At the moment, I am planning to start poultry farming as an additional source of income alongside the dairy farming I have been doing. I have been learning by watching my neighbor's project, which now has over 50 birds and can lay at least sixty eggs every two weeks. This will be a great initiative that will cover all of my family's daily expenses. I have been saving money from other farming activities, and I believe I will be able to start building a chicken coop in the next month and bring in chickens early next year.

Before GiveDirectly arrived in our village, I was struggling in most of the sectors in my control. Most of my struggles ended when I received my first transfer, which gave me the freedom to spend my money on whatever projects I saw fit. GiveDirectly did an excellent job of providing us with free cash transfersthat came in two patches and encouraging us to spend the entire amount wisely in order to change our lives. This was the most effective support because I was able to plan with my family and spend according to our agreement.

I am glad I spent $220 of my second transfer on a heifer to supplement the other two cows on my farm. I am hopeful that the additional breed will increase milk production in the future and that the sale of their offspring will help pay school fees for my three children, who will soon graduate from secondary school. In addition, I spent the remaining $300 on an initiation ceremony for my second-born son, who was going through the rite of passage. The demands on the ceremony were so great that I had to spend all of the remaining funds on a new suit for him and enough food for all of the visitors who attended. I am grateful that the event was a success and that it ended well after all of the bills for the day had been paid.

I was filled with lots of happiness and a sense of comfort when I first received a message from GiveDirectly that confirmed the receipt of the transfer. It was around 5:00 PM and with my neighbor at home; we had to celebrate and thanked God for this support. I called my spouse the following day informing her of the transfer and she promised to come back home to plan with me.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the improved standard of living. Having two heifers and no longer struggling in casual labor like before is a significant change in my life. I can now work on my farms and look after my livestock with the hope of expanding it in the future.

After separation from my spouse and children for many years, I had to still inform her of the receipt of the transfer with the hope of convincing her to bring back the children. Even though we got married when she already had three children, I had promised her to take good care of them, but this changed after a breakup that saw her leave the household with all the children. After receiving the first transfer, I spent KES 23000 on buying two heifers that I am rearing at the moment and used KES 12000 in meeting the cost of the initiation process of one of the sons who was undergoing a right of passage. It was unfortunate that after meeting the cost, his biological father came for him together with other children, which forces their mother to walk away as well. Even though I am now living alone at the moment, I had been supporting my parents with the daily chores and sharing a meal with them. I had spent the remaining amount on clothing for the other children before they left and also foodstuff that I had moved to my parents' place since I could not cook alone in the house. I am grateful for the support and for working hard to start a new family in the future.