My main goal for the upcoming year is to expand my livestock, particularly goats and sheep. These animals are a great fit for me because they are affordable, easy to care for, and can withstand harsh climatic conditions, which is important given the unpredictable weather in my area. Currently, I have five goats, and they have proven to be a valuable investment for my family. I plan to gradually grow my herd by acquiring more goats and sheep. I will allocate a portion of each monthly transfer I receive to gradually purchase these animals. In the years to come, I aim to have a sizable herd that can provide us with meat and generate income from selling some of them. Looking ahead, I envision a prosperous livestock business that will ensure a secure future for my family, enabling us to weather tough times and eventually explore other investment opportunities.

I have five school-going children, and it is often challenging and unreliable to provide for them through my charcoal-burning work. When I received my last three transfers, totaling $102, I knew I had to prioritize the most pressing needs of my family. First, I used $45 to pay school fees for my children. Education is their path to a brighter future, and ensuring they stay in school is my top priority. Watching them walk to school with their heads held high brings me a sense of pride and hope for what lies ahead. With the remaining $57, I focused on keeping my family nourished. I bought food to sustain us, knowing that a full stomach is vital for both health and happiness. Feeding a family of seven is no small task, but with these funds, I was able to provide balanced meals that kept us going strong. Each meal shared around our table is a reminder of the importance of these transfers and how they help us meet our basic needs, allowing us to face each day with renewed strength and determination.

I've invested in chickens with the intention of them multiplying, allowing me to trade them for goats. These goats, in turn, will multiply and be traded for cows, which I plan to utilize for ploughing and hiring out for additional income. This strategy is driven by my desire to secure resources that will support my children's education and other essential needs. Each step in this plan represents a commitment to providing a better future for my family. I am hopeful that through hard work and strategic investments, I can create opportunities for financial stability and prosperity, ensuring that my children's needs are met and their aspirations are supported.

Ensuring my children's education remains my top priority, allocating $35 of the transfers towards paying their school fees was essential to guarantee their uninterrupted studies. With a keen interest in poultry farming, I chose to invest $40 in purchasing chickens, hopeful that their multiplication will eventually enable me to trade them for goats in the future. This investment brings me great joy, and I am optimistic about its potential outcomes. Addressing immediate needs, I allocated $17 to purchase food for my family, bringing relief and happiness to us all. However, amidst our daily struggles, we faced the sorrow of losing a relative and had to attend the burial. I therefore allocated $10 towards the burial expenses which was a necessary but obligation.

The meager income from my role as a casual laborer selling charcoal has placed me in the challenging position of being unable to adequately address all my family's needs. In an effort to improve this situation, I plan to utilize my transfers by investing in the purchase of additional hens, aiming to rear them for multiplication. The subsequent sale of some of these hens will enable me to acquire a sheep, presenting a promising source of income. The assistance from Give Directly has been instrumental in alleviating financial constraints and has played a crucial role in supporting my family. I am deeply grateful for the valuable financial aid provided.

At the onset of the year, I faced the responsibility of sending my five children back to school. To facilitate their return, I paid a total of $34 in school fees, which was distributed among them. Witnessing them resume their studies brought me a sense of relief. Additionally, I invested $34 in acquiring five hens with the aim of breeding them. Once they multiply, the plan is to sell them and utilize the proceeds to obtain a sheep. Towards the end of the previous year, my wife fell ill, experiencing discomfort with itchiness and swelling. To alleviate her pain, I spent $15 on purchasing medicinal drugs. In an effort to provide a positive boost for my children, I also spent $19 on acquiring new clothes for them. It brings me great joy to see them looking good and presentable in their new school uniforms. The financial support has been invaluable, especially given my modest income as a casual laborer involved in charcoal sales. I am sincerely grateful for this support, as it significantly aids in meeting our needs.

My aspirations are firmly set on starting a poultry farm, a venture that aligns perfectly with the suitability of my location. Recognizing the resilience of poultry farming, I anticipate it becoming a vital source of financial security in the event of unforeseen financial crises. With plans to purchase the first batch of chickens this month, I am eagerly preparing to embark on this journey towards a more stable and self-reliant future.

The settlement of my debts took a huge weight off my shoulders. For too long, I had been promising to clear the $25 I owed at the local shop where I buy foodstuffs for my family. It had reached a point where I couldn't look the shopkeeper in the eye due to my false assurances. My self-esteem had taken a hit, and I felt a constant sense of unease. But now, with part of my recent unconditional cash transfer, I am finally able to pay off that debt. The sense of relief and pride I felt was immeasurable. I had my dignity back, and I could face my neighbors and friends without the burden of unpaid debts weighing me down. With the remaining amount, I made sure to stock up on food for my family of ten. In a polygamous marriage, I am the breadwinner, and it's a constant struggle to provide for everyone. My livelihood primarily depends on farming and occasionally selling charcoal, both of which can be unpredictable. However, knowing that I had enough food to feed my family for a while brought me a sense of security and peace.

