It's heartening to know that all my children are nearing the completion of their courses by the year's end. My immediate goal is to ensure their smooth progression by covering their final exam fees. Once this responsibility is fulfilled, I aim to channel my efforts into expanding and enhancing my poultry project, thereby increasing my income streams. The financial support I've received from the transfers has been instrumental in transforming my life positively, and for that, I'm truly grateful.

As a mason supporting my family of ten members, I faced challenges due to the irregularity of job opportunities. However, my life has significantly improved since enrolling in the program. I established a poultry rearing project, which now serves as an additional source of income. The proceeds from selling chickens have enabled me to finance my children's education, particularly my two elder sons who are pursuing different courses in college, one in welding and the other in mechanical engineering. I allocated $68 to cover their school fees. Additionally, I settled a debt of $25 owed to a friend, which was crucial as my sons needed funds to pay for their exams. Despite facing setbacks such as losing 70 hens to Newcastle disease, I remain determined to nurture the remaining 11 and ensure their multiplication. I also allocated $9 to purchase animal feeds for the poultry birds. Overall, I'm immensely grateful for the financial transfers as they have significantly uplifted my life and that of my family.

My major problem currently is capital otherwise, it has always been my dream to expand my poultry project buy buying more hens since it is a project that I can manage with less struggle. I depend mainly on building houses for people to earn a living. The pay is not lucrative and I have six children in school. Paying their school fees on time while making sure my family gets their basic needs has been next to impossible most of the time. Currently, I do not have money to achieve my dream of expanding the poultry project but I believe that I'll be able to with time.

Using my most recent transfer, I spent $ 72 to pay school fees for my children and $ 30 in buying chicken feeds. This year, I had two children whom I recently gave priority in paying their school fees using my transfers. This is because one was in class eight while the other is in college and their end of year examinations were fast approaching. For the other four children in different levels of their studies, I would pay their school fees once I get money from doing some casual work. Aside from this, when GiveDirectly came for enrollment, I settled on doing poultry farming as it does not need so much time hence I can always run it as I also do any available casual work. So far, I have 27 hens and I am glad that the transfer has always enabled me to purchase some feeds for them.

In the upcoming year and beyond, my primary goal is to enhance my financial stability, which I plan to accomplish by expanding my poultry business. This expansion will result in increased income, with a particular focus on incorporating additional chicken species, notably layers. The introduction of layers will enable me to sell eggs, further bolstering my income streams.

In August, a significant portion of my $17 in transfers was dedicated to settling a debt I had accumulated in prior months. This debt had arisen from my reliance on credit to provide sustenance for my family, ensuring that they did not go to bed hungry. I make a livelihood as a mason, constructing houses for others, but securing employment in this field is an arduous undertaking, often taking up to a month. In addition to repaying my debt, I allocated $14 towards purchasing animal feed as part of my poultry project, which I initiated immediately upon joining the program. As of now, I am successfully raising a total of 17 hens through this venture, generating much-needed income during times of financial hardship. With the remaining $3, I procured essential household items, including sugar, to support my family. I am immensely grateful for the financial assistance that has allowed me to enhance my quality of life and provide for my loved ones.

To buy chickens and goats and then sell them for a profit is the sole objective I now have. Although I have some great ideas, I cannot practically start them became of a lack of funds. When one is the primary provider, life can be really challenging. Everyone depends on you and when you lack they all lack and when you have, they all have. For one to purchase a goat, around $35 can be spent, and it will also cost you to take good care of the animals you want to keep. For me to start my own poultry and goat keeping firm, I will need around $100 in order to buy more of them and also to get their food. I currently have five goats and my ultimate goal is to have a large number so that I can invest in them and later sell them and make profit.

