Livestock holds a special place in my heart, as they offer opportunities for earning income. With my upcoming transfers, I intend to invest in goats, recognizing their potential for multiplying and generating revenue. My plan is to expand my livestock holdings and eventually exchange some goats for an additional bull. Having two bulls will significantly enhance my income-generating capacity, as I can offer plowing services to others in the community. This diversification of income sources marks a significant shift from my previous reliance solely on my son for financial support. I am immensely grateful for the financial assistance provided by the transfers, as they have empowered me to pursue economic opportunities and achieve greater financial independence. This newfound ability to earn money brings me great joy and satisfaction, reflecting the positive impact of the transfers on my life.

In past years, I faced challenges in preparing my land for farming during the rainy season. Unable to afford the high costs of hiring a tractor, which amounted to $30 per acre, I often struggled to adequately cultivate my land. This resulted in poor harvests and financial strain. Motivated to address this issue, I diligently saved from my previous transfers and recently invested in a bull, which cost $200. I am delighted with this purchase, as the bull will not only assist me in plowing my farm but also provide an opportunity to earn income by offering plowing services to others. This investment marks a significant step towards achieving self-sufficiency and reducing my reliance on my sons for financial support. I am deeply grateful for the assistance provided by the transfers, as they have enabled me to overcome this longstanding challenge and work towards a more sustainable future.

My aspiration is to establish a livestock business, primarily focusing on cows and goats. I am confident that this venture has the potential to generate substantial profits, significantly improving the quality of my life. Given my current physical limitations that prevent me from working as vigorously as before, I plan to hire someone to manage the care of the animals on my behalf. I envision utilizing my future transfers to realize this goal. Reflecting on the progress I've made, I am pleased with how far I've come, considering that achieving such a dream at my age seemed improbable.

Due to my advanced age, I am no longer able to engage in strenuous work as I once did, relying instead on the support of my grown children. I engage in subsistence farming on a smaller scale to provide food for my family. Life was challenging in the past, marked by the inability to afford basic necessities. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for their monthly transfers, providing us with a consistent source of income for purchasing both food and livestock. I have allocated the entire $102 received from these transfers to acquire livestock— an investment comprising four chickens, a goat, and a cow. These animals, manageable in terms of care, are intended to be raised to maturity, and I plan to sell them if the need arises. This, to me, represents a worthwhile investment, and I appreciate GiveDirectly for providing us the opportunity to positively transform our lives.

My primary objective in livestock investment is to grow my herd significantly, enabling me to sell a portion and acquire bulls. These bulls will play a crucial role in facilitating the cultivation of my expansive farm, making the process more efficient. Additionally, I intend to generate income by offering land cultivation services to others. By cultivating the vast expanse of land at my disposal, I will ensure an abundance of food, which will free up my monthly transfers for alternative purposes. One such purpose is planning for the future education of my grandchildren.

As an elderly widow, I rely heavily on my son, who works as a butcher in Mombasa town. The only inheritance I received from my late husband was a large farm spanning over 10 acres. Unfortunately, the farm didn't provide much assistance until recently when abundant rainfall prompted us to cultivate crops. The previous drought conditions made the farm less productive. Given the challenging weather we faced in the past, I decided to invest my monthly transfers in purchasing livestock. I take pride in currently owning eight goats, all thanks to the monthly transfers. In the latest transfer, I decided to diversify my livestock by purchasing seven hens for $28. Regrettably, a few days after acquiring them, a mysterious illness spread through the village, leading to the unfortunate demise of all the hens. This incident left me heartbroken and disappointed with the turn of events. Out of the remaining $6, I used it to purchase food for my six grandchildren, with whom I share meals. I am immensely grateful for the monthly transfers that have granted me the opportunity to own livestock, something I didn't have before.

Since I lack a source of income and considering my old age, livestock keeping is the surest investment I can make to support my family’s needs. Am happy that some of the goats I bought through previous cash transfers gave birth already. This motivates me to secure more goats and grow my herd to at least ten by the end of the year. I pray they help me generate funds to take my grandchildren back to school as am their only hope. 

Things became tough for my family when my son, who was our breadwinner, developed a mental illness that impaired his ability to work. It did not take long before all his children dropped out of school because of a lack of money for their tuition. Considering my advanced age, there is nothing much I can do to keep even one of them in class. Just so we can survive, the two older ones and I make charcoal to raise funds for food. I feel sad because they are too young to bear such a burden! Fortunately, Give Directly’s cash transfers have lifted some of these hardships ever since I started receiving them. In December, the money brought light into the Christmas celebration by allowing us to buy celebratory foodstuffs like wheat flour and rice. I spent $30 from January’s cash to secure a goat for rearing. I believe that when these animals multiply in the future, I could sell them to raise money for the household’s needs. I used the remaining money to buy water for household consumption and for my seven goats. 

I rely heavily on my son, who raises livestock for a living. His job has been negatively impacted by the drought. The effects of the drought caused 40 of the animals he did care for to perish. Because there aren't many livestock left to take care of, he only makes $1.5 per day. I bought a lot of food (three packets of 2 kg maize flour, 1 kg of beans, 1 kg of sugar, vegetables, and fruits) when I got the transfer so I wouldn't have to rely so heavily on my son, who was finding it difficult to feed me. I used up the last bit of maize flour by cooking a tiny piece of ugali two days before getting my transfer. I made do with drinking water and a few wild fruits until I got my second transfer, at which point I was able to buy food because I had no money left.In addition to purchasing food, I spent $20 on a goat. Once the goats have multiplied, I intend to sell them and purchase a dairy cow. I'll get some money by selling milk that the cow produces.

I am jubilant that the unconditional transfers from Give Directly are helping the needy in the society transform their lives from the jaws of poverty. I would urge the organization to conduct intensive enrollment in other villages so that the vulnerable can get financial help.

After my husband passed away, 15 years ago, my life took a turn for the worst. He was the sole breed winner and forced me to do manual jobs to earn a living and support my family. I worked on people’s farms for pay, sold firewood, and made charcoal for sale. Currently, I am of age and can no longer work, hence depend on my son fully to take care of me. My son does not have a well-paying job and works as a casual laborer, building houses for people. He earns very little enough to buy one meal each day. On bad days when he does not get a job, I sleep hungry and survive on water. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I bought a goat worth KES 2000 and 3 chickens as an investment for the future. Once this livestock multiplies, I will sell some money and take care of myself. Having a source of income generated from the livestock will help me pay some bills that my son cannot pay.

I was in my house resting on my bed when I received the message alert on my phone. It was around 10 pm when I was with my grandchildren chatting. I handed over my phone to one of the grandchild who checked and informed me that it was the transfer from GiveDirectly. I was overwhelmed with joy for receiving my transfer since I had eagerly awaited for the transfer from the day I was enrolled to better my life condition.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am positive that my life will improve through the transfer. Seeing myself improving my living standards by purchasing more goat and chicken. Once they multiply I will be able to cater for any financial need that my arise in the future.

I had desired to boost my poultry farming by purchasing additional chicken. After receiving the transfer, I spent KES 900 to acquire two chicken. This is my reliable source of income which I will depend on whenever I face any financial crisis in the future. Furthermore, I spent the remainder to purchase sufficient food for myself. I am planning to spend the next transfer to start livestock rearing by boosting the goats rearing an activity that I have depended on for my upkeep.