My primary objective throughout this program has been to have a substantial herd of cows, a goal I have pursued diligently by strategically allocating my transfers towards the acquisition of goats and chickens. These smaller livestock serve as stepping stones towards realizing my ultimate ambition of owning a sizable herd of cows. To maintain my focus on this long-term goal, I continue to prioritize the purchase of goats and chickens with my transfers, following the same approach that has guided me in recent months. However, I remain flexible to address unforeseen financial exigencies, utilizing my transfers accordingly when urgent needs arise. Moreover, I recognize the importance of expanding my business ventures opportunistically. Therefore, I occasionally allocate funds from my transfers to diversify my livestock holdings and introduce new varieties, thereby enhancing the growth and resilience of my enterprise. By adhering to this strategic approach, I remain steadfast in my pursuit of building a thriving livestock enterprise that will secure my financial stability and contribute to my long-term prosperity. Each investment in goats and chickens brings me closer to realizing my vision of a flourishing herd of cows, a testament to my unwavering commitment and determination.

Participating in this program has provided me with the means to pursue a long-held aspiration: building a substantial herd of livestock, particularly cows, which are revered as a symbol of wealth in my community. Despite facing financial constraints in the past, I am now on track to realize this dream, thanks to the opportunities afforded by the program. Currently, I am proud to say that I have acquired eight goats through diligent saving and strategic allocation of my transfers. My ultimate goal is to trade these goats for cows, with the aim of acquiring at least two cows simultaneously. Understanding that a cow typically equals the value of approximately seven goats in my area, I have set a target of accumulating at least 14 goats to facilitate this exchange. To achieve this target, I have been channeling the entirety of my transfers towards purchasing goats, allocating $30 monthly for this purpose. Additionally, I allocate a portion of my funds towards acquiring chickens, as they serve as an additional asset that can be leveraged to further expand my livestock holdings. By adopting this systematic approach of leveraging chickens into goats and goats into cows, I am laying the groundwork for building a thriving livestock enterprise that not only enhances my financial stability but also solidifies my status within the community

In the coming year and beyond, my primary goal is to ensure the stability of my livestock business, which has the potential to yield substantial returns if managed effectively. I am pleased with the progress I've made this far, as I have been consistently dedicating a portion of my monthly transfers toward this venture. I plan to maintain this commitment in the foreseeable future until my livestock flock reaches a significant size. This strategic move will not only diversify my sources of income but also reduce my reliance on my toothbrush business. Consequently, I will be better equipped to meet the needs of my family and ensure their well-being.

I earn a living by selling herbal traditional toothbrushes, but my business has been struggling to support my family adequately. Despite the challenges, I'm delighted to share that your transfers have brought us some much-needed relief. Thanks to this support, I was able to expand my existing business by adding more stock, and I also invested in purchasing goats, which has bolstered my livestock holdings. With the transferred funds, I wisely allocated $98 to acquire three goats and four chickens, which I plan to raise. I believe this will serve as a promising start for my animal rearing venture, offering substantial returns once they reach maturity. I used the remaining $4 to further stabilize my business by increasing its stock. I am profoundly grateful to GiveDirectly for the significant strides I've been able to make in my life.

With just a little business selling traditional toothbrushes, I have been struggling to feed my family. Thus, at the beginning of the year, I set the goal of starting a retail business to raise my standard of living. As my wife is unemployed, her participation in a shop will enable my family to supplement their income. Due to the existing business's low revenues, I always need to find other work to raise my level of income. I, therefore, yearn for my wife to be in charge of the business.

Immediately after I received my recent transfer, I spent $30 on buying a goat. I only had three goats then but I had hoped to increase my flock. In addition, I spent $4 on a single domestic fowl. Currently, I own four goats and two domestic fowls. Since I rely on selling traditional toothbrushes that do not fetch me so much, I thought that venturing into livestock keeping would allow me to raise additional money. As a result, I will be able to raise some money to support my young family of three members.

With the current homemade toothbrush business I have been doing in the community, which earns me at least $5 per day, I hope to keep adding the stock, even though they are currently hard to come by because most of the trees are slowly drying up due to the current adverse drought. I expect to save extra income from my daily proceeds in the coming year with the goal of acquiring a dairy cow. This will not only reduce the cost of milk but will also provide an additional source of income because I will sell the surplus milk to my immediate neighbors and make enough profit that will be able to sustain my family.

Subsistence farming and livestock farming have been the primary sources of income in most households in our community. Despite the fact that their productivity has never been predictable because it is determined by weather conditions, I had hoped to invest more in it with the monthly transfers I receive from GiveDirectly. I spent $30 of the most recent transfer support on a goat that I am hoping will give birth at the end of this month. I had previously purchased three goats, and I am pleased that the number is gradually increasing with the monthly transfers, as I now have four. I also spent $2 on another chicken to add to the one I already had. In the future, I hope they rear and multiply. Besides the livestock farming, I had been obtaining homemade tooth brushes from a specific plant fetched from the forest and selling them to the locals. I hope that the two projects will allow me to continue supporting my single child as well as my parents, who rely on me when they are unable to provide for themselves.

GiveDirectly does well in giving unconditional cash transfers. For instance, every community member talks well about it. The cash has enabled us to obtain food and prioritize taking the children to school, which I could not do before. It also does well in making constant follow-ups to learn that we are experiencing positive change in our way of life courtesy of the transfer. So far, I have not observed what GiveDirectly does not do well.

My bed was old and unsuitable for use since part of it was broken. Using it was risky for both my wife and me. For a while, I kept it because I did not have any money to repair it and planned to take it to a carpenter when I did. As a result, we have been sleeping on the floor for about four months. Fortunately, when I received the transfer, I took it to a carpenter. The repair quotation was $60, but I only had $30, so it is still in the carpentry yard. I am optimistic that when I get my next transfer, I will be able to pick it up. Sleeping on the floor is discomforting since I always suffer from ant bites.

Before receiving the money, I had budgeted to start rearing chicken again after losing all that I had due to the poultry infection outbreak. The moment I received my transfer I felt excited because I knew it would help me achieve the goal of owning chickens again. I did not share the news with anyone but celebrated on my own.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the pride of owning chickens. I had some previously, but they all succumbed to a poultry infection outbreak. Starting afresh has brought the hopes of owning more, thus additional income to my family. With my small business of selling toothbrushes, I would not have been able to achieve this as the income that I earn from it can hardly sustain our meals for a day. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for enabling me to make this step in life.

I bought four chickens with the whole of the first transfer. I settled on this intending to sell them in the future after they will reproduce to raise money for purchasing goats. This is my journey to having livestock majorly dairy cows. I had chicken sometimes back, but they all succumbed to poultry infection and since then I have not been able to rear anymore. Through this, I hope to get to the level of owning cows, and I am planning to achieve it by selling goats in the future to raise money for the cows. I sell toothbrushes but I do not earn enough income to sustain my family. The livestock will be a boost to my household in terms of income generation.