We are going through incredibly tough times right now. The dry spell has stretched on and on, bringing severe drought, and leaving us all facing hunger. This year, with things as they are, my priority is to keep using my transfers to buy food and water so my family can get by until the rains finally come and we can hopefully harvest enough to fill our stores again. Also, looking ahead, I dream of building something sustainable for my future. Once the drought conditions improve, I plan to use a portion of my transfers to buy more goats, adding to the small herd that I already have. I envision these goats multiplying over time, giving me a source of income that I can lean on in the future when this program eventually comes to an end. Additionally, managing my health is another important goal. I plan to keep using a portion of my transfers to buy my monthly medication so I can take care of myself and stay strong. I cannot say enough how grateful I am to GiveDirectly for this support. It is not just helping us get through these challenging days but it is also giving me hope and a chance to build a future I can rely on.

My health has been a constant challenge, and I rely on monthly medicine refills to manage my condition. Recently, I used $30 of my transfer to restock my medication, hoping it will help me feel stronger and healthier. Currently, things have been made much more challenging by the season's extreme dryness. The terrain is dry, almost everything has dried up, and food and water are limited. I, therefore, spent the remaining $72 to buy food and pay for water delivery. We have to fetch water from a very long distance, and the only way is by hiring a motorcycle to bring it to us. With no harvest this season due to the drought, most of my transfer goes toward making sure my family has enough to eat. Despite these tough times, I am deeply grateful for the support from GiveDirectly. It has been a lifeline, helping me care for my health and meet my family’s basic needs in such a challenging season.

My greatest accomplishment in the coming year and beyond is to invest my subsequent transfers in purchasing goats. Once the goats multiply and the herd grows in number, I will have something to depend on even after the financial aid comes to an end. Besides purchasing goats, I plan to visit a hospital for a check-up. This will ensure my health improves, reducing the risk of frequently contracting diseases. I am happy with the financial support from Give Directly.

As I become of age, I have experienced severe health challenges. Being sick has prevented me from putting food on the table for myself. I depend heavily on my grandchildren who take care of me despite having their own families to care for. The money from Give Directly helps me purchase pain killers and some over-the-counter drugs whenever I am ill. I spent $10 on medicine, and I am glad I am doing well with my health. I spent $27 to purchase food, ensuring a continuous supply of food for myself. I have never lacked food. I purchased a goat for $45 and saved $20 so that I can purchase another goat in the coming months. Purchasing goats is a smart investment for the future. Once they multiply, my initial investment grows. In the event of an emergency, I can sell them and use the money to attend to my pressing needs. I am very happy with the financial support from Give Directly. It is greatly helping me live a better life.

My intention is to buy a goat in the upcoming months. The objective is to increase the quantity and number of goats. Even when the aid is over, the goats will still be of assistance to me. In addition, I want to renovate my old roof and install new iron sheets in its place. There are no words to express how grateful I am for the support that the transfers are providing for me.

I used $14 to pay some hospital bills and purchase medication. My health has significantly improved, which makes me very happy, and I am eating well to keep it that way. For fifty-five dollars, I bought a goat. For me, purchasing the goat is an investment with long-term strategic value. When it multiplies, I will sell it and use the proceeds to cover my daily expenses. I spent twelve dollars on food. My health is improving every day, and I am happy that the food I buy has helped me regain my strength. I intend to buy another goat soon, so I saved $20. I am confident that I will have something to rely on in the future as the herd grows in size. The financial boost from the transfers makes me very happy. I am content that I am receiving the money and taking care of myself despite my advanced age.

I have a plan to acquire livestock especially goats and chickens that I believe will breed and multiply in number. As a subsistence farmer, I currently live on my own, as all my daughters have been blessed with marriages. This means I am solely responsible for my well-being, and given my lack of a regular source of income, I view the goats and chickens as my primary assets. My intention is to expand my livestock holdings by purchasing more goats and chickens in the near future.

