My goal this year is to expand my herd of goats from three to ten. I believe investing in goats is a smart strategy because they breed easily, which will help me eventually acquire a cow. The cow will be instrumental in preparing my land before the heavy rains begin. With its help, I can cultivate a larger portion of land, leading to a bigger harvest. This increased produce will boost my business and provide additional income. Additionally, I can rent out the cow to my neighbors, creating another revenue stream that will further improve our living standards.

As a mother of seven, I am committed to improving our lives and providing for my family. I started a business selling flour, fish, and vegetables, a welcome change from my previous, labor-intensive charcoal business, which often yielded little return.With the recent transfers, I invested $20 to restock my business, which has successfully attracted more customers and better supported my family’s needs. I also spent $10 on detergent and soap, ensuring our home is clean and we present ourselves well.To keep my children in school, I spent $38 to pay their remedial fees, bringing them great joy. Additionally, I purchased a goat for $15, adding to my current herd of three. Investing in goats is a promising strategy, as they can breed and be traded for cows or sold to meet our needs. With the remaining transfers, I spent $15 on food, ensuring my family has enough to eat and avoiding hunger.

In the upcoming years, I've decided to invest in the vegetable business. Depending solely on farming for a living hasn't been easy, especially with low produce in recent seasons. To kickstart this venture, I've joined a merry-go-round where we each contribute $10 monthly. When it's my turn and I get my share, I'll start the business. I'm confident it'll thrive quickly because there are few similar businesses in our area relative to the population they cater to. Moreover, this business will greatly assist me in meeting my family's essential needs such as school fees, food, and clothing.

I rely on small-scale farming and charcoal burning to provide for my family. However, due to unfavorable weather conditions, our harvest has been meager, and the availability of trees for charcoal burning has diminished. I am immensely grateful to GiveDirectly for their assistance during this challenging time. With their support, I have been able to invest in goat farming as an additional source of income. Upon receiving my latest transfer, I allocated $20 towards purchasing a small goat. Goat farming is a profitable venture as goats are relatively inexpensive to care for and multiply quickly under proper management. Additionally, I used $60 to settle fee arrears for my two school-going children, ensuring their education continues uninterrupted. Finally, I allocated the remaining $20 towards purchasing food for my family's consumption.

My primary focus is on establishing a grocery business, aiming not only to meet local demand but also to secure a sustainable income for my family. Additionally, I plan to expand my livestock holdings, diversifying my income sources. My ultimate goal is not just sustaining basic needs but ensuring ease in paying school fees, fostering a brighter future for my children. Thanks to Givedirectly for moving us towards meaningful achievements.

With a heart full of gratitude, I immediately used $30 to pay the school fees for my two children, ensuring they had access to education. My husband took care of our other three child's fees, and suddenly, the burden of educational expenses was lifted. It was a relief to witness my children's faces light up with joy as they embarked on a new school term without the looming worry of unpaid feeslike before. In the spirit of Christmas, I spent $34.4 on food and holiday shopping, creating an atmosphere of joy and celebration that we had never experienced before. Givedirectly cash transfers made the festive season become a time of abundance for my family. Furthermore, with an investment mindset, I decided to allocate $20 towards purchasing a goat for income generation. The prospect of creating a sustainable source of income brought hope for a brighter future. I am grateful for the positive changes in our lives, and with this unconditional support, we are now able to meet our needs.

Exploring investment opportunities, I'm considering getting a goat. Alongside my current goat and sheep, it could enhance the diversity and appeal of my animal group. By giving them proper care, feeding them well, and providing a comfortable space, I hope to create a content and thriving animal community that also brings potential returns.

Since it started raining this year, life has been bearable. I wake up early go to the farm, get my family food and we cook and eat.In the midst of the harvest, I allocated $10 for a motorcycle to easily transport my maize from the farm to my home. That day I had harvested a lot and it became too heavy for me to carry so I opted for a means that will make my work easier.I, further spent $10 to grind maize, and bought soaps and lotions with $4 for my family that really made them happy. The remaining $10 flourished into an investment in the future, nurturing young minds through primary school fees. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for the unconditional transfers.

