In the coming year and beyond, I want to invest in goats. This dream fills me with hope and determination. I already have three sheep, and I believe adding goats will be a great step towards building a small but meaningful source of income. I envision growing a herd that not only brings financial security but also teaches my grandchildren the value of hard work and dedication. To make this dream a reality, I will save $10 monthly.

I am a widow, and my life largely depends on my son, who works as a casual laborer whenever he finds a job. The drought we are experiencing has made hunger a constant threat in our lives, and it has been challenging to make ends meet. With the last three transfers I received, I had to prioritize the most pressing needs of my family. I used a bigger portion of the money, amounting to $72, to buy food. This helped us manage our daily sustenance, ensuring we at least had enough to eat. The relentless drought has pushed food prices up, and securing basic meals for myself and my family has become a top concern. In addition to addressing our immediate hunger, I also used $30 to assist my grandchildren by paying part of their school fees. Their parents were facing financial difficulties and they could not cover the costs themselves. Education is invaluable to me, and I could not bear to see my grandchildren miss out on their learning opportunities just because of the hardships we are facing. Balancing between survival and giving my grandchildren a chance at education is never easy, but it’s something I will always strive to do, no matter how little I have.

In the coming year and beyond, my heart is set on a simple yet profound dream of laying my weary body on a bed that nestles me in comfort every night. You see, each morning I rise from my traditional bed, more exhausted than when I lay down, longing for a restful slumber that will make me comfortable. But now, with determination burning within me, I've committed to setting aside $10 from every two months' transfers, mindful of the needs of my beloved family. This may seem like a small sum, but to me, it represents hope and a step closer to the embrace of a modern standard bed that promises rejuvenation and restful sleep.

As a widow relying on my sons, who engage in subsistence farming, to sustain our family, I prioritize ensuring our basic needs are met. From the most recent transfers totaling $102, I allocated $67 towards stocking our house with food supplies. This decision was driven by the understanding that farming is physically demanding, and having sufficient food ensures our sustenance without the worry of hunger looming over us. Recognizing the importance of education for my grandchildren, I allocated $20 towards settling their school fee arrears. Education opens doors to opportunities, and I want to support my grandchildren in their pursuit of knowledge. Additionally, I set aside $15 to purchase new clothes for myself so that I could look good unlike before. This allowed me to feel better about myself and face life's challenges with renewed strength and dignity.

My primary goal is to engage in livestock farming, particularly raising goats. Considering my advanced age, I believe that keeping livestock is a reliable way for me to generate income in the future and contribute to the needs of the family. The focus is on contributing to the school fees of my seven grandchildren and easing the financial burden on their father, my son, who currently struggles to make ends meet through poultry rearing. I've already taken a step towards this goal by obtaining a sheep through previous cash transfers, and now I aim to expand the herd by adding goats. I am hopeful that the continued support of cash transfers will assist me in realizing this endeavor and ultimately contribute to the well-being and education of my grandchildren.

Due to my advanced age, I am unable to actively contribute to supporting my family, and the responsibility falls upon my son. He used to work as a chef but had to stop due to health complications. Currently, he relies on poultry rearing to provide for his seven children, his wife, and me. Unfortunately, the money he earns barely covers our daily food needs. Whenever I have an opportunity to contribute, I usually aim to support him, especially in providing daily meals for our growing family. That's why I set aside $24 every month to buy food and cover other household expenses like toiletries. I save the remaining $10 for emergencies or when I need to go to the hospital for my monthly appointments. I am grateful because these funds have not only reduced my reliance on my son but have also allowed me to contribute to the needs of our family, thus lessening the burden on him.

My focus for the next few years is to keep livestock, especially goats. Given my advanced age, keeping livestock is the most reliable way for me to generate income in the future and contribute to the family's needs. Specifically, raising livestock will enable me to contribute to the school fees of my seven grandchildren and alleviate the burden on their father (my son), who struggles to make ends meet through his casual jobs. I hope that the cash transfers will support me in realizing this dream.

Due to my advanced age, I am unable to actively contribute to supporting my family, and that responsibility falls upon my son, who depends on casual jobs. Unfortunately, the money he earns barely covers the daily food needs of his seven children, his wife, and myself. There were times, before our recent harvest, when we missed meals due to a lack of funds to buy food. That's why I used $48 from the cash transfer to purchase maize flour. This ensured that my son had more time to earn additional money from his jobs. Fortunately, our family has not faced food shortages so far. I also used $20 to buy new pieces of clothing for myself as the old ones had become worn from repeated use. This became possible after the harvest, as the cash transfers were not solely dedicated to food. Additionally, thanks to the harvest, I was able to acquire a sheep worth $34, marking the start of my livestock-rearing journey, which I hope to continue.

