In the coming year and beyond, I plan to add more livestock to my small farm. Currently, I have seven goats and one cow, but I want to grow this into something bigger. I plan to use the transfers I get to buy more animals, one by one. This isn’t just about having more livestock; it’s about creating a lasting investment for my family. Even when the GiveDirectly program ends, I want to ensure we have something to rely on. These animals will provide milk, meat, and even income, helping me to sustain my family for many years to come.

My husband and I are very old, and we rely on our two sons who do casual labor to sustain our family. With the recent three transfers totaling $102, my priority was to help my son, who is raising his five children alone after their mother abandoned them. He often struggles to make ends meet, and as the breadwinner for both his family and ours, he carries a heavy burden. So, I used $45 to help him pay school fees for his children. Education is the key to a better future, and I wanted to ease his load, even if just a little, so he can continue to support us all. With the remaining $57, I bought a sack of maize. Ensuring we had enough food at home was crucial not only for our well-being but also to give my sons some relief. This way, they can focus on their pressing issues and manage the little they earn from their casual work without worrying about putting food on the table. These transfers have been a blessing, allowing me to support my family in the ways they need it most, and ensuring we all continue to move forward together.

I have always dreamed of owning cows for milk production and to help plow my farm. To turn this aspiration into reality, I plan to strategically allocate a portion of my GiveDirectly cash transfers. My first step is to use some of the funds to purchase additional chickens. I will allow these chickens to multiply, increasing their number and value over time. When the flock has grown sufficiently, I intend to trade the chickens for goats. Similarly, I will use transfers to buy more goats, let them multiply, further expanding my livestock holdings. Once I have accumulated a substantial number of goats, I will trade them for cows. Owning cows is crucial to my long-term goals. Not only will I have cows that provide milk to support my family's nutrition and generate income when sold, but also have cows that will help plow my farm. This will greatly improve my agricultural productivity and food security. After acquiring the cows, I plan to save a portion of my future transfers to purchase an ox-drawn plough, which typically costs around $80. This investment will further enhance my ability to cultivate my land efficiently. Achieving this livestock farming dream will be a significant milestone, filling me with immense joy and pride.

As a grandmother caring for my grandchildren, I have been deeply concerned about the ongoing hunger and decided to help my son and his family by using a portion of my transfers to cover essential needs. For my grandchildren's education, I allocated $30 of the transfers to pay their school fees to ensure that they can continue their studies and also lift some of the financial burden from my son's shoulders. I also spent $62 to purchase food for my family to make certain my grandchildren would not go hungry when they returned home from school. Providing them with nutritious meals is a top priority. Additionally, I have long aspired to become a livestock farmer, specifically owning cows for milk and plowing. However, I have lacked the necessary funds to make this dream a reality. As a first step, I used $10 from the transfers to buy some chickens. My plan is to allow these chickens to multiply, then trade them for goats, and eventually work my way up to acquiring cows. I am hopeful that this gradual approach will eventually allow me to build the livestock herd I have always wanted. Through these strategic allocations of the GiveDirectly cash transfers, I have been able to support my grandchildren's education, ensure my family's food security, and work towards my goal of becoming a livestock farmer. These investments in my family's well-being and my own entrepreneurial aspirations are crucial during these challenging times.

I have been facing problems with my farming activities, especially during rainy seasons, due to inefficient farming tools. This delay forces me to hire oxen from my neighbors, which is expensive considering that I have four acres of land to cultivate. To improve my farming activities, I plan to buy more chickens and goats, breed them, and sell them later to have enough money to purchase my own pair of oxen. Owning oxen will help me with early land preparation and reduce the costs of hiring oxen during planting season. Utilizing my acreage fully will solve food shortages in my household as well.

I am currently not engaged in any income-generating activity. I am doing subsistence farming to provide for my family. To create an income generating activity, I decided to start buying livestock, such as poultry and goats, to rear them. Using the recent transfer I received, I purchased four chickens and a goat for $50. These are now my living assets, which I can rely on to meet my financial needs. Currently, I own eight chickens and four goats. I expect them to multiply so I can sell them and earn some income in the long run. I plan to sell them as well and use the money to purchase a pair of oxen that will help me plough my farm during the planting season. I also built a kitchen for myself because I was cooking in my house for quite some time. I use firewood to cook, but I feared that the smoke might discolour my iron sheet roof and make the house uncomfortable while cooking inside. Using $35 from the recent transfers, I purchased building poles, nails, and timber to build the kitchen. I am happy that I now have a separate cooking place, which makes my living house cosy for anyone. Finally, I spent the remaining amount on paying fees for my three grandsons who are enrolled in school. Seeing my grandchildren comfortably in school gives me peace of mind as they strive to meet their educational aspirations.

