My goal is to establish a business selling goats, a dream I am actively working on. Currently, I possess nine goats, and I am determined to increase this number significantly in the upcoming year. Utilizing my savings and coming transfers, I am determined to turn this dream into a reality. Establishing an additional source of income ensures that my family will continue to be well-provided for, even after the conclusion of this project. The transformative impact of these transfers fills me with happiness, as they have undeniably changed my life for the better, opening up new avenues of opportunity and prosperity

My primary means of earning a living has been raising livestock on behalf of others. In the past, providing for my family of nine required a lot of work, but the assistance provided through these transfers has eased some of our financial burdens. Together with my wife, we have comfortably provided for our children's education, thanks to the combined support we receive. Additionally, I have been able to invest in goats, aiming to expand this venture into a sustainable business. Utilizing $34 from the transfers, I purchased a goat, foreseeing its potential to provide quick financial relief in case of an emergency. Another $51 went towards settling outstanding school fees, addressing a debt that needed to be cleared before our children could resume their studies. With the remaining $17, I bought chickens, hoping they would multiply to be sold later on at a profit. I am genuinely grateful that this assistance has eased our financial strain and also enabled us to achieve what once seemed impossible.

My goals are twofold. First, I plan to continue supporting the education of my children through the incoming future cash transfers. Additionally, I aim to start building a new house. My current house has a grass-thatched roof, and the mud walls are caving in and almost collapsing. This has been a goal of mine from the beginning, and I have been using some of the previous cash transfers to buy building materials for constructing a new house. I also want to focus on buying goats to build wealth. With seven children and relying on casual jobs to make ends meet, rearing goats will guarantee some security for the future after the transfers have ended.

I'm extremely grateful for the cash transfers as they have allowed me to pay the tuition fees for my seven children. There were accumulated debts over the academic term, and I spent $59 to reduce these school debts. I used $9 to hire someone with an ox plow to help with plowing my land before planting. Additionally, I spent $34 to buy a goat, although I had to top up $6 from my savings to afford it, as it was more expensive than the cash transfer amount. Rearing goats will ensure that I can continue to pay for my children's school fees even after the cash transfers have ended. To provide for my seven children, I rely on casual jobs like making charcoal and working on people's farms. I am thankful that the cash transfers have allowed me to pay for my children's school fees and obtain livestock like goats.

In the next few years, I wish to have built a new house as the current structure is almost collapsing. I have already started buying iron sheets for the construction project and I plan to continue buying more building materials before starting the task. After the house is built to completion I would love to establish a small business.  While I have not yet finalized my decision on the specific small business I plan to venture into, I am optimistic that once I have accumulated enough capital, I will embark on an endeavor that aligns with the demands of my community at that time.

I purchased two iron sheets using $20 from the transfer to contribute towards building a new house, as my current one is on the verge of collapsing. With a grass-thatched roof, it lacks stability and durability. My goal is to construct a two-room house with mud walls and a tin roof, providing a more secure and comfortable living space for my family. After buying the iron sheets, I allocated $5 to clear a piece of land in preparation for planting maize crops. Although I had already started planting, there was a portion of the land that remained uncultivated due to a lack of funds for plowing. I used the remaining money from the cash transfers to purchase essential provisions for my family.  Working as a herdsman, it has been challenging to provide for my six children as the little income I get hardly covers my daily food needs.

My current house is almost collapsing and leaks in water whenever it rains. Am afraid that it may collapse from strong winds and harm my family. Such an accident already happened to my mother after she was injured when her house crumbled on her.  I fear the same case may happen to my children unless I build a more stable one. My prayer is to have a two-room house made of mud walls and iron sheets roof by the end of this year. 

The next day after I received the transfer my three children were sent out of school to collect pending school fee balances. So, I paid $20 and they were able to resume classes and they have never been sent to date. Next, I spent $9 on a piece of iron sheet, in preparation to build a new house for my family since the current one is almost collapsing. I need to build a two-room house with mud walls and a tin roof. I would be glad if I constructed the new structure before the rainy season kicks in. The remaining amount went towards food as the household had run out of maize flour. In January, I paid $18 for iron sheets,  bought three chickens worth $12, and the remaining went towards food. From the December transfer, I channeled $20 toward iron sheets and $4 toward a hen, and $10 for food for the Christmas celebration. 

I am grateful for GiveDirectly's kind offer of unconditional transfers to help us improve our lives. Due to the drought, it is now difficult to survive because food prices have skyrocketed. It is impossible for me to provide for all of my family's needs, including paying the school fees on time, with the meager income I make from odd jobs. I appreciate how well the organization is doing overall and I want to see that trend continue.

I support myself by paying to care for other people's livestock. I make $30 a month, which is not nearly enough to meet the needs of my entire family. I work on odd jobs like selling charcoal on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday) to supplement my income. I have six children over all, and four of them are in school. They owe the school $30 in unpaid school fees. In order to ensure that they continued to attend school, I paid $10 when I received my transfer to help offset some of the enormous debt from school fees. Additionally, I paid $7 for a single piece of iron sheet. My family and I reside in a deteriorating, grass-thatched building that is on the verge of collapsing due to rotten poles. When I get my next transfer, I want to buy cement, sand, building poles, and pieces of iron sheet. I will eventually construct a decent, roomy home that will serve as a safe haven for all of my family members. Eventually I used the remaining funds to purchase $13 worth of food. We frequently have to skip meals because we don't have enough money, which is caused by the meager wages I receive from my part-time jobs.

After a long and exhausting day of taking care of Livestock, I got home about seven o'clock. I received a text message when I was out in the field, but I am illiterate, so I was unable to read what was written. I asked my son to read the note after driving the animals into the cowshed. He told me I had gotten my first transfer, which was great news. I broke into tears because I was so happy. I bowed down and muttered a little prayer of gratitude to God for the miracle.

The fact that my kids weren't in school and I couldn't pay the massive debt bothered me a lot. And to make matters worse, I had used my whole paycheck to care for my unwell wife. I'm happy that the transfer allowed my children to return to school and partially helped me pay off my enormous debt. This has made a significant difference in my life since I think my children will lead better lives if they receive a decent education.

I sustain myself by taking care of other people's livestock. My monthly salary of KES 4,000 is insufficient to support my family's necessities. My five primary school-aged children owe the school a combined sum of KES 3500. They were sent home as a result three weeks ago, and I was left with no money after using my wages to buy food and cover my wife's medical expenditures. I was in financial trouble, so receiving my transfer was a big relief. I spent KES 700 to settle my children's school debt in part. This made it possible for them to return to school and continue their education alongside their classmates. As a long-term investment, I also purchased a hen for KES 250, and I used the remaining KES 300 to purchase two packets of maize flour.