After enduring years of persistent drought, I am happy that our village finally received much-needed rainfall. This blessing resulted in a bumper harvest that we continue to enjoy to this day. With an abundance of food, my focus for the upcoming year is to further invest in the goat business. Currently, I have 10 goats, and I aspire to expand this number using the forthcoming transfers. The goat business serves as a vital source of income, providing the flexibility to quickly sell the goats in case an urgent need arises. I express deep gratitude to GiveDirectly for their unwavering support throughout this journey with my family.

My husband and I have assumed the responsibility of caring for our six grandchildren, who were entrusted to our care when their parents ventured to Mombasa in search of work. To make ends meet, I engage in the laborious task of digging out tree stumps, though the income generated proves scarcely sufficient to cover our expenses. Thanks to the financial transfers we receive, I've been able to fulfill crucial needs like paying for our grandchildren's school fees and acquiring two goats, which I now keep. Several months ago, when I fell ill, I allocated $9 for necessary medication. Subsequently, I invested $48 in purchasing two goats, with the intention of raising and selling them in the future to fund my grandchildren's education. The remaining funds were dedicated to purchasing food for our family during the Christmas festivities. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity and I am looking forward to a better year ahead.

Looking ahead to the upcoming year and beyond, my goal is to make effective use of my monthly transfers by investing them in the acquisition of additional livestock, particularly goats. This objective is now within reach, thanks to the abundance of food we have harvested from our farms. With our food needs met, I can allocate the funds towards expanding our livestock holdings. I cannot overstate my gratitude for the invaluable financial support provided by Give Directly. It has truly transformed my life for the better. The assistance has not only alleviated immediate financial burdens but has also opened doors for long-term improvement and sustainability. By investing in more goats, I aim to capitalize on the opportunities available and enhance our livelihoods. Goats have proven to be valuable assets, as they can multiply quickly and serve as a source of income and sustenance. This investment aligns perfectly with our current circumstances, allowing us to make the most of the resources at our disposal. The support from Give Directly has provided a lifeline during challenging times, empowering me to take steps towards a more secure and prosperous future. I am filled with gratitude for the positive impact it has had on my life and the opportunities it continues to offer.

I recently settled a school fee balance of $14 for three of my grandchildren who attend Ikanga Primary School. It was important for me to ensure that they could begin the new term without being at risk of being sent home due to outstanding fees. I am relieved and grateful that they can now continue their education without any disruptions. With the remaining $20, I made a strategic investment by purchasing a goat. I foresee that this goat will bring significant value in the months to come, as it multiplies. This will not only increase my initial investment but also provide a potential source of income. If the need arises, I can sell some of the offspring to meet our financial requirements. This investment holds great promise in bringing about financial stability for my family, especially considering that both my husband and I rely on casual labor and selling charcoal as our primary sources of income. Unfortunately, the income generated from charcoal sales is often insufficient to meet all our family's needs. I am profoundly grateful for the transfers that have supported us during challenging times, particularly when earning income was severely impacted by the drought we faced in the past. The assistance provided by the transfers has been instrumental in helping my family navigate through difficult circumstances. It has alleviated financial burdens and provided opportunities for us to improve our overall well-being.

If it were not for the financial constraints, I would channel every penny from the cash transfers toward securing more livestock. Sadly, the constant hunger and lack of school fees for my six grandchildren derail me from accomplishing this goal. My family’s well-being is the priority. However, in the long run, I wish to be able to fulfill my dream of owning goats and chickens. Having these animals will guarantee me a steady flow of cash even after the transfers cease in the coming years. 

The moment I saw the transfer notification on my phone,  I was filled with gratitude and relief because my family had struggled with hunger over the past week. We used to survive on one meal per day as there was no money to acquire enough food. The family’s breadwinner, who is my son, was yet to receive his monthly wage. Besides, his monthly income from working as a teacher under the Parents’ and Teachers’ Association payroll cannot serve the household’s needs throughout the month. So, I spent $22 from the cash transfer to buy food, which am happy lasted my family to date. Now, we have meals at least twice a day!  I spent the remaining $12 to clear tuition fee balances for two of my grandchildren, who had been pulled out of class that morning to pick up the fees. It was a huge relief to their parents, as they could not have raised funds to settle the debt, given the informal nature of their jobs. My grandbabies immediately returned to school and were able to take their end-of-term examinations. 