If I didn't have to press financial constraints, particularly in terms of food, I would have allocated a significant portion of the cash transfers towards creating a stable income stream, such as acquiring goats for rearing. Currently, I carry a heavy burden of responsibilities as I have two wives and grandchildren to support. However, despite these obligations, I still have a strong desire to invest in goats. I recognize the potential of goat rearing as a sustainable income-generating activity. This will enable me to better support the education of my grandchildren and contribute to the overall well-being of my household.

Sincerely speaking, the most pressing problem my family is currently dealing with is hunger. I often rely on sporadic jobs, such as making charcoal, to earn money for food, but these opportunities are few and far between. As a result, it's challenging for us to have regular meals. When I received the cash transfer, I immediately used $19 to purchase food. This helped alleviate our immediate hunger and ensured that we had something to eat. With the remaining $15, I decided to buy maize seeds that I planted on my two acres of land, taking advantage of the ongoing rains. I am hopeful that the crops will grow successfully and provide us with a bountiful harvest this season. I am optimistic that this will bring us much-needed relief in terms of food security.

My main aim is to make sure that my children excel in their studies by ensuring that I pay their fees on time every school term. I am assured of fulfilling this since I am guaranteed to get a monthly transfer from GiveDirectly. I have been struggling to raise their fees by selling charcoal, however, despite the efforts I have been putting in, they frequently get sent home. I am glad that through the five years of this program, my children will no longer be struggling with school fees, and my expectation as a parent is to see them achieve their career goals.

I have been spending my recent transfers majorly on paying school fees and buying food in my household. I have five children currently enrolled in high school and primary school who all depend on me for their fees. My only source of livelihood, burning and selling charcoal, is not enough for my family. Also, we have been experiencing a severe drought that has made it impossible to sell charcoal. I am happy that through the monthly transfers, my children have been studying with no interruptions in school fees. Also, despite the financial hardship, the transfers have also ensured that I do not lack food in my household. My family has been enjoying three meals a day.

Prior to receiving the money my family and I had experienced some financial strain and to prevent us from starving I ended up by taking some items on loan at our neighborhood store. Therefore after I realized the arrival of the transfers I ended up settling a debt of KES 1,500 at the store. Immediately after I decided to pay a tuition debt for my four children who had been out of school for two days, so I ended up paying KES 1,000 in school fees. I was left with a balance of KES 500 which I ended up buying two hens, with the aim of investing in poultry farming .

In my view, GiveDirectly does well in sensitizing and informing potential recipients that their participation is voluntary, and one can terminate the enrollment at will. It also does well in sending the transfers through Mpesa which helps in enhancing safety and security among the beneficiaries. So far, I have not yet observed what GiveDirectly does not do well. In all its ways of operation, does not take advantage of any person.

I did not have any food in the house when I got my most recent transfer. Unfortunately, I was not expecting any cash that day to assist me in providing food for my children. With the transfer, I set aside KES 2,000 to purchase a bag of maize. As a result, I have had minimal struggles for the past three weeks because my family has enough food. In addition, I spent KES 1,000 for a part of one of my four children's secondary school fees. Prior to this, I relied solely on burning charcoal, a physically demanding job, in order to feed my family.

I received the text message a few minutes past 10 pm when I was preparing to go to bed. I immersed my mind in deep thoughts on where to get food for my family for the next day. This was after unsuccessfully selling any bag of charcoal, hence forcing the family to sleep hungry. My phone's vibration distracted me from my heavy thinking and I checked my phone right away. Wow! I was very surprised upon realizing that I had received my transfer. It filled my heart with joy and I thought of running to the shop to buy food, but I could not because it was too late. I slept a cheerful man as I looked forward to the new day and buy food for my family.

Buying the food is the biggest difference in my daily life since I received the transfer. Due to the unstable source of income I have, it has been challenging to feed my family consistently. Reducing the number of meals, skipping meals, and buying food on credit are some techniques I have used to sustain my family, but it has failed. I am happy that after using the money from the transfer to buy food, my family has plenty to eat and we no longer sleep on empty stomachs.

Gd-2047461 As a farmer who majorly depended on subsistence farming, I faced a lot of challenges after the emergence of the drought in taking care of my family (2 wives and 8 children). Having no other option, I started burning down trees and selling charcoal. The amount I earn from the sale of the charcoal is too little to cater to all my family's needs. My wives are jobless and cannot help either in settling the many bills we have (food, school fees, and clothing). This challenging situation forced us to reduce the number of meals from three to having one every day. I incurred a lot of debts in the past three months due to buying food on credit to prevent my family from going without food. Therefore, when I received my transfer of KES 1200, I spent it all on buying 8 packets of maize flour to feed my family after having spent a day with nothing to eat.