiving, thanking God for the miracle.

I'm appreciative that the transfer enabled me to purchase food. I used to completely rely on my two sons because I don't have a job, which made things very difficult. Purchasing food for myself is satisfying, and it also lessens the burden on my sons, who work very hard to support me.

My two sons provide all of my financial support because I am elderly. The second son is a carpenter, while the oldest works as a motorcycle taxi. They struggle greatly to provide for my needs, which include purchasing food, as their jobs pay them very little. I enjoyed getting my first transfer because I bought food in large quantities. Three packets each of maize flour, sugar, tea bags, and detergent. As a result, my sons' enormous burden of providing food for me was lessened.