I have eight children; six of them are in school right now, and the other two are still young. Out of the six, I have two in college; the first one enrolled last year and is now pursuing wiring in his second year. The second one finished eighth grade last year, 2022, with a really outstanding grade, but owing to my financial limitations, I chose to send him to a technical college so he can pursue welding rather than just sit at home doing nothing. I paid $17 as school fees, which really made him happy and eager to learn new skills to improve his future. With the remaining sum of 17, I was able to go purchase one sack of chicken feed to feed my fifteen chickens. Due to the outbreak of diseases that came and killed practically every chicken in existence caused me to lose around thirty or so chickens. Thanks to GiveDirectly I can at least easily plan on what to use my next transfers before it sent.

Using the transfers I have previously received from Givedirectly, I began a relatively small poultry project with 16 chickens. By the end of the year, I want to have at least 100 chickens, and I want to use the transfers to help me reach that goal. I am aware that this is no easy task because I have to balance using the transfer I received to pay for food and other household necessities for my family of ten while still setting aside money for this project. Having a good number of chickens will mean better returns from the sale of eggs and meat. If all goes well, I'll buy a couple goats to raise while I figure out how to take my eldest daughter, who recently completed her secondary school, to college.

I started a poultry project when I initially got the transfer, and ever since I have bought chicken and their feed whenever I get the money. Since then, I'm happy to have 18 of them. Of the last three months' transfers, I have already spent $60 on chicken and their feed. With the remaining $38, I bought food for the family. I have eight kids; six of them are in school now, and the other two are still very small. Our primary source of income is farming, but the last three years have been dry, which has resulted in a dismal harvest. Since people rarely build houses, the infrequent temporary job I undertake there is unreliable and occasionally makes it difficult for me to support my family. I'm hoping the hens will someday help with the kids' school expenses. We appreciate the assistance because it has encouraged us.

We had been struggling to live each day with at least a meal that was hard to come by with my family of seven. The receipt of the first transfer was the best thing to have happened to my family. I could not wait further but spent KES 3000 on 14 kg of corn flour for my family. KES 1000 I paid for a debt I owed the shopkeeper who had lent us some foodstuffs. Later, I used KES 2000 to purchase the building materials for the construction of a kitchen house. When I received my first three months' transfers I spent them on the chicken rearing project and the number has since then increased from 5 to 29 chickens. They have been on the free-range but I fear they risk getting poultry infection. I, therefore plan to confine them and later vaccinate them. Being in a saving and loaning group within our community from three different families l was able to save KES 3000 which l will later use on other projects to improve my life.

I love everything about the organization from their processes which included community sensitization then later we were visited in the household by some of their officers who respectfully responded to our concerns. Later, everyone directly received their transfers as was promised without favoritism. I have not heard of any discontent from anyone. People from our village are happy and appreciative of the support.

I have saved 2000 of the second transfer to use it to purchase either a goat or chicken for rearing but this will depend on their cost in the market. Once I own either of them I will be assured of financial security since I will be adding more whenever I receive my transfers such that in the future after they will have reproduced then I will not only be assured of more of them but will sell some whenever I have an urgent need. Out of the remaining KES 1000, I used KES 500 to process my son's birth certificate. He is in his final year of primary education and without it, he will not be enrolled in the National examinations. For the other KES 500, I spent corn flour for my children.

I felt so good and my heart was joyous when I learned that I had received my first transfer. This gave me a big relieve on how to raise money to pay off food that I had bought on credit from the nearby shop. Being free from debt is just a fulfilling life that I always long for.

From the transfer I was able to buy food and pay off the debts I had. However, the biggest impact transfer has had in my life is enabling me to pay the debts that I had not settled for about two weeks. As a result, the shopkeeper who lent me food items felt good and he appreciated me for making payment before it was too late. Thanks to GiveDirectly for bailing me out from my struggles.

I am a casual laborer, although for this season there have not been major building projects. Generally, many people are focusing on how to look for food for their families thus foregoing undertaking projects. Without any casual job, it has been pretty hard for me to support my family. This situation has subjected me to a habit of borrowing in order to support my family. Immediately, I received my transfer, I prioritized to off set the previous debt of KES 440. The balance was sufficient for a four day family meals.