I was initially thinking about buying a cow to secure my financial future after the transfers end. However, with the current drought situation, I've changed my mind. During drought seasons, many cows perish, causing substantial losses for most people. Additionally, my children and I live in a small two-room house, which makes our living conditions challenging. Getting an additional house would provide my children with a better living environment and the privacy they need. To make this happen, I'm saving $20 every month in our savings group to buy building materials for my children's house. Once this project is completed, I can then consider investing my savings in cows or goat rearing. Therefore, this is the major project I want to focus on in the coming year and beyond. I'm grateful to GiveDirectly for their financial support as it has enabled me to take these important steps forward.

We have three children who are currently in school, and soon they will be adults. Because our current house is too small for us, I have been saving part of my income to build a new house for them. When I received my most recent income, I allocated $60 to save in a merry-go-round group for this project. Additionally, I spent $14 to pay school fees for my three children, ensuring that they wouldn't be sent home for fee balances. I also purchased $10 worth of food because our house was running low on supplies. The remaining $4 was spent on buying two chickens for my poultry project, which will help us generate additional income. Finally, I spent $14 on clothes because I wanted to look presentable and well-dressed.

I am currently selling fish at home, with my main goal being to invest in goats. Presently, I have five goats, but since goat prices are currently high, I have opted to invest in chicken while waiting for prices to decrease. I am keen on investing in goats because they multiply easily and can be exchanged for cows, which will assist me in preparing my land and, I can easily rent out the cows, providing me with an additional source of income.

As a mother of three children, my top priority when I receive my transfer is their school fees, which I spent $15 in settling it. For my children to have a comfortable learning environment and enough food when they return home, I spent $19 on purchasing food for our family. Recently, I was feeling unwell, so I sought medical attention in Mariakani, spending $34 on treatment and drugs, which thankfully helped me recover, thanks to GiveDirectly. With the onset of the cold season, I replaced my worn-out sheets with four new ones, costing $18, providing warmth during chilly nights. With $16 remaining, I invested in three chickens, hoping they hatch and eventually exchange them for goats.

As I look ahead to the coming year, my primary goal is to expand my livestock herd and invest in ploughing bulls. By doing so, I aim to reduce the expenses associated with ploughing, saving $56 to cultivate my two-acre land. Additionally, I plan to rent out the bulls for ploughing services, creating a sustainable source of income. Once my sons transition into adulthood, I will build them a house providing them with a sense of independence. I am grateful for all that the GiveDirectly cash transfers has enabled us to achieve.

With my husband losing his job, our financial stability crumbled, and I found myself struggling to provide for our four children. Determined to maintain a sense of normalcy, I allocated $34 of the transfer to purchase festive clothes for my children, a tradition we had always upheld as a family. It pained me to see their disappointed faces knowing we couldn't afford it, but thanks to the GiveDirectly transfers, I could ensure they had something special to wear during the holidays. As the burden of our financial strain weighed heavily on my shoulders, I utilized another $34 portion of the cash transfer to pay school fees for three of my children. Without this, my children would have been forced to stay home due to lack of school fees. With the remaining amount, I invested $30 in livestock and used the remaining $4 to kickstart a small business. These ventures will help generate income. The support from GiveDirectly has been invaluable, offering us a glimmer of light in our darkest hour.

My goal is to use livestock as an investment and a source of wealth. Currently, I already have three goats from previous cash transfers, and I aim to continue acquiring more until I have at least nine goats. After that, I plan to trade some of the goats for two bulls. These bulls will help with plowing activities on my farm and can also be hired out to assist others. Currently, I have to pay for plowing services, which can be expensive, but I hope to have my bulls in the future to provide this service even when I don't have money.

When my husband lost his job at a bakery four months ago, he returned to the village and started a small business making and selling donuts. His income significantly decreased, and it became challenging for him to cover the household expenses, such as food and school fees for our three children. This led to the accumulation of tuition debts at the school, which is why I used $30 to clear them all. I'm pleased that my children can now attend school without any interruptions. I also used $34 to purchase a goat, bringing the total number of goats acquired through the transfers to three. Having goats provides me with a sense of financial security for the future because I can sell them to meet my family’s needs. Additionally, I hired an ox-plow for $24 to plow one acre of my land before planting, as the rainy season has just begun. I spent the remaining $10 to buy a pair of khanga clothes since I had been wearing the same one repeatedly for outings.

