My accomplishments in the coming year and beyond are geared towards investing in income-generating projects to achieve financial stability. To reach this goal, I plan to buy more stock for my charcoal business, enabling me to sell more and earn a good profit. Additionally, I am planning to invest in livestock purchases. Over time, the livestock will multiply, and I can sell some in the event of an emergency. I am very happy and appreciative of the financial support I have received so far.

I run a small business selling charcoal, particularly during the dry season. During the wet season, I engage in subsistence farming. Recently, I spent $20 to boost my charcoal business by purchasing more sacks of charcoal at a lower price and selling them at a profit in the market. The profit I make will be helpful in meeting my basic needs. My house was in a dilapidated condition and needed repairs to make it strong and secure for habitation. I spent $34 to strengthen the walls of the house, which were almost collapsing due to weakening poles. I am happy that with the repairs, I no longer have to worry about my safety. Additionally, I spent $34 to pay the bride price for my wife. This dowry will further cement our relationship and strengthen our bond with my in-laws, ensuring we abide by our cultural norms. I am grateful that the cash made this possible for me and my family. I also purchased food worth $14 for my family, ensuring that we had enough to eat and never lacked anything. I am very appreciative of the financial support from the transfers. Despite struggling financially due to low income, I have been able to achieve many of my goals.

I am eager to embark on a substantial investment venture by acquiring livestock. Investing in livestock presents a promising opportunity to generate wealth, as they have the capacity to multiply within a relatively short timeframe. At present, I have acquired eight goats using funds from the transfers, a development that brings me great satisfaction. I am appreciative of the financial assistance provided by Give Directly, which has facilitated this endeavor.

Utilizing $34 from my December transfers, I addressed the damages caused by heavy rains that eroded part of the mud walls surrounding my home. With this allocation, I procured new building poles and compensated the mason for repairing the structure, ensuring a secure living environment. Additionally, I invested $18 in purchasing a goat, viewing it as a valuable asset for the future. Anticipating its reproduction to double my initial investment, the goat provides a sustainable source of income beyond the duration of the transfers. Furthermore, $34 was allocated to prepare my 2.5 acre land for cultivation, a decision that proved fruitful with a bountiful harvest, securing an abundance of food. I am profoundly grateful for the financial support received through the transfers, which has significantly alleviated the burden of meeting my personal needs as an elderly individual.

As an elderly individual without any support system, I find myself solely responsible for meeting my own needs. With the upcoming transfers, my intention is to allocate the funds towards purchasing essential food items. Unfortunately, despite my diligent efforts in cultivating crops, I was unable to reap any harvest. This unforeseen outcome has further emphasized the importance of exploring alternative avenues for sustenance. In addition to securing food, I also plan to invest a portion of the funds in acquiring more livestock. This represents a valuable opportunity for long-term financial stability, as livestock can serve as a reliable source of wealth generation. By engaging in this investment, I hope to establish a foundation that will sustain me for years to come, ensuring a more secure future. I am immensely grateful for the financial support I have received thus far, as it has been instrumental in helping me navigate these challenging times. The assistance I have received has provided a lifeline, enabling me to survive the hardships that come with limited resources. I recognize the significance of this support and am sincerely appreciative of the impact it has had on my ability to persevere.

Over the course of the past six years, farming has presented considerable challenges for our village. Insufficient rainfall has been a persistent issue, making it exceedingly difficult for crops to thrive. This year followed a similar pattern, with initial promising rain in June that ultimately dissipated as time passed. Regrettably, the maize crop I diligently planted endured unfavorable conditions, resulting in a complete loss without any harvest to show for my hard work. Confronted with these circumstances, I found it necessary to adapt my approach. Utilizing my August transfers, I made the decision to invest $30 in purchasing a goat. By engaging in goat rearing, I anticipate the opportunity to accumulate wealth, as these animals have the potential to multiply and increase in value over time. This strategic shift in my agricultural pursuits provides hope for a more prosperous future, as it has the potential to yield significant returns and multiply my initial investment. The financial support I have received has proven to be a lifeline during this arduous and challenging period. It has helped me navigate through the hardships associated with the inability to produce crops and the subsequent need to purchase food from expensive shops. I am immensely grateful for the assistance that has enabled me to endure these challenging times and strive towards a more secure and self-sustaining future.

