I aspire to serve as a role model, imparting the lesson of making the most of one's available resources. Given the expanse of land at our disposal, I believe that owning a few goats, capable of multiplying over time to sustain the entire family in the long run, signifies an untapped source of potential wealth in our community. Approaching matters with an open mindset, I have been engaging many neighbors in our informal interactions to tap into ventures with enduring viability, beyond the periodic support we receive. As part of my strategy for the years ahead and the foreseeable future, I have chosen to cultivate mango trees. These trees, apart from offering shade in harsh weather, will ultimately generate income once they mature and yield fruits. Another significant goal I am committed to involves expanding my goat herd. My goal is to reach a count of 100, enabling me to confidently present approximately 20 goats for auction each year.

In my view, GiveDirectly has achieved an exceptional feat by enabling individuals to receive and utilize their money unconditionally. This accomplishment is evident through the installation of modern water-collection tanks in various households, the emergence of new houses within the village, the expansion of livestock holdings in anticipation of the year-end auction, the reduction of local fundraising efforts as compared to the past, and the community's ability to provide substantial support whenever necessary. Additionally, the great peace experienced can be attributed to the thorough education provided during the initial meetings, which prevented conflicts arising from the households' spending decisions. The advancement of women's empowerment is also apparent through the diversified farming activities and the visible progress of ongoing projects within the village. While I greatly commend these achievements, I wish that GiveDirectly would encourage community leaders to impart education about sustainable ventures. Despite the unconditional nature of the transfers, a gentle push towards well-considered investments could yield long-term benefits.

Before the initial transfer, we were informed about the three transfers, which prompted many of us, including my household, to devise immediate and future plans based on these expectations. Collaboratively with my spouse, we outlined long-term goals that revolved around investing in goats, a substantial portion of the received amount. By the time I received the final installment, I had already addressed other pressing needs within my household and also had 10 goats in place. In order to further solidify our sustainable venture, I spent $400 from the final transfer to purchase an additional 10 goats, and I am pleased that two of them gave birth last month. Despite the need to address immediate necessities and even luxuries, we recognized the enduring value of goats for our family of four. Within our community, goat farming serves as the predominant economic activity, thriving year-round with a reliable market, notably through an annual auction where goats command an average price of $110. Beyond the projected earnings from eventual sales, I also anticipate cutting the cost of milk purchases as I will have an ample supply from my goats. Despite various tempting trends in spending in the village, the freedom to choose enabled us to delve into livestock farming, a path we aspire to reap rewards from in the future. Subsequently, I used the remaining $50 to buy household essentials, including food and toiletries.

Having goats with more females than males ensures that they will reproduce and multiply in numbers. In the next few years, I hope to be among those who supply goats at the Kimalel goat auction, which takes place every year in Kimalel. This is one of the markets that the government has opened for us farmers from Baringo South, and seizing this opportunity will be one of my accomplishments. I also look forward to selling the goat milk here because it allows me to make more money to improve all aspects of my life. Another thing I'd like to do is set up a water point in our area so we don't have to walk the kilometers we're used to just to make sure our goats have water to drink because sometimes we go to the swamps on the shores of L. Bogoria just to make sure they have water, which can be dangerous because the swamps are home to a huge snake that swallows goats if they approach each other and we run to aloss.

One of the best things that GiveDirectly has done is personalized the necessity of traveling to rural locations and helping the community solve their problems by giving them cash and allowing them to maximize their potential. In doing so, GiveDirectly has ensured that we receive all of the support that we require by being a part of this amazing journey of transformation; they never choose who benefits but simply subject everyone to their criteria, which is as fair as it can be; they have discouraged alcoholism and conflicts in our homes in every way possible through follow-ups and guidelines on how to handle the transfers as a household and not an individual, and this makes us very grateful. Looking closely, the dependency rate has decreased, thus showing the great impact of the transfers in the community. However, I suggest that each sublocation receive the transfers at the same time to avoid misunderstandings inside the community, where people borrow money from one another and then fail to pay since they know the money came from GiveDirectly.

I'd been wanting a large number of goats as an investment, so when I received GiveDirectly transfers, I bought nine goats for $500 apiece. This made me feel really honored and delighted to be one of the community members chosen for the program. I chose goats as an investment because it would provide a financial foundation for our family in that we would save money on milk by milking the goats instead. We would also earn a lot of money that we could use to pay school fees, buy food, and farm, making our lives better every day, unlike before when we would struggle to find occasional work that would support everything we needed on a daily basis.

Since I was informed of the details and the dates and ething that we had -.... With the initial meetings that we had with Givedirectly staff before enrollement and the friendly interactions that we did in out households, it was very clear to me that the money was coming in anytime on the same week that I received. I was extremely happy when I received a message from the service provider notifying me of the receipt of the exact amount that i had been promised. even though it came from Segivia technology, i could not doubt if even for a second since I already knew that the name will be inn the notification message. I was at home alone at around 4:00pm when i received a message that confirmed the receipt and quickly had to inform my spouse who was also expecting the good news. We later align on spending that evening and put them in use the following day.

Since receiving my first payment from GiveDirectly, the most significant change in my daily life has been the sense of reassurance and security I now have. I had complete faith in GiveDirectly, and I was pleased that they kept their word, allowing me to address the ongoing food-related challenges my family was facing. Knowing that my children will no longer go to bed hungry, I am able to rest more easily and with peace of mind.

When I enrolled in the program, my family and I had a list of priorities that we wanted to tackle with our first transfer. Our top priorities were purchasing goats, paying for school fees, and ensuring we had enough food for our household. However, due to a severe drought that had destroyed vegetation, we had to change our plans. Although I had been rearing goats for three years, I could not add any more to the herd, as there was no food for them to eat. Instead, I spent $124 on purchasing food for my family of four, paid $50 for my son's secondary school fees, and set aside only $30 to purchase one goat to add to the herd. Thankfully, after buying one, it is doing well, and the entire herd has been crucial in supplementing our subsistence farming income. Whenever we need to pay for school fees or purchase food, we can sell a goat. I am grateful for the support and looking forward to the second transfer, which I plan to use in purchasing more goats, now that we have received some rain, as well as to address other projects on our list.