Looking ahead, my goal is to expand my investments by increasing the number of goats I keep. Right now, I have four goats, but I aim to add five more by the end of this year. With a solid savings plan in place, I am confident that I can turn this dream into a reality. By growing my goat herd, I hope to secure a better future for myself and my family, ensuring financial stability and independence in the long run.

When I received the cash transfer from GiveDirectly, I knew exactly where it needed to go. With $10, I swiftly settled my grandson's school fees, ensuring he could continue his education without interruption. He was in Form Three and had been sent home from school due to unpaid fees, so seeing him back in class filled me with relief and pride. Next, I allocated $4 to cover the school fees for my two younger grandchildren who were in primary school, easing the burden on their parents and ensuring they could keep learning. With the remaining $20, I decided to invest in a goat to expand my flock. This wasn't just a purchase; it was a step towards securing our future. As the goat grows and reproduces, it will provide a source of income and stability for my family, ensuring we have a safety net for whatever challenges lie ahead.

Since I am advanced in age and can no longer take on strenuous jobs to provide for my family, my goal is to invest in livestock keeping. I am confident that by the time the transfers come to an end, I will have a substantial livestock holding. I can sell some of these animals to contribute towards the household needs and reduce our dependence on my son. My main focus is on goats to start with, and I may include other livestock as time goes by.

My son is typically the main provider for our family, which includes his five children. He works as a casual laborer, and sometimes his earnings are barely enough to cover essentials like food or school fees for the children. That's why I always look forward to supporting him whenever I receive my cash transfers, especially for paying tuition. Although there are times when some of them miss school for a few days, my biggest fear is for any of my grandchildren to drop out of school due to a lack of school fees. In the past three cash transfers, I used $55 to contribute towards their school fees. I also spent $35 to buy a goat for rearing, bringing my total to two goats. After the transfers cease, I am confident that these goats will help me generate funds to support the family's needs. I used the remaining transfer amounts to buy food for the family.

It's been my desire to own more goats which to me are financial security for the family. Thus, my current goal is to buy two chickens every month so that I get a variety of choices to sell when the need arises. Bearing in mind that chickens have a shorter breeding time, I will have several chickens by the end of this year.

I spent my most recent transfers on purchasing a goat for $20. Owning the goats is a saving for the future and I can readily rely on them in case of financial need. I also paid $6 school fees for my grandchildren who had been sent out of school due to school fees. I am so grateful because since receiving my recent transfers, my grandchildren have never been sent out of school for fees again.

Owning livestock is the best saving plan for me in my old age. I cannot do any physical jobs thus looking after my own animals is what I am aspiring to do. I currently have three goats that I acquired through the transfers and I am planning to buy more. My objective is to buy a goat every month and chickens whenever I receive a transfer. My expectation is that they will reproduce and have many of them, I can readily rely on them when I am faced with a financial challenge and even when GiveDirectly phases out, I will still have some assets to rely on.

I took advantage of the fact that it was rainy season when I received my remittances and spent $15 for three packages of corn seeds that I had already planted on my land. We don't get much rain here, so I was expecting a good yield this year. Unfortunately, we haven't had enough rain, which has had an impact on our crops. We're hoping for more rain soon so that we can have a nice harvest this year. I spent $46 on a goat and three chicks for rearing, and the remaining $7 I utilized to buy food for my family. Because we live in a region that is susceptible to drought, there are not many economic activities in our area. We mostly invest in goats and hens since they can endure such weather circumstances. They make good investments because they multiply quickly, increasing their profitability. I'll sell some of the young ones in the future when they've multiplied to obtain cash for our necessities.

I applaud Give Directly for its kind deed of assisting the vulnerable in the village. The unconditional transfers have significantly aided me in overcoming the challenge of supporting my family. I'm appreciative that the money made it possible for my grandchildren to go back to school. I implore the organization to keep providing financial assistance to the vulnerable families so they can get through their difficult economic situations.

My four grandchildren were instructed to go pick up their school fees a day after I received my second transfer. The oldest child, who is in secondary school, has accrued enormous school fee balances over the years as a result of not having enough money to pay his tuition. When I called their parents, who work in the city, they insisted that they had no money. Since I am unemployed, I frequently spend time in the village tending to my livestock. I made a significant contribution and spent $25 to pay the eldest's secondary school school fee arrears because I am so passionate about the value of education. He rejoined his classmates at school and started studying again as soon as I gave him the money. In addition to paying the eldest's tuition, I also did so for three of my grandkids who are enrolled in primary school. They owed the school $5 in arrears, so I used the last $5 to pay it off, allowing them to take the midterm exams. Despite all the difficulties, including frequently being expelled from school, I'm glad they did well on their exams.

I returned from the fields where I was grazing my livestock. I immediately went to bed to take a brief nap because I was so worn out. A short while later, my phone notified me that I had a text message. After receiving the text and learning that my transfer had been received, I immediately got out of bed. I ran outside yelling at the top of my voice. I couldn't believe I had finally received my transfer, as tears of joy streamed down my plump cheeks. I was happy that the money will address a huge problem and assist my grandson in returning to school.

As the family's sole provider, I found it challenging to pay the family's school fee debt on time because of my erratic income. Receiving this transfer gave me a great financial boost and enabled me to pay off their past-due school fees so they could go back to school. My grandsons may now continue their education and have hope for a bright future thanks to the transfer, which has made a significant impact.

I reside in the village with my four grandchildren. I am solely responsible for looking after them and meeting all of their requirements, including paying their school fees, purchasing food, and covering their medical expenses. Prior to the drought, I relied on farming to make a living and feed my family, but this is no longer the case. Since I lost my source of income, it has become harder for me to take care of the family's essential needs. My grandchildren are frequently sent home from school because I am unable to pay the fees on time owing to my unstable income. I presently support myself by raising animals for other people, but the pay I receive is quite little and cannot meet all of our demands. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I spent KES 900 to partially cover the students' school expenses so they could be readmitted back to class and finish their education after being home for more than two days. Additionally, I invested KES 100 on a single hen as a future investment that I may sell after they multiply and utilize the proceeds to cover an eventual exigency.