Now that I have recently enrolled my son, Hamisi, in a driving college, my focus is to ensure that he graduates in the next few months without having any financial issues at school. Right now, he has a fee balance of $75 that I am planning to settle before he finishes his training. He is very passionate about driving, and I am glad that the cash transfers gave him an opportunity to pursue this course. I believe that he will get a great driving job when he graduates, become financially independent, and even support me as I advance in age.

My son, Hamisi, completed high school in 2021 and had always wanted to join a driving college shortly after. However, I did not have funds to pay for his college fees, which were around $175. My only source of income was rearing chickens, and when they matured, taking them to the market to sell them. This means of livelihood was barely enough to put daily meals on the table because making a sale was not guaranteed. When the cash transfers started, it was during the drought season, and food was the number one concern. As a result, it was hard for me to spare anything to take my son to college. I am happy that the recent rains enabled me to farm maize crops on my farm, and I recently harvested some food. With the food concern eliminated, I saved everything from the previous three cash transfers, amounting to $102, to enroll my son in his dream college. He was happy when this happened as he had waited for so long. I am glad that I got to fulfill his wishes.

I am in the process of embarking on goat rearing, as these animals represent the only assets I can comfortably manage. My primary occupation has traditionally revolved around selling livestock during market days, which has served as my primary means of livelihood. However, due to my advanced age and declining physical strength, I am no longer capable of engaging in strenuous activities. Therefore, the prospect of owning a number of goats is highly advantageous, particularly in times of financial crisis. I am currently the proud owner of four goats, and my goal is to significantly expand this herd. I take comfort in the fact that, as they multiply, they will provide a consistent source of financial support, particularly for necessities such as medication. My overarching objective now is to accumulate these assets that can provide for me in my elderly years, offering a financial cushion whenever the need arises.

During a period of insufficient rainfall when I was unable to engage in farming, my most pressing needs were medication and food. Given my advanced age, I could no longer undertake the casual jobs that had sustained me for years. I found myself without any reliable support except for the monthly transfers I received. I am grateful that I spent nearly $30 to purchase essential food items like maize flour, ensuring I had enough sustenance for several weeks. Moreover, I have been grappling with hypertension, and the transfers have been a lifeline in covering my medical expenses and checkups. At one point, I was hospitalized, and the treatment costs amounted to $50, which I would have struggled to cover without the transfers. I am optimistic that I can continue to receive necessary medical care in the future thanks to these funds. Additionally, I also invested $35 in acquiring a goat, which has become a valuable addition to my existing herd. My objective is to safeguard these goats, as they serve as a financial safety net in case of unforeseen financial challenges. I can easily sell the goats to raise funds for my needs, particularly my medical expenses and frequent check-ups.

The loss of my cattle due to the prolonged drought in my area was a great disappointment. Thankfully, the cash assistance has given me a glimmer of hope to venture back into livestock rearing. As I consider restarting my livestock enterprise, I have decided to focus on goats. Goats are known for their resilience and ability to adapt to challenging environments, making them a suitable choice given the persistent drought in my area. By owning goats, I believe I can build a more sustainable and resilient livestock portfolio.

The extended period of drought has resulted in hunger becoming the most significant issue my household faces. My lack of a stable and dependable source of income makes it difficult for me to purchase an adequate amount of food, even though I am the only one in the house. Receiving the cash transfer is a relief for me, as it provides some much-needed assistance. I used every penny of it to buy food. Although the amount of food I could purchase only lasted a couple of weeks due to the high cost of living, I am grateful that I was able to eat regularly during that time. It brought a sense of stability and ensured that I didn't have to go hungry.

This year, I want to emphasize my health condition improvement more than I have in the past. This implies that I will spend a significant portion of my transfer funds on foods and medications that will help improve my health. I also want to grow my livestock buying and selling business. I currently purchase very little number of livestock, which results in a meager profit. I will purchase a large number of goats with more money, and the profit will rise at the same time, allowing me to meet all of my essential needs, including my son's college tuition.

My health was declining, and I was having a tough time last month. When I went to the hospital, the doctor informed me that my body needed more blood. I used $10 of my January transfers to purchase iron-rich medications to increase the volume of my blood. In addition, I purchased food to the tune of $24 to support the production of blood in my body and to improve my health, particularly green leafy vegetables, milk, and fruits. I'm grateful for the financial boost the transfer provided me, as it allowed me to pay for medical care. The effects of the drought are the main reason why my job, which involves buying and selling charcoal in the market, is currently on the decline. The absence of grass in the fields makes it difficult for the animals to survive. Being without a job makes it difficult to survive because we must pay exorbitant prices for all of our household's food and beverages.

I am a subsistence farmer who makes a living by selling both livestock and agricultural products. My source of income ceased three years ago when the drought started. I suffered a large loss when the farm's crops dried up, and I was unable to recuperate my investment. My present business, selling cattle on the market, is floundering. As a result of the drought's negative effects on cattle health, prices have fallen, leaving us with slim profit margins. My financial situation had gotten worse by the time I received my transfer, so I decided to spend the full sum on food. I mostly got by on one meal a day since I could not afford the expensive food that was being sold. Beyond paying high expenses for food, it is exceedingly challenging for me to obtain water for my personal usage at home. As a result, I am forced to pay KES 45 for a 20 liter can of water from the sellers, which is incredibly costly.

I have complaints when it comes to GiveDirectly but rather an immense feeling of gratitude because I am quite old, I barely work and my wife passed away some time back leaving me to raise our son all by myself. In the past making ends meet was hard and I looked up to the farm but that went burst as well since it hardly ever rained. But this organisation has given me hope because at some point I even scared my son would eventually drop out and to be honest my thoughts have completely changed since then and I definitely see my progressing academically.

I happen to have joined a savings committee with some of my acquaintances back in the village. The whole aim of it being that we each contributed money on intervals and handed to a single person so that they would use the money as they wished or undertake any projects that required a huge sum of sum of money. We were to contribute KES 1,000 each Saturday and give to one person as it went round individually so that eventually everyone would receive cash on their day. For me I intended to pay school fees for my son when it was my turn since he was still in school. So I got the money I contributed KES 1,000 to the savings committee and then used KES 630 and bought four packets of maize flour, a kilogram of sugar and a sachet of salt. I still have KES 1,370 left which I plan on buying three hens each at KES 300 since I want to practise poultry farming while the balance that will remain I will eventually go back to spending it on nutrition again.

I had just finished drinking tea at around 9 p.m. and was preparing to sleep when my phone vibrated, attracting my attention. Upon checking, I found out that I had received my first transfer. Wow! I got very excited and called my son, who was sleeping in the next room, and shared the good news. We had each other tightly as tears of Joy rolled down our cheeks. We all knelt down and murmured a small thanksgiving prayer to the Lord for the miracle.

Clearing the School debt for my son is the biggest difference In my life since I started receiving the transfer. My son's performance has dropped in the recent past because of missing classes caused due to a lack of school fees. Clearing this debt will give me peace of mind as my son will continue with his education smoothly and be able to post excellent results.

Three years ago, I ran a successful business selling livestock in the market. With the business booming, it was easy to take care of my family's needs (food, paying school fees, and clothing). When the drought began, I lost over 80 cows. After losing my only source of income, I cannot feed my family and we often sleep hungry (3 days a week). My two children have suffered the most in school because they were back home to collect school fees and they end up missing the most important classes. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I spent KES 750 to pay off an accrued school debt for my son in secondary school. Paying off the debt will ensure that they admit him back to school and continue with their studies when they reopen the school. Besides Paying off the debt, I spent the rest of the money on buying food for my family since we had nothing left to eat after exhausting the existing stock of food.