My life has changed. I have now become a farmer as a result of the rain and I hope that the maize we have planted will be harvested for consumption and this would mean that we would not need to buy food. I want to use that money that would have been spent on food on buying animals. I believe they are a good investment. They are able to multiply in number and I can sell them to make some money. I want to grow my flocks to significantly large numbers that are beneficial to em as a farmer too.

The drought had hit us so hard and we needed to buy everything to make sure the family was were well fed. I spent a good amount of the transfers on food, I spent $20 in March, I spent $20 in May and $10 in April on the same. I spent another portion of the transfers on school fees, in March I spent $10, I spent $7 in April but I din nor spend on school fees in May. I bought a number of animals with the transfers, I spent $10 on 2 hens at $5 and May I spent $12 on buying a sheep. I was also able to get some sanitation products which my children have been using to ensure they are always clean.

Food is pricey and in short supply as a result of the ongoing drought. Although we burn charcoal for sale, the money we make from it does not support the two of us, let alone our fourteen children. As a result, we frequently struggle to prepare a full day's worth of meals for our family. Most of the time, we just eat one meal a day. Since we joined the program, we have been able to afford a nutritious diet, so we are thankful for that. I spent $62 of the last three months' transfers on food for my family. With the remaining $40, I bought a goat, a sheep, and two chicks to raise. They are an excellent fit for our family's investment because they breed annually. In the future, I want to sell them to make money for household expenses, particularly the tuition for my kids' schools..

In my own opinion am very grateful with the finances that I've been receiving from the organization especially because it has improved sustainability when it comes to my family and myself. I no longer have fear that my kids could go for days without attending school and I am neither worried about nutrition as I was in the past.

Upon receiving the transfers this time around, I decided that I wanted to invest in buying a couple of farm animals in the hope that it will assist me financially down the line. Therefore, I went ahead and acquired a sheep for KES 1,500. I was left with a balance of KES 1,500 so I decided to use KES 500 in paying tuition for two of my children because they had been out of school for two days. Later on I ended up using the balance by buying five packets of maize flour since there was barely any food left in the house.

Our four children who are in primary school had stayed back at home for two days due to the school fee arrears they owed the school but still, there was no hope of them going back to school. We have always wanted them to attain better grades in school for a better future so that they do not expose their children to the kind of poverty we are raising them in. Having them at home while others were in school was devastating. You can imagine how excited I was when my daughter informed me that I had some money deposited in my account. I know nothing when it comes to operating phones because this is my first time owning one. I, therefore, came to know that I had received the first transfer at 3 pm when she checked my phone. That was one of the happiest moments of my life.

The biggest difference in my daily life is having my children back in school. It is the pride of every parent to see their children excel in life and so am I. Having not attained a formal education, I understand the kind of life one exposes their children to by denying them education. We have seven children and our income can not sustain them but still, we try to give them all we can afford. My spouse who is the main income earner rears livestock, and he does not make much from it especially due to the prolonged drought experienced in our region. I sell charcoal to support him with the household expenses but it does help much especially, being the main economic activity in our region hence low market demand. Thank God, that GiveDirectly came to our rescue. The money came in handy and the subsequent transfers will be a boost to our household income.

Both my spouse and I did not attain formal education which translates to poverty because there are no available jobs for the unlearned. I settled for the charcoal business while my spouse rears livestock. Hailing from a drought-prone region with charcoal burning as the main economic activity, there is nothing much we make out of our income sources. We are blessed with seven children, four are still in primary school, two are in secondary school and one is in college. We would not wish to expose them to the kind of life we have in the future hence the strife to ensure they are educated. I must admit that we have not provided the best for them due to our poverty level, but we give our all. At the time when I received the first transfer, the four who are in primary school owed the school a balance of KES 2600 which I reduced by KES 600 using the first transfer. The remaining KES 600 I spent on three packets of corn flour for my family. I am glad I was able to support my spouse in meeting some of the household needs since he is the main income earner. The burden was too much on him and supporting him makes me proud.