In the coming years, I plan to dedicate my efforts to my one-acre plot located near the river. My primary focus will be on cultivating vegetables like kale, spinach, onions, and tomatoes. I intend to invest my time and energy in ensuring these crops receive adequate irrigation, timely planting, and proper care to optimize the harvest and boost my income. This strategic approach not only secures my family's well-being but also showcases my determination and perseverance in establishing a sustainable livelihood

I am truly appreciative of GiveDirectly for providing a substantial amount of money and empowering us to undertake significant projects. This transfer allowed me to realize a long-standing dream that was hampered by financial constraints. I am delighted to now reside in a spacious home, free from the stress of shifting beds during the rainy season, a challenge I faced due to previous leakages. I express my heartfelt gratitude for this transformation in my living conditions.

It is immensely gratifying to see my long-standing plans finally taking shape, thanks to the opportunities provided by the transfers. With $140, I completed the construction of a house that had been a work in progress since the first transfer. Through this, I acquired doors and windows and paid for construction labor, resulting in a spacious and decent home made of iron sheets. Compared to our previous cramped and leaky dwelling, this new house offers comfort, especially during the rainy season, providing a secure haven for my family of five. Furthermore, I invested $110 in acquiring two goats. As my spouse and I age, our ability to work on the farm might diminish. These goats will serve as a future asset, ensuring a stable income by selling them to meet our daily expenses. Additionally, prioritizing the well-being of our young grandchildren, I allocated $150 for food. Ensuring they don't miss a meal is a fundamental commitment, and this allocation guarantees their daily sustenance, fostering their health and growth. Lastly, I bought a knapsack sprayer, valued at $50, to enhance my vegetable cultivation through irrigation. This tool allows me to administer pesticides effectively, ensuring the health of my crops. Healthy crops translate to higher yields and increased sales, a vital aspect of our financial stability.

In the coming year and beyond, my focus will continue to be on goat farming. My goal is to ensure that the goats receive ample food and water to facilitate their swift reproduction. By ensuring optimal conditions for their growth and breeding, I anticipate a higher rate of offspring production. The growth of the goat population through successful reproduction will eventually result in a surplus of animals available for sale. These sales can act as a reliable source of income, offering us a consistent and sustainable means of meeting our various needs over time.

In my opinion, GD has excelled by offering sizeable cash transfers. This has opened opportunities we couldn't have imagined before. It is truly amazing to observe the tremendous improvements in our neighbourhood. People in this area have taken advantage of the possibility to invest in necessary items like food, better housing, and enterprises and this has uplifted our living standards. Kudos to a job well done.

Our family consists of five members: my spouse, three grandchildren, and myself. I'm the primary provider, as my spouse is elderly and can't do physical work. As I'm also aging, I can't work as much anymore. I sometimes do casual jobs that pay $2.5 a day. So we decided it was wise to invest in sustainable food. We used $166 to purchase two bags of maize and essential food items. This eased the pressure of demanding work, allowing me to take a break. To ensure our future, we began raising goats, focusing on a breed suited for shrubby areas. I invested $110 to acquire two goats at $55 each. I intend to breed them for milk and produce more offspring that we can sell later to cover our expenses. This is especially important as we're growing older and I won't be able to do casual jobs for much longer. I also allocated $99 to purchase iron sheets to complete a house that had been unfinished for three years due to financial constraints. I'm relieved that now I only need to put doors in, which I plan to do with the next transfer. This house will provide us with a better living space compared to the old one, which leaks during the rainy season. I spent $21 on fertilizers for our maize farm to ensure a good harvest. With the remaining money, I bought new utensils to replace our old ones.

When I received the transfer notification from Segovia Technologies, I was on my way home from the farm after a long day of work. I forgot how tired I was and dashed home to tell my spouse, who is now elderly and unable to participate in physically demanding activities. We were starving, and I couldn't remember the last time we ate a full meal. We'd be surviving on wild fruit from wild trees, so eating was the first thing that came to mind, and when I got home, my husband couldn't contain his enthusiasm, fighting to stand up and hugging me.

We had not seen food around our house for a couple of months, neighbors would pass by and give us something to take at times, and other times we would boil some wild fruit seeds and crack them so we could eat the fat that was inside and drink water to feel like our stomachs were full, but now we have 2 sacks of maize, and this sounds like a miracle. I feel so alive right now, a feeling that I had not felt in a long time. I am looking forward to upgrading our home so that we may live in better conditions, as well as purchasing a bed and a mattress. Also, I will purchase goats and chickens and have them reproduce and grow in number, providing a source of money to support this new way of life.

As soon as I informed my husband about the transfers arrival, we hastened to change our clothes and rush to the nearest food store to buy two bags of maize totaling $140, which will last us at least three months. On the other hand, we needed to invest in our farm, which had been idle for a while due to a lack of funds to farm it. We spent $60 on fertilizer, green vegetable seedlings, and agricultural preparation. My husband and I are the only people in the house; he is an elderly guy, so I am the breadwinner, despite the fact that I am also elderly but not as much as he is. We couldn't accomplish things as quickly as we wanted, so when the rain stopped, we gave up, and I'd say we were surviving rather than living. GiveDirectly remembered us and came to our rescue. I feel deserving and appreciative for everything done for us.