We started a savings group when Givedirectly came in as a way of supporting each other to achieve our goals. We usually save and give cash to each of us at different times as in merry go round so that we can actualise that which we have envisioned. I personally have wanted to venture into business but I have not been able to do any business due to lack of capital. Now I can plan towards meeting this vision. I want to start a grocery stall which I hope will grow to a general item shop.

The rains have just been a blessing to us. I am also happy to receive the transfers since they have come in handy this rainy season. I have tilled two acres of land since April. I spent $24 in April to till an acre of land and in May I used $12 to till half an acre. I bought seeds worth $8 in April and in May I got seeds worth $7. I also bought 3 chicken worth $9. I paid school fees for my eldest at $18 and my youngest at $12. I also contributed to my savings group $4.

I am an animal herder for our family flocks. I do not make any money herding and hence I do not have an income. When I heard I will be receiving money from Givedirectly I decided that I wanted to start something that could help me earn. I have a goal of venturing into chicken business. I want to use some of my transfers to build a chicken coup and then buy chicken and keep them their. I know this is a good business since the chicken I bought in February has already hatched and has 10 chicks now. I want that this chicken can grow in number and I am able to sell them and get profits. This will make me financially independent since all the money I use I keep asking my husband who works in a bakery in the city. I also want to be able to educate my children through this business.

The transfers in December came in during the festive season, I spent $16 on buying clothes for my two children and 2 traditional clothe locally known as "leso" at $10. I also bought food that we cooked during the festivities such as wheat flour, sugar, cooking oil which cost $8. In January the transfers came during the school opening period I spent $18 to pay school fees for my children who are in class 4 and 5, I also used $14 for my child who was joining school for the first time. I also saved $4 in my local savings group. In February I got a goat and a chicken. I bought them at $30 and $4 respectively. clothes-1600 wheat flour-400 2 lesos-1000 Oil- 250 Sugar-150 January 2 children- fees- class 4,5- 1800 new student- 1400 Saved, chama- 400 Feb Goat-3000 Chicken- 400 herder husband works in a bakery

There are several positive changes that community members have witnessed since GiveDirectly began working in our area. The unconditionality of the transfer aids in the improvement of our way of life. We are not limited in what we can buy, so we concentrate on our immediate needs. Furthermore, we have not seen cases of insecurity caused by transfer because no one knows who received the transfer and when. The use of a mobile money payment system necessitates this. All of these are key things that GiveDirectlt does well. In my view, there is nothing GiveDirectly does not do well.

I am a mixed farmer who primarily raises livestock. I chose this option because crops suffer as a result of unpredictable rainfall patterns. Goats do well in our area and fetch a high price during the holiday season. As a result, they can assist me in caring for my six-member family. I had ten goats before my recent transfer. I spent $30 from my recent transfer to purchase an additional goat. Because I do not have a formal engagement, I always spend some time looking after my livestock before embarking on my daily household chores.

Most of the people had received their transfers earlier in the morning while I did not. I, therefore, kept checking my phone anticipating the good news. At around 9 pm as we were getting ready to sleep, I got a message notification and since I do not know how to read, I took the phone to my neighbor for assistance. It was then that he informed me that I had received the money. It was such a joyous moment! I slept peacefully knowing that my children would finally attend classes the following day.

The biggest difference in my daily life is being in a position to pay for my children's school fees. I felt proud chipping in to assist with their school fees. It has always been my spouse providing for us because I do not have any source of income. His salary can not sustain us for a month and therefore, had it not been for the transfer then the children would not have gone back to school. They would have probably waited till the end month when my spouse would earn his salary.

We have four children, two are in primary school while the other two are still young. We rely on my spouse who works at a bakery in town while I stay in the rural with our children taking care of our goats. In most cases, he does not provide fully for us on time leading us into debt. By the time the first transfer was sent, the children had been sent back home due to the school fee arrears of KES 800. I do not have any source of income, so we had to wait for their father to send us some money although he was not in a position to raise the amount at that time. I, therefore, cleared the arrears with part of the first transfer and used the remaining KES 350 to purchase food for our household. I am glad the money was of great help.