I hope that my farm will do well and that I will find a good market for my watermelons. My plan is to use the money I earn from selling watermelons to start a business buying and selling cows. I see that livestock trading is profitable; for example, selling one cow can yield a profit of $100. If I can sell five cows, I could become quite successful, and this is something I am planning to pursue.Additionally, with the income, I am also considering remarrying, as my first wife left me. I still feel young and want a wife who can take care of me and my son.

You have done an excellent job, especially since your work does not involve politics or village elders. In our area, anything involving politics often leads to a lot of discrimination, even with relief food, where they choose who receives it and who does not. Your approach of enrolling people from within the village boundaries, rather than those who come just for the money, is commendable.As far as I can see, GiveDirectly does not need any improvement—just continue with the same spirit.

For many years, I have been a watermelon farmer. While watermelons yield significant profits, they also require a substantial amount of capital to cultivate, which sometimes prevents me from planting them consistently. So, upon receiving this amount, I was overjoyed, knowing that $450 would be enough to start planting watermelons. This money would allow me to purchase seeds, medicines for spraying, and fuel for the generator to pump water to my farm.Life has not been that tough since my wife and I separated four years ago, as I live with my 6-year-old son, and providing for the two of us is manageable. Additionally, sometimes when I harvest my crops, I store them at home to ensure we have food to eat during lean times.GiveDirectly has remained a vital source of support for us, and we will always praise the organization for genuinely caring about the lives of poor people.

It was getting late in the evening, and I was busy searching for my missing bull, which had not returned home the day before. As I navigated through the rocky hills, my phone suddenly buzzed with a notification. Retrieving it from my pocket, I checked the message to see what it was about. To my surprise, it was a Mpesa message. Opening it, I confirmed the amount and its origin. I could not contain my happiness, as it was exactly what I needed at that moment. I had been worrying about my three acres of maize suffering from a lack of water, as the rains had not arrived yet. I lacked the money to buy petrol for my generator, which needed to pump water from a distant river for irrigation, I felt helpless. But with the money from the Mpesa transfer, my outlook changed instantly. I abandoned my search for the bull and hurried to town to purchase the petrol. By 6:00 PM, I was back and ready to begin irrigating my land. I am incredibly grateful for this timely assistance. It saved my only source of income, which I had already feared losing.

Receiving the transfer has completely changed my life. When I saw my three acres of maize wilting away due to lack of water, I felt hopeless. But through the money from GD, I was able to irrigate the crops, giving me renewed hope for a good harvest and a better income. Now, I'm feeling more optimistic about the future. I plan to save the money from the maize harvest to buy land and relocate my family. We are currently facing the threat of displacement by the water from Lake Baringo, which is just 300 meters away from our home. Moving to safer ground is my priority, and I am determined to make it happen.

As I mentioned earlier, the money arrived at a crucial moment when I was deeply worried about losing my three-acre maize crop, which was withering due to the lack of rain. With no funds for irrigation, I feared losing everything, as it was the only source that I depended on to fend for my only son. However, the transfer rekindled the hopes that I had before. I immediately used $66 to purchase petrol for the generator, enabling me to pump water from a nearby river to save my crops. The joy I felt seeing my maize thriving again is beyond words. Additionally, I also invested $100 in buying a dairy goat, something I had admired for a while, inspired by a friend who owns two. The goat promised a good amount of milk for our needs as well as selling some to earn an income. I am pleased to say that the goat is almost ready to sire offspring. I used the remaining amount to purchase food for myself and my son, ensuring we were well-fed.