This year, my goal is to expand my goat farming venture by purchasing more goats to supplement my current stock. Goat keeping is a lucrative business, particularly in our region, offering promising profits. I intend to finance this project using both my transfers and savings. The prospect of having an additional source of income fills me with great joy, and I am eager to witness the opportunities it brings in the future.

I focus on farming while my husband manages a small kiosk in our village, selling essential items like sugar, milk, and soap to sustain us. Life has not been easy for us, particularly when it comes to acquiring food during prolonged droughts. Thankfully, the support we receive through these transfers has eased our burden, allowing us to afford basic necessities. With this assistance, I have been able to invest in livestock and poultry and we currently have nine goats and six chickens. When our house developed severe leaks, I allocated $20 to replace the rotten building poles. Additionally, I spent $14 on purchasing chickens to add to our existing brood. Furthermore, $34 went towards acquiring a goat, which I intend to sell for profit later. The remaining $34 was used for treating my stomach ulcers, and I'm pleased to say that after receiving treatment and medication, I have recovered well. Being able to afford basic necessities that were once challenging to obtain brings me immense happiness, and I'm deeply grateful for all the assistance we have received.

In the coming year, I aim to build a new house. The walls of the existing structure are nearly collapsing due to damage from short rains, which allow water in. I plan to use the upcoming cash transfers to purchase essential building materials like iron sheets and building poles before hiring someone to undertake the construction. This effort is aimed at securing a more stable and comfortable home for my family and I hope the cash transfers will make this possible.

I usually direct my cash transfers toward the purchase of livestock, particularly goats and chickens. I do this to create enough wealth through livestock keeping so that even after the cash transfers end in the next few years, I can sell the animals to generate some funds to support the needs of my family. Right now, my household depends on my son, who takes on various casual jobs in town to make ends meet. Sometimes what he earns barely puts daily food on the table for the family back in the village. I wish to someday actively contribute to such needs. Therefore, I spent $93 from the recent three transfers to buy four goats and $6 to buy chickens. I am happy that my herd has grown to nine goats now. The remaining $3 went towards covering the school fees for one of my grandchildren. The need arose because there was a debt, and his parents had already used their funds to pay for his two siblings.

My primary objective, not just for this year but also beyond, is to focus on expanding my livestock holdings. This approach serves as an excellent means to accumulate wealth and establish a contingency plan. By owning more livestock, I can ensure that I have the option to sell some in case of an emergency and utilize the proceeds to address any issues that arise. In addition to investing in livestock, I am determined to save a sufficient amount of money to renovate my deteriorating house. The current state of my roof, with its rusty iron sheets, has led to severe leaks, causing considerable damage to my property during this rainy season. Moreover, the cold, chilly weather at night has further exacerbated the situation. Therefore, it is imperative that I allocate resources towards repairing my house and resolving these pressing concerns.

With my recent June transfers, I acquired a goat for $25 and also purchased a hen for $2.5. These acquisitions form part of a larger investment in livestock, which I see as a valuable asset for the future. Three years ago, I faced significant hardships due to the severe impact of drought. During that time, I lacked any fallback options and struggled to sustain myself. As a peasant farmer, my land lost its productivity, and I didn't possess any livestock to sell for income or to meet my needs. Along with acquiring the goat and the hen, I spent $5.5 on purchasing food for both myself and my husband. Both of us are without jobs, and we heavily rely on our eldest son to support us, particularly in terms of food. The monthly transfers we receive from Give Directly have been a lifeline for us, alleviating the burden on our son who shoulders the responsibility of caring for his parents. These funds are crucial for fulfilling our essential requirements and provide much-needed relief for our son.

I wish to be able to build a new house in place of the current one, which is in bad shape and I fear that it may collapse. Since I lack a source of income, and my husband’s earnings from his motorcycle taxi and small vegetable-selling business are mere, my construction resources are limited. However, through the cash transfers, there is an ideal chance for me to build the house; I particularly want one with two rooms, made of mud walls and iron sheets roof. In the short run, I plan to continue saving money through my self-help group and withdraw it at the end of the year to start the project.  

The cash transfers have allowed me to actively contribute towards the household needs instead of relying on my husband, and two sons to bear the responsibilities. Besides that, I have secured livestock as a future investment that will raise money, especially after the transfers end. From the recent cash, I used $10 to pay school fees for my five grandchildren who had missed two days of school due to tuition debt. They happily resumed classes and have never missed any to date. Also, I bought four chickens using $10, to rear them. As the household had run out of food, I spent the remaining on securing more maize flour. In January, I spent $25 on a goat and the rest on food. I saved the entire December transfer through a self-help group. The aim is to increase my savings until I have enough to build a new house as the current one is in a poor condition. 

I commend the GiveDirectly for the kind gesture in helping the members of the community especially in the villages affected by the drought. The farm is our primary source of income and with the emergence of the drought we are helpless.I urge the organisation to continue with the good work of helping more people from such areas.

I saved half of my transfer of $15 dollars in a saving groups with the intention of saving more money and buying building materials such as iron sheets, building poles, nails, sand and cement. My tiny delapidated structure is on the verge of collapsing because of the weak poles. Acquiring these materials will help me improve the house and guarantee safety of my family members. Besides buying saving some money, I spent the other half amounting to $15 on buying food. The poor condition of my health is an obstacle towards working, earning an income and helping to cater to my families needs.I depend on my son who supports us financially and works as a motorcycle rider in Mombasa town. He does not earn much from his job so sometimes we are forced to sleep on empty stomachs whenever he fails to send us money.

When I saw a message notification blinking on my phone I wondered where it was from since it is not common to receive messages at that time. It was at nine in the evening when we had just finished our dinner and upon reading the message, I jumped with excitement leaving my family members wondering what the issue was. When I shared with them the message they were happy too and thanked GiveDirectly for the support.

I was not at peace with the constant return home from school for failing to pay for my children’s school fees on time. It is more peaceful and exciting because I was able to clear the arrears they owed the school. I believe that moving forward, we shall be able to pay for their tuition fees on time with the subsequent transfer. Having been able to support my spouse to meet some of our household needs makes me proud and feel useful.

I paid KES 500 in school for my two children who are currently in primary school so that I could clear the arrears they owed the school and bought food worth KES 650 for our family. We rely on my spouse but the profits he makes from his grocery shop can not sustain all of our needs. I feel proud I was able to assist him with the household bills. He is not burdened anymore with our demands.