The transfers have played a crucial role in ensuring that my household has a sufficient food supply. This became possible after I invested $10 in plowing my land, resulting in a successful harvest. Following the harvest, I allocated $5 to rent a maize threshing machine, which greatly facilitated the processing of my two 90kg sacks of maize. I am immensely thankful for how these transfers have alleviated the issue of food scarcity in my household. Furthermore, I utilized part of the funds to purchase livestock, which includes a goat and three chickens, at a cost of $40. These animals now represent valuable assets for me, as they have the potential to multiply and provide a reliable source of financial support in times of need. Lastly, I also used a portion of the funds to procure essential food items such as maize flour and sugar. This ensured a consistent food supply before I had the opportunity to cultivate my own farm. The transfers have truly made a significant positive impact on my life, allowing me to address various aspects of my food and financial stability.

Due to my declining health, I have reached an age where I am unable to continue working on the farm. My primary objective, both in the near future and beyond, is to create a reliable source of income through livestock farming. I aspire to acquire a substantial number of goats that can multiply over time. By selling some of them, I will be able to support myself financially, alleviating the burden on my relatives who currently care for me.

Over the past few months, my health has significantly worsened. I have been experiencing intense chest pains, which have confined me to bed for most of June. In an effort to improve my health, I used a significant portion of my June transfers, approximately $20, to purchase over-the-counter medications and herbal remedies. I am incredibly grateful for the financial assistance provided by Give Directly, as it has played a crucial role in my health improvement. The remaining amount of money was used to buy food. Previously, as a peasant farmer, I relied heavily on income from my farm to meet my needs. However, due to my current health condition, I am unable to work on the farm and now depend mostly on my relatives. The funds I receive from Give Directly have been instrumental in meeting my needs, such as purchasing food. I am immensely thankful that I no longer go to bed on an empty stomach.

By the end of the year, I hope to have purchased more livestock, particularly goats that can withstand the harsh climatic conditions. My goal is to increase wealth by raising livestock. As the goats conceive, my initial small number will eventually grow. By doing so, I will achieve financial stability when I sell the goats in the market at a good profit and lessen the strain on my grandchildren, who go above and beyond to see that I have access to my basic needs.

Due to my advanced age, I must rely on my grandchildren's income as casual workers doing manual labor. My health has gotten worse recently, leaving me bedridden. I can't go out and survive on my own. My wife, who was assisting me, died shortly after getting sick. The financial support from Give Directly have helped me buy food and seek medical attention from the hospital. I spent my February transfers on a goat that cost $40. I was feeling a lot better than I had the month before. Purchasing the goat will be very helpful to me in the future. If I ever need money or face an emergency, I can sell the goat and use the proceeds to deal with the situation. My initial investment will more than double there once the goat multiplies, creating wealth in the process.

Getting a call from Givedirectly is always a pleasant moment. I enjoy each time I talk to one of the call center agents, they are always friendly.

I am 84 years old, my wife died ten years ago. We were blessed with one daughter. I am retired, and I depend on my younger brother who sends me $2 a week. Luckily my brother also pays for school feed for my daughter who is in high school and lives with her in town. I stay in an unstable room when it rains, water gets to the house because of the holes in the roof. I have been using Givedirectly transfer to buy food and water. With the current drought, water is scarce and most of the time I can stay up to three days without a bath. A 20-liter jerrican cost $3.5 which is not enough to clean the house and drink. Before the current drought we are experiencing, we were fetching water on the river at no cost. Receiving this transfer has enabled me to purchase water for $10 and food for $20 with no strain

At the time I was receiving the money I was actually ailing, but the minute I realized those transfers had been actually sent I was so happy I almost forgot about felling sick. This is because at the time I really needed the money especially for a meal.

In this particular situation I was quite grateful to finally be able to afford a meal which had been quite a struggle a couple of says prior to GiveDirectly allocating the funds.

Upon realising that the transaction had actually being sent out, I decided that I wanted to invest in poultry farming so I ended up buying a hen for KES 400. After that I was left remaining with about KES 800 and so I decided to spend it on nourishment by buying a kilogram of sugar, a packet of tea leaves and three packets of maize flour.