In the coming year, my main plan is to cultivate my land and plant maize along with indigenous vegetables. These crops have a ready market, and the vegetables grow quickly, which means I can start selling them sooner. I have been thinking about this for a while, and I believe it’s a good way to boost my income. The support from my next transfer will help me achieve this goal by covering the costs of seeds and farm preparation. Once I start earning profits from the harvest, I plan to use the money to buy a goat and a cow. This will allow me to expand my farming and provide additional income for my family. I am excited about these and I feel confident that with hard work and the support I have received, I will be able to reach these goals.

The freedom to use my transfer according to my family’s needs has truly empowered our lives. With the support from GiveDirectly, I have been able to achieve goals that once felt like distant dreams. I have improved our home, and bought essential supplies without worrying about where the money would come from. This flexibility has given me a sense of control and confidence in planning for the future, something I didn’t have before. So far, I haven’t encountered anything that was done poorly. Everything has been smooth, from receiving the funds to using them in a way that works best for us. I am deeply grateful for the support, as it has made such a positive impact on our lives.

I rely on selling charcoal to make a living, while my husband works at a hotel. We have five children, and when I received my transfer, I decided to use it to renovate our house. I spent $435 to change the old roof to a colored iron sheet. I wanted to modernize the house and make it more spacious, as the previous roof was worn out and outdated. I had been putting off this renovation for a long time because other responsibilities, like paying school fees, always came first. With the remaining money, I bought food for my family. I am so happy because my dream of owning a beautiful, modern house has finally come true. This transfer has allowed me to improve our home in ways I never thought possible, and for that, I am truly grateful.

It was late evening, and I was busy doing laundry when my phone suddenly beeped, signalling an incoming message. With excitement, I grabbed the phone from the stool nearby. I had been promised by the GiveDirectly enrolling officer that I should expect my transfer that week, and I eagerly anticipated it. I immediately checked the message, and indeed, it was the transfer. Just moments later, my neighbour came to ask if I had checked my phone for the transfer since she had received hers too. We both broke into wide grins as we celebrated the arrival of the transfer.

I am more optimistic than ever before since receiving the transfer. I anticipate that the goats I have bought will multiply and transform my future. The goats will become a reliable source of income, enabling me to provide better for my family. I look forward to a time when my children will never skip a meal, as I will be able to sell goats to buy food or address any pressing needs. This is a stark contrast to my current struggle with charcoal burning, a labor-intensive task that yields very little profit, with each sack selling for just $0.4, which is far too little to sustain my family. *

I used the recent transfer to buy two goats for $10.4, which will be a good source of income in the future as they multiply. I have long wanted to rear goats in my livestock-keeping projects since raising the 10 sheep I had has been a real challenge. Sheep are easily affected to harsh climatic conditions. During droughts, I have to relocate them to my relatives, who live deep in the bush, so they can find food. I am also forced to buy medicines frequently, as they get sick easily with weather changes. Goats, on the other hand, multiply faster, are more resistant to harsh climatic conditions, and can fend for themselves. You just release them in the morning to graze in the bushes, and they return in the evening on their own. Additionally, I bought a sack of maize, beans, and rice for $60, ensuring that we had enough food. Since buying the food, my children have never skipped a meal as they did before, as I previously depended on charcoal burning to fend for them. Charcoal burning does not earn enough income; I would only sell one or two sacks per week at $0.4 each, which is too little for my family of seven. To survive, I used to cook porridge for them in the morning, then go till the evening when we could eat a better meal. Thanks to the transfer, I have seen improvements in their health. I also used $30 to buy good clothes for them to wear during occasions such as church, as their previous ones were very old. I used the remaining amount to buy utensils.