The previous transfer I received from GiveDirectly helped me provide daily food for my current family of five, as well as pay school fees for my three grandchildren. My daughter came back home with her three children after breaking up with her husband. Despite the fact that she has been doing casual labor in Mombasa town, her daily wages are insufficient to meet all of her financial obligations. I hope to set aside $14 per month from the monthly transfers I receive and buy more goats to add to the two I currently have on my farm in the coming year. When I need to start a new project in the  future, selling their offspring will come in handy.

The instant I had received the transfers from the organization, my first priority was to save up KES 1,040 so as I could manage to pay tuition fee for two of my children when schools resumed in January. Afterwards I ended up spending the balance of KES 2,360 on nutrition especially since it was the festive season. Therefore with that money I ended up spending it on purchasing a dozen packets of maize flour.

As my main source of income, charcoal burning barely generates enough money to put food on the table for my family of six people. Every Friday, which is an open-air market day in the village, I sell a sack of charcoal at the trade center for only KES 450. This amount hardly lasts the household the entire week. Due to the lack of a stable income flow, hunger is the main problem in the family. This is why food was my priority when I received the transfer. I spent KES 2750 on maize flour. Also, I helped my two grandchildren in primary school reduce the overdue tuition fee balance by KES 250. They had been dragged out of class to collect these pending amounts. I am glad that they immediately resumed school and have never been sent home again since then.

GiveDirectly is slowly transforming our lives as I have witnessed in my village. Everyone is appreciating and is grateful for the unconditional transfers. Having the freedom of spending has given us an opportunity to improve our livelihoods. Our region has experienced persistent drought for a year now and it has become impossible to do farming. We are now able to buy adequate food for families despite the tough economic situation we are in. In my opinion, there is nothing that GiveDirectly does not do well in its operations.

I spent part of my most recent transfers on buying livestock which include a goat and a chicken. My passion is in livestock keeping which are living assets and are readily available in case of a financial need. My expectation is that they will multiply and sell the offspring to settle my financial needs. Owning livestock is one of the best investments that one can have in our poverty-stricken region. I spent the remaining amount of the transfers on buying foodstuffs such as maize flour which could take us some weeks. This ensured that my family could now take three meals a day unlike the other months when we could skip meals to save on expenditure.

At the moment I confirmed my transfer, I had a mixed reaction feelings. Although I was dully enrolled in the program, I had doubts that the program may not be real. Having read the Mpesa message, I was convinced and my doubts vanished. I therefore felt relieved from the financial stress I had been going through in the course of the week. I really knew that for the following 1 week, it would not be too hard for my family. We indeed had sufficient food for a whole week. I am glad that since then, my family has not missed food.

Since the beginning of this year, missing food had become a rampant experience in my family. As a matter of facts, I was not sure for how long this situation would last following the continuous rise in food prices. Nonetheless, from the time transfers were sent, it has been easy for me to obtain food for my family. This marks the biggest difference in my life. Certainly, my family life has changed for better and I am so grateful to GiveDirectly.

In my family, we are 7 in number. It has been a real struggle to acquire food for my large family, especially during this time when all my crops failed in the last season due to lack of rainfall. This situation has forced me to divert to charcoal making. In addition, my husband also does not have a job thus we rely purely on making and selling charcoal which generates for us barely KES 500 on a weekly basis. Although I get some little income from this activity, it has been so irregular due to flooded market for charcoal. When I received my transfer, I considered spending it on buying food. I had no money then hence I was not sure how I could have obtained food for the family. I am glad that in the recent past, my family has hardly missed a meal for the whole day.