For the past few months, I have been sleeping on a broken bed. The more I sleep on it, the more it becomes wobbly, which scares me as it may completely disintegrate one day and probably hurt me. Besides, sleeping under such conditions is uncomfortable. I would love to obtain another bed in the near future. After that, I wish to secure livestock such as goats and chickens for rearing purposes only. Since I cannot actively work at my old age, keeping livestock will help me build wealth at the very least and allow me to support the needs of my family.

Given my advanced age, I cannot actively participate in providing for my family. That responsibility was taken up by my son, who rely on casual jobs like making charcoal or harvesting fish from the river for selling. However, the money he makes barely provides daily food for his four children, my wife, and me. There are times we miss meals due to lack of money to acquire the food. This is why, I usually prioritize obtaining food whenever I receive cash transfers. Recently, I directed $19 towards the purchase of maize flour. At least, this bought my son ample time to raise more money through his jobs. Above all, my family has never lacked meals to date. Also, as the planting season has just begun, I decided to buy maize seed using the remaining $15, which covered the entire three acres of my farm. I hope that the ongoing rains favor the crops so that we can reap a healthy harvest this year and eradicate hunger.

I spent the majority of last year's money from the livestock transfer on purchasing livestock. I'm glad I bought five goats because there are now eight of them and more are on their way to having kids. My son and I want to launch a kiosk business together this year. We will primarily sell maize flour and other food items through the kiosk. This will give us a source of income and enable us to meet the needs of the ballooning family. Later, once the business is established, I would like to put aside enough cash to buy a bed. Since my bed broke into pieces three years ago, I've been sleeping on the bare, dusty floor.

I spent $30 from the recent cash transfer to buy two goats and increased my herd to a total of five. Lately, I have been inclined to obtain goats through the money to rear them and accumulate more wealth for future needs. Considering my advanced age, with a wife and three grandchildren to look after, there will come a time when I can no longer fish (as I do now) to make a living. I am certain that keeping livestock and selling them in the future will help generate funds for food and school fees. After securing the animals, I bought food with the remaining funds to boost the little that was still in stock.

To support my family (wife and three grandchildren), I rely on fishing as a source of income. Because I go fishing every two days, the money I get from this practice is barely enough to cover all basic expenses like food and school tuition for my children. I decided to start keeping cattle to complement my income and afford all household expenses.  These animals will grow and increase in value in the future, providing sufficient income for family demands when I sell them. That is why I utilized the full amount to purchase two goats to start my rearing venture.

I would like to commend and thank the organization for the help by giving us unconditional transfers. The funds are an enormous boost for me in this time of need and to eradicate poverty in my life. I would like to encourage the organization to improve on the timely disbursement of funds.

For a while now, I have thought of diversifying my source of income. The challenges I face in my fish business have reduced my earnings. The river in which I get the fish is seasonal, meaning I lose my source of income for several months. Once the river dries up, I am forced to cut and burn down trees to make charcoal for sale. There are no more trees to cut and make charcoal, hence the need to invest in other income-generating activities. It is for this reason that I spent KES 2800 to buy a female goat “nanny”. The sole purpose of purchasing the goat is to invest for the future and also to find an alternative source of income from selling the goats when they multiply. Besides buying the goat, I spent the remaining KES 200 on buying a packet of maize flour and 1 kg of sugar, which we consumed together with my dear wife after spending a day without food.

When Give Directly sent the transfer message I was relaxing at home. Since I cannot read, my helper checked its contents and confirmed the great news. My heart skipped with joy. Honestly, receiving money was the major highlight of that day.

The biggest difference in my life since I started receiving transfers is that I consume meals atleast once a day. Previously, I used to starve the entire day and still manage to skip supper because of lack of funds. My heart is very grateful since poverty is gradually fading, thanks to Give Directly.

I spent KES 500 to buy maize flour since there was no food at home. Earlier, I had anticipated to obtain a goat through the transfer but the money was not enough to accomplish that goal. Also, I lacked sources of funds to generate the required amount of KES 2000. So after purchasing food, I saved the rest of the cash. I believe that the next transfer will help execute my plan.