My objective is to expand my livestock holdings, particularly by focusing on acquiring more goats and cows. These animals are relatively easy for me to care for, and I can depend on them as a financial safety net during challenging times. Currently, I am the proud owner of fifteen goats that I have been actively breeding. Given that I primarily engage in subsistence farming and lack a consistent source of income, these livestock provide invaluable support. My aim is to allow these animals to multiply, enabling me to sell them when I face urgent financial needs. Additionally, I have four grandsons whose education I actively support. Their father's employment situation is not stable, and there have been instances where I've had to step in and provide assistance. Given my less-than-favourable financial circumstances, I am concerned about their educational prospects. Consequently, I intend to rely on the growth of my goat herd as a means to secure their education.

I have the responsibility of supporting four grandchildren who are currently enrolled in school. Their father has been facing challenges in paying their school fees, and despite my own financial difficulties, I felt compelled to step in and assist. Witnessing my grandchildren being sent home frequently due to fee arrears was deeply concerning, as it posed a threat to their academic future. Upon receiving my most recent income, I decided to allocate $20 towards reducing their outstanding fees, bringing me a sense of relief knowing that they can now attend school comfortably. By doing this, their father has been granted additional time to prepare for the next payment. Moreover, I invested $30 in acquiring another goat, expanding my goat herd to a total of fifteen. My hope is that as these goats multiply, they can serve as a valuable resource in case of any urgent financial needs, particularly when my grandchildren pursue higher education. Furthermore, I addressed another pressing need in my household. I lacked a suitable kitchen space where I could comfortably prepare meals. Over time, I diligently saved and purchased construction materials monthly, including iron sheets and building poles. I used these materials to construct a kitchen that also serves as a storage area for my belongings, improving the overall functionality of my home.

My major purpose is to construct a shelter for my livestock. Currently, my goal is to finish assembling the remaining materials, which are the iron sheets. I have already collected all of the other materials. To do this, I set a goal of saving $20 over the next five months to save money for both the iron sheets and the contractor's labor fee. This will allow me to meet my objective before the end of the year.

With the recent shift, I decided to address a troubling matter that had been plaguing me for some time. I spent $4 on two 2kg packages of maize flour and the rest of the $30 on construction poles and rafters. I intend to build a separate housing for my goats, who number 11 at the moment. They presently sleep in one of my two-room house, which is awkward and unsanitary. Once the existing agricultural work is done, I want to begin assembling the remaining components, such as iron sheets, to construct a stable shelter for my goats. This would give them an acceptable and pleasant living environment while also giving my family additional room in our home.

As I previously stated, my objective for this year is to invest in my farm by purchasing a few farm animals, especially goats and chickens because they are less expensive. Due to the ongoing difficulty with nutrition, I also plan to utilize the funds for it.

As soon as I had the chance to cash out the transfers, I went ahead and spent the entire sum of KES 3,400 for a goat. This is because I intend to invest in a few farm animals for the future in case I encounter any financial difficulties. I bought chicken with the money I received in December, and I also used it to pay for my grandchild's education.

I am incredibly appreciative of GiveDirectly's unconditional transfers, which are saving my life from the clutches of poverty. Even just being able to afford one meal became more difficult due to the current drought. I am able to take care of some of the needs that my husband is unable to meet thanks to the transfer's assistance. I implore the organization to keep up the good work of enrolling more people in the cash programs and assisting them in escaping poverty.

The majority of my second transfer was spent on food for the family. Selling charcoal is how I make a living. Due to the business's recent struggles, I was forced to quit and completely rely on my husband. He makes a living by hawking cultural toothbrushes in the community. The challenging economic climate has had a significant impact on his business, making it challenging for him to meet the needs of the entire family. I spent $25 on food after getting my transfer in order to relieve my husband of some of the financial burden and to make sure that my family would not go without food. Along with purchasing food, I also paid my grand daughter's school fees after she was expelled due to growing school fee arrears. She missed just over three weeks of school after being expelled, so I'm happy to see her back.

I was at home around 5 p.m. relaxing when my phone rang with a message notification. My helper was not around to help verify the contents of the message. After a few minutes, my neighbor came toward me and asked if I had received a mobile money message from Give Directly. I requested her to check what the message on my phone contained and she confirmed that I had received my first transfer. I was excited to finally afford something to eat after sleeping the previous night on an empty stomach.

Before the transfer, my household would constantly run out of food making us go to bed hungry on most nights. In a month we could starve for at least eight days because there was no money for food. However, the tale changed after the transfer. I obtained enough food that lasted the family a week to buy time for my husband to raise money for more.

I used KES 700 from the transfer to settle school fees for my granddaughter in Kindergarten. The balance had been pending ever since she joined the school two months ago. By that time, my husband had not made enough money from selling chewing sticks to settle this amount. So, the cash transfer from Give Directly came in handy. I spent the remaining amount on food because my family had slept hungry the previous night. At least the food lasted my husband and me a week as we worked on raising money for more food.