I have a solid plan to invest in livestock to secure a better future for my family. Currently, I own four goats, which I purchased with GiveDirectly transfers, and I plan to buy more because they are highly marketable. I also have seven ducks; though initially they were ten, but three unfortunately died. These were also bought with GD transfers. Before, we struggled significantly and could only buy clothes once a year, but now we can afford to look smart and buy a few essentials. My spouse has purchased three cows with his own money, which adds to our livestock. I have four children, one of whom will be transitioning to secondary school next year. I believe that my goats will help support my children once the transfers come to an end. My strategy is to allow my livestock to multiply so I can sell some if financial challenges arise. As my ducks increase in number, I can also trade some for more goats, further diversifying our livestock. While expanding my holdings is important, my first priority remains fulfilling my family responsibilities. I am committed to saving diligently to continue investing in livestock, as this aligns with my dream of providing a better life for my family and building a stable, prosperous future for us all.

My spouse and I rely on casual jobs, often supplementing our income with farming, which is our primary source of capital. With my most recent transfer, I allocated $8 to buy two pairs of socks and two pairs of boots for my school-going children, as it was a requirement. I also paid $60 in school fees to ensure they wouldn’t be sent home for unpaid balances. Their uniforms were in poor condition, and their father, who had promised to buy new ones, didn’t have the funds at the time. To surprise them, I bought a new uniform for each child so they could look neat like their classmates, spending $10 in total. With the remaining $4, I purchased food for our family.

I have a solid plan to invest in livestock to secure a better future for my family. Currently, I own four goats and three cows, and my strategy is to allow them to multiply so that I can sell them if financial challenges arise. Additionally, I have eight ducks, and as they multiply, I can exchange some for more goats, further diversifying my livestock. While I'm eager to expand my livestock holdings, my first priority remains fulfilling my family responsibilities. I am committed to saving diligently to continue investing in livestock, as this aligns with my dream of providing a better life for my family. This approach ensures that I can steadily build a stable and prosperous future for us all.

As a mother of nine children, with four currently in school, three having completed their studies, and two who are physically challenged, managing finances is crucial for our well-being. I am actively participating in a merry-go-round where I contribute $20 monthly to enhance my savings skills. This collective effort enables me to easily purchase livestock like goats and meet my children's school fees promptly. So far, I have contributed $60 and eagerly await my turn to receive the collective sum. I allocated $14 to buy clothes for my children, bringing them joy and meeting their needs. I spent $14 on stocking up food for the family, ensuring we have ample provisions. Additionally, $14 went towards clearing a debt owed to a shopkeeper from a time when we faced hardship and lacked enough to eat.

My intention is to utilize the funds from my upcoming transfers to acquire livestock. As the herd expands, I foresee the potential to sell some of the animals, thereby generating income to fulfill various family needs, such as providing education for my three children. I am filled with happiness and gratitude for the financial empowerment extended to me by Give Directly.

I allocated $20 to cover the school fees for my three children at Ikanga Primary School, ensuring a smooth start to the term and allowing them to concentrate on their studies without the risk of being sent home. Additionally, as my eldest daughter embarked on her college journey, I invested $14 in essential supplies for her new academic endeavor, which has proven beneficial as she is now settled and thriving in her studies. During the December break, I dedicated $34 to purchasing new clothes and indulging in quality food with my family, fostering moments of togetherness and joy. Unfortunately, while working on the farm amidst the rainy season, I sustained a foot injury from a thorn, resulting in severe swelling and immobility. Seeking medical attention was imperative, costing me another $34 for treatment. Fortunately, I have recovered well since then, and I am grateful for the financial support from the transfers, which has been instrumental in navigating these challenges.

My primary goal is to cover my children's school fees, preventing any disruptions in their education due to financial constraints. I hope to support them in advancing to higher levels of education. Additionally, I plan to invest in poultry farming, intending to sell the poultry to acquire more goats. These goats can later be exchanged for bulls that I can utilize to expand my farming activities from the current four acres to effectively plough my eight-acre farm. In all this, I would wish to purchase clothing for both myself and my children.

