In the coming year, my main goal is to launch a firewood-selling business. I have observed a high demand for firewood in my area, particularly in secondary schools, and I am confident that it can be a lucrative source of income for my family and me. To achieve this dream, I intend to set aside a small portion of my monthly transfers, steadily working towards my target. With an initial capital of $180, I can purchase the first batch of firewood and commence selling it to the nearby schools. Every month, I will save what I can, knowing that even the smallest amount will bring me closer to my goal. Once the business is established, I aim to expand it gradually, ensuring a consistent income for years to come. This business will not only enable me to support my family but also provide the stability I have always desired.

I am the father of ten children, and one of my sons is still in college, where he needs my full support to complete his mechanical course. To provide for my family, I raise livestock, while my older sons contribute by doing casual jobs. With the recent three transfers amounting to $102, I knew I had to prioritize both our family's future and my son’s education. First, I spent $45 to buy a goat, adding to the four goats I already had, along with our one cow. This investment in livestock is part of my long-term plan to secure more resources for my family, as goats can easily multiply and provide income when needed. The next priority was paying for my son's education, so I used $44 to cover his school fees. Supporting him through college is crucial because his mechanical course will open up opportunities for him to secure a stable job and, in turn, help our family. With the remaining $13, I bought a bale of maize flour to feed my family. Ensuring my family is well-fed and has the resources they need is always at the heart of my decisions. These transfers have allowed me to invest wisely, both in livestock and education, while also meeting my family's immediate needs.

Currently, the two goals that I have is to invest on livestock keeping through the purchase of goats and to pay school fees for my son. This is because I would love to see him excel in life and achieve his dreams. Due to this, I am willing to do any possible thing to make sure that he completes his studies. The goats will also come in handy when I do not have money to use in paying for his school fees as I can easily sell them. Aside from the financial support from GiveDirectly, the government aid for the aged will come in handy in achieving these goals that I have as I am optimistic that I'll start receiving them from May as we were promised.

My son is his second year in college pursuing his dreams. For a couple of months now, my transfers has come in handy in paying for his college fee and also in investing on poultry project which I started a year ago. With my most recent transfers, I spent $ 40 on paying school fees for my son and $12 on the purchase of four hens. My ultimate goal is to buy a cow after some time. Since I cannot afford to buy it at once, I settled on having a poultry project that will earn me some income as time goes by. In addition, I'll sell some chicken after some time and use the money in buying a goat and later the cow. Aside from this, I spent $48 on buying food for my family. From most of the money that I spent on food, I s[pent it during the festive season so that my family would celebrate and be happy like other people within the community.

I am pleased and satisfied with the strides I have taken and the achievements I've attained this far. The ongoing rains provide assurance that we will have an ample food supply for my family for the next two years. Looking ahead, my plan is to save my transfers with the goal of launching a livestock business. I see this as a feasible endeavor, requiring less attention. The establishment of such a venture holds the promise of generating additional income for my family, thereby enhancing our overall financial stability.

My wife and I are both subsistence farmers, cultivating maize and beans primarily for our own consumption. In the past, we faced challenging years marked by persistent drought, making our lives exceedingly difficult. Affording our children's education and even securing enough food was a constant struggle. However, since GiveDirectly initiated its monthly transfers, our circumstances have significantly improved. I can now cover school fees, invest in livestock, and complete the construction of our house. I allocated $64 to purchase three chickens and a goat, which I plan to raise to maturity. Additionally, $19 was used to acquire cement and other building materials necessary for the house construction. Another $15 was directed towards settling a pending school fee debt for my son in secondary school, ensuring an uninterrupted education. The remaining funds were utilized to purchase food for our family, as we were facing shortages. I am immensely thankful to GiveDirectly for providing hope and support during these challenging times.

Food and financial security is what I intend to accomplish in this coming year and beyond. I have ventured into maize farming to get food as well as sell whatever surplus I make. I would also like to expand my growing livestock business and this means that I will provide well for my family, both in terms of food and finances.

I've spent my entire life in a mud-thatched shack since I couldn't afford to live anywhere else. I'm pleased that this project has allowed me to accumulate enough savings to renovate my home to a high standard. I spent $34 on construction logs to finish the structure after previously purchasing iron roofing sheets. I then used the remaining money, $68, to purchase 2 goats and 5 hens. Once replicated, I plan to sell the offspring. My intention is to purchase more livestock and poultry with subsequent transfers, which will increase our household income.

Now that I have a better house that I can live in I would like to build and investment. I would like to buy animals. I want to buy animals so that I can have them have young ones which when they grow I can sell and make some money. My end goal is to be able to afford a business. Only animals are a growing capital that can allow me achieve this. I am also experience in this as my work from day to day is raising livestock and so it will be good as I will be able to manage it.

I am very excited and very overjoyed, I wish you could come and see what I have done with the money. When I first started getting transfers from GD did not spend any of my money. I have saved from August 2022 to January 2023 in collaboration with my wife and we have built a house. We used to live in the kitchen together with the animals but now we have our own home which even has a verandah and is two roomed. It is very cozy if you come by you can sit at the verandah and the sun will not burn you. I added some money from what my wife was also saving and I sold a cow which went for $200. I bought 21 sheets of iron at $9.5 each and bought poles for building at $1 each. I also paid the mason $55.

I want to thank the Give Directly staff for sharing helpful information about how to best use the transfers. This encouraged me to think big and wisely invest the money in order to lift my life out of poverty. I am also grateful for the organization's efforts to assist the less fortunate members of society at a time when the effects of the drought are becoming unbearable. I encourage the organization to continue their selfless act of assisting the poor in society by enrolling more people in the program.

I turned to raising livestock as a secondary source of income after enduring the negative effects of the drought for more than three years. The lack of rain made it extremely challenging to grow crops on the farm. Many difficulties exist in raising livestock, most of which are brought on by the drought's effects. I currently have four cows and twenty goats in total. The quick influx of wealth over time once the livestock multiplies influences my decision regarding how to make money. I do sell some few goats in an emergency and use the proceeds to meet expenses. I therefore bought a new goat when I got my second transfer. Having more goats will enable me to sell them for more money and make a healthy profit margin during the rainy season, which is why I want to increase my herd size. I have high hopes that the profit will enable me to pay my son's school expenses for the upcoming primary school year.

On the day I learned about my transfer, I felt so excited. The previous night I had retired to rest early, not because I was tired but because things were running contrary to my expectation. My family had insufficient food to eat to their satisfaction. So when I woke up and checked my phone, I could not believe my eyes to see a Mpesa message. I was actually not expecting any money that morning. However, as I read through, my heart leaped with joy to learn that GiveDirectly's transfer was sent to me the previous night. I am indebted to GiveDirectly for its acts of charity.

Because of the unpredictability of the weather, I had begun to shift my focus from peasant farming to livestock raising. I already had 17 domestic fowl when I received my transfer. I managed to purchase three more hens, bringing my total to 20. I am pleased to report that the number of hens in my flock has increased by three, which I had not anticipated. They are about to lay eggs, this means a lot to me. As time passes, I intend to sell them in order to purchase a goat and begin raising livestock. I hope to start raising goats and sheep from a poultry farming venture.

I am a father of five children from a family of seven members. Since my wife and I do not have a regular job, we depend on peasant farming, a practice that does not yield much as a result of the adverse changes in weather conditions. I thought of raising livestock to help supplement my family's income. When I received my recent transfer, I spent $9 on buying three hens. I am optimistic that through this, I shall be able to get an additional stream of income. Because I had insufficient food, I spent $3 on buying maize that lasted us two days. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the financial support.