My ultimate achievement would be to ensure the well-being of my family by providing them with a consistent food supply and supporting the education of my three grandchildren. Presently, our main source of income relies on the sporadic employment opportunities in the construction industry where my son works, which only provides us with enough sustenance for a short period. However, I remain determined to overcome this challenge and work towards a more stable and prosperous future for my family.

Due to my advanced age, I am unable to actively contribute to supporting my family. Instead, that responsibility falls upon my son, who relies on occasional jobs at a distribution company. Unfortunately, the money he earns barely covers the daily food needs of his seven children, his wife, and myself. There are times when we go without meals due to a lack of funds to purchase food. That's why, whenever I receive cash transfers, my priority is to obtain food for our family. Recently, I used $24 of the cash transfer to purchase maize flour. This ensured that my son had enough time to earn more money from his jobs. Thankfully, our family has never experienced food shortages so far. Additionally, as I have grown older, I have encountered several health issues that require constant medication for proper management. These ailments include high blood pressure, which necessitates regular treatment. So, I spent $10 to acquire medicine that has served me to date. Although the condition is not completely contained, am glad that the medicine strengthens me to be able to walk. 

I had always wanted to use my money to purchase animals like goats, sheep, and cows. But given the severe effects of the prolonged drought that has engulfed our region, this will be challenging. As chicken feed and medication are readily available and reasonably priced, I'm considering starting a poultry project. In this manner, I will be able to amass wealth and generate income after selling the hens once their population rises.

My January transfers were used to buy food. I completely rely on my sons for financial support because I am very frail, old, and unable to work. The severe effects of the drought, which has lasted for more than five years, have rendered unproductive the only asset (land), I have relied on for more than 40 years. The lack of grass for the livestock to eat makes starting a livestock farm a bad idea as well. We are left with no choice but to pay exorbitant prices for food at the stores. We only receive a small amount of food to sustain us when we purchase it at high prices. My two sons work as casual laborers and keep livestock, but they make very little money from these jobs. The amount is sufficient to purchase one meal a day for the nine members of the family. Receiving the money from Give Directly is a huge financial boost that will help me keep my family from ever going hungry.

Upon getting the seventh transfer, I was undergoing a hard time as far as hunger was concerned. Our area was affected by drought and we hardly find anything to eat. When I received the money I saw some light at the end of the tunnel. Since I am a widow and I depend on myself for survival I opted to use the whole amount of $30 for my upkeep; buying some food and water.

I am extremely grateful for the generosity I have received through the funds because I now can take care of myself and cater for my needs unlike before where I depended on my children to cater for me due to my old age and inability to do so myself. Since I began receiving the funds I have become independent and feel less of a burden to my children.

I tend to have most difficulty in my home with matters concerning nutrition due to the severe on going drought and I can barely work due to my old age. Therefore when I received the funds my first thought was to ensure I cater to have a meal in my house since there was none that day. I took KES 1,800 and bought a bag of maize flour which contained a dozen packets which I hoped would take me a while until I worried about food again. I also used KES 400 and bought drinking water since water was also a challenge and scarce. On the other hand I was left with about KES 800 which I used by buying two hens since I planned yo venture into poultry farming.

It was around 9 pm when I was in my house relaxing after taking our dinner. I was chatting with my grandchildren before I could go to sleep. I heard our neighbors celebrating, I was curious to know what was all about. After inquiring, I was told that it was the transfer from GiveDirectly. I immediately confirmed my account balance and I was very impressed when I saw the transfer on my account.

The biggest difference is that I now living a better life after accomplishing my long-term goal of restarting poultry farming with help of the transfer. I am very grateful for this aid and optimistic that my life will be transformed for the better.

I spent my recent transfer to restart my poultry farming by purchasing two chicken for KES 800. This is a profitable venture that I had been doing sometimes back but they all died due to an outbreak of a chronic illness. Since then, I have not been able to go on with it because I lacked finances. The remaining amount assisted me in purchasing food for myself. I did not have enough food in the store. I am planning to use KES 1000 for the next transfer to support the education of my grandchildren who are in primary school. Also, I will use the remaining to purchase enough food for the family.