I invested last month's transfer and my savings to purchase a goat worth $40. My plan is to raise it and eventually sell its offspring. This plan is aimed at generating income to cover the school fees for my five children, one of whom is in college while the other four are in primary school. My husband, lacks stable employment, and relies on selling of traditional medicine, which doesn't yield a significant income. So, we mostly depend on Givedirectly transfers to sustain our household. At times I sell charcoal and vegetables to contribute to our financial well-being.

For an extensive period, farming has served as our primary means of livelihood. Unfortunately, the prolonged drought conditions disrupted this agricultural activity, compelling us to explore alternative sources of income, such as wood burning to sell charcoal. However, with the current promising climatic conditions, my objective is to make substantial investments in both livestock and crop farming. Specifically, I aim to acquire bulls that can assist me in land preparation and offer their services for digging on other individuals' land. These endeavors are driven by my overarching goal of achieving financial stability and providing support for my family.

I have been grappling with severe chest pains for an extended period, which has rendered me unable to engage in physically demanding manual labor. Consequently, my husband shoulders the sole responsibility of supporting our family of seven. He earns a living by selling traditional medicinal herbs in Mombasa town. However, his daily profit of $2 falls short of meeting all our needs. To address our financial challenges, I allocated a significant portion of $20 from my May transfers to prepare a section of our eight-acre land for planting. Additionally, I purchased two packets of maize seeds for $4. I maintain a positive outlook, as the current heavy rainfall promises a bountiful harvest. Once we have an ample food supply, I can utilize the monthly stipends I am currently receiving to contribute towards my children's school fees, thereby alleviating the burden on my husband, who struggles to make ends meet. Finally, I allocated the remaining $10 to acquire four packets of 2kg maize flour. The exorbitant cost of essential food items is a source of distress for us. However, with the arrival of the long-awaited rains, there is now a glimmer of hope. I am immensely grateful for the transfers that have enabled me to provide food for my family, sparing us from the clutches of hunger.

Currently, I have a goal of starting an investment in livestock specifically goat rearing. I understand it will take quite some time because the amount I get cannot do huge things at ago but with determination and saving discipline, I will make it. As much as I would like to start with a cow, it will not be possible because the amount I receive has to be budgeted for other things such as food and school fees for my children and also the savings to be there. Due to this, buying a cow will be an outcome of the goats' investment which I plan to start with this year's transfers.

My nine children and I solely count on my husband to provide for our basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing. Through the scant earnings, his business of harvesting and selling herbs in Mombasa hardly meets all these needs. In fact, the pressure to provide toughened during the Christmas period when the household required a change of meals to celebrate. The little he made would not finance the food as it was more expensive than what we commonly consume. As his partner, I could not let him stress while I had money sent from Give Directly. I used the entire amount to fund the festive meals. There was no better feeling than the relief and joy I felt from giving my family one of their merriest Christmas, courtesy of the cash transfer. Thank you Give Directly.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by offering unconditional cash transfers to the poorest individuals. This has empowered us enough to send our children to school who had initially dripped out as a result of the arrears. Therefore, I do not see any sector that GiveDirectly failed us.

I spent KES 2500 of my recent cash transfer on purchasing foodstuff for my family which is comprised of ten members. As a mother, I am so thankful to GiveDirectly for this huge support because we used to be a laughingstock in the village. Borrowing food used to be a routine to us which was at times embarrassing. This has now come to an end courtesy of GiveDirectly. Additionally, I bought clothes for my nine children, who had been putting on torn clothes which lowered their self-esteem. Apart from that, they were always attacked by skin diseases as a result. Seeing them jovial makes me strong and hopeful for now.

I was actually on my way to bed when I had the notification alerting me that I finally had received the funds. I went to bed that night with a huge grin plastered on my face especially because I had not expected the donations to come in at that time.

I was mostly grateful for the fact that I could finally send my kids back to school by paying for their tuition. This is because at that time I was really stressed out due to them missing class.

After I received the money I decided to pay tuition for two of my children because it had been two days since they had been sent back home.Therefore I ended up paying KES 500 for their fees. I decided to use the remaining balance of KES 700 to cater for nourishment so I bought two packets of maize flour, two kilograms of sugar and groceries on a day to day basis.