Since age is catching up with me, I have set a goal to continue buying goats and chickens to expand my herd. I currently have about 10 animals, and I am confident that they will be very helpful, especially when this support comes to an end. I plan to sell some of them to support myself. Given that my son, with whom I live, does not have a reliable job, these animals will provide a crucial source of support in the future, reducing my dependence on him. Another goal of mine is to build a better house, as my current one is on the verge of collapse. I can't wait for it to fall apart, so I need to start preparing for a new one as soon as possible. I am planning for the upcoming transfers to fund this project, and I am hopeful that by the time my current support ends, I will have achieved these two goals.

I am a widow who has been struggling with life since the passing of my dear husband, and one of my sons, who used to support me, also died a while ago. As a result, I have faced many challenges, and at my age, I can no longer work and can only rely on farming activities. To secure my future, I decided to purchase two goats for $70. I am confident that these goats will help me soon, especially once my current financial situation improves. They will provide support during times of crisis, and since goats thrive in my region, I believe I will eventually have a sizable herd. Recently, I experienced some discomfort in my stomach and had difficulty sleeping. Upon receiving the cash, I used $20 to buy medicines recommended by my doctor, as I have been battling stomach ulcers. I am pleased to report that I am now feeling much better and no longer experiencing the severe discomfort I had previously. Additionally, I spent $12 on sufficient food. Given that I am under medication, I was advised to maintain a good diet to strengthen my body and aid in the healing process.

My goal remains to keep buying goats and grow my herd from the six I already acquired through previous transfers so that I may be able to exchange them for cows in future. Since food is not a concern at the moment due to our maize harvest, I intend to allocate most of the cash transfers toward buying goats. My ultimate objective is to accumulate enough wealth through livestock so that when the transfers eventually cease, I will have a source of income to contribute to the household's needs, such as food, without relying solely on my son.

After my small business collapsed, I was left with no choice but to become a small-scale farmer to make ends meet.  As a subsistence farmer, I rely on farming to ensure food security for myself and my unemployed son. With the quarterly transfers from GiveDirectly, I decided to invest $60 in a savings group, hoping to buy a mattress and add goats once the savings mature. Currently, I only have a bed without a mattress, forcing me to sleep on sacks, which has been causing me back pain therefore, getting a mattress will not only alleviate my back pain but also allow me to spend quality time with my grandchildren when they visit. I also used $40 to buy food and household items since the transfers are my only source of income.

In the upcoming year, my goal is to expand my goat stocks by purchasing additional animals to complement my existing inventory. I plan to utilize the funds accumulated from the savings club to accomplish this objective. The acquisition of more stocks is expected to strengthen my business, leading to enhanced profits. I take great satisfaction in the progress I have achieved and look forward to further success in the future.

Receiving these transfers has proven to be a tremendous blessing, as I utilize them to invest in goats, providing a crucial means of earning a living. The collapse of my kerosene-selling business left me without a source of income, making the support from this organization invaluable. I am immensely grateful for the invaluable support extended by this organization, which has played a crucial role in my life. Joining a local savings group has further enhanced my financial goals, allowing me to consolidate funds to acquire more livestock. This positive change has brought about a significant improvement in my life; my compound is now bustling with chickens, and the quality of my goat stocks has seen notable enhancement. In the past, my family experienced food scarcity, leading me to borrow from neighbors, as my children were unemployed and unable to contribute financially. In the spirit of celebrating Christmas festivities, I allocated $48 to purchase food for my family. Additionally, $34 was dedicated to acquiring a goat, and the remaining funds were wisely saved within my local savings club with the intention of starting a goat business. This strategic approach is paving the way for a more stable and sustainable financial future.

My goal remains to keep buying goats and grow my herd from the two I already acquired through previous transfers. Since food is not a concern at the moment due to our maize harvest, I intend to allocate most of the cash transfers toward buying goats. My ultimate objective is to accumulate enough wealth through livestock so that when the transfers eventually cease, I will have a source of income to contribute to the household's needs, such as food, without relying solely on my son.

I managed to save $30 from the recent cash transfers, and I plan to add the next cash transfer to this amount to be able to afford a goat. Currently, I'm only $10 away from being able to buy one. With the maize harvest, I no longer feel as financially constrained as before because my son and I have enough food to last us until next year. I'm grateful that some of the previous cash transfers allowed me to purchase two goats, although it took me some time to save up for them. I'm aware that the cash transfers will eventually come to an end, so I need to establish a stable source of income. I aim to continue expanding my goat herd and create wealth that I can rely on for basic needs like food in the future. This will also alleviate some of the financial burden on my son, who operates a phone repair business.

For a long time, I have been interested in investing in livestock farming and business, and the monthly transfers provide an opportunity to realize my dream. My plan is to increase the number of goats in my herd by purchasing more. Afterward, I will sell some and buy a dairy cow, which will generate more income through milk sales. If things continue to go well, I hope to buy bulls that I can utilize to plough my farm. Additionally, I can earn income by digging other people's farms for a fee.

I operate a small business that sells vegetables and silver cyprinid, which helps me meet my needs. Additionally, my son has a small stall where he repairs defective electronics and mobile phones. We often support each other during challenges that arise in our respective businesses. Recently, after receiving my April transfers, I spent $10 on food. Unfortunately, my son fell ill for an entire week, rendering him unable to work. Due to his absence and slow sales from my business, we were forced to survive on only one meal a day due to the difficult economic situation we were in at the time. However, I was relieved after receiving the transfer and immediately purchased food that