I had previously relied on casual labor and livestock farming, which had never been enough to support my family of seven. Because of the inconsistent availability of casual labor, I would like to expand my livestock farming in the coming year by adding at least two dairy cows to the two that I currently have on my farm. This will increase milk production, which I will sell to cover other household expenses. Purchasing milk for a large family is costly. I have been saving money from the casual labor I am doing now, and I am hoping to buy at least one cow in the next five months.

GiveDirectly did an outstanding job in our village by ensuring that each individual who received the transfer chose how to spend their money. Everyone felt that the process was fair, and we appreciated every piece of information that clarified how the enrollment would take place. We were able to plan ahead of time after the first transfer because we were assured that the money would arrive within a month, and it never failed. If the same approach is used in other villages, I believe many will be able to improve their standard of living.

I have been reliant on livestock farming and casual labor, where I work on people's farms and look after their livestock for a small daily wage. It was a relief to receive the first transfer, as well as the second, because I had a lot to do. After spending the first transfer on the priority projects I had, I spent the second transfer on the construction of a new, larger house to supplement the small hut that we had. Living in a single house with a family of seven was extremely difficult, and we had to constantly send our older children out to the neighborhood to look for a place to sleep. The problem was solved after we spent $140 on 20 iron sheets, $100 on poles, and $60 on labor to complete the new construction that gave an extra room for my children to sleep. I also spent $140 on two sacks of maize that we used as food in our household, $30 on new clothes for my children, and the remainder on school fees for the five children who are currently in school. I am thankful for the support and relieved that I was able to clear all of my arrears and keep my children from being sent home.

I was at home relaxing as I had been given a day off when I decided to use my phone to call one of my neighbors. It was at this time I realized that I had an unread message which I decided to read and know its contents. When I realized that GiveDirectly had finally sent the promised money, I was surprised and at the same time excited as it was my first time to ever receive such an amount.

I had lived knowing that I would never own a dairy cow again in my life ever since the one I once had died some years back. Due to my financial status, buying assets like a goat had been a challenge to me since I have a lot of responsibilities as the breadwinner of my family. With the transfer, I was able to acquire a dairy cow. This has changed my daily life as I am now hopeful that my family will have enough milk for consumption and sale very soon. believe that I am.

I have been spending KES 1500 monthly on buying milk and it is expensive to me since I am a casual laborer herding livestock for one of my neighbors. I earn KES 3500 per month and this is usually not enough to use in paying our milk vendor, pay school fees and still buy some food items for my family. When I received my first transfer, I spent KES 30000 to buy a dairy cow. My family will have enough milk for consumption and sale when it reproduces. In addition, I spent KES 2000 to hire a tractor for land preparation purposes in readiness for planting and used KES 1500 to pay school fees for my children. Apart from this, I used KES 4000 to buy some timber that I am planning to use in building an iron-roofed house for my family and spent the remaining KES 17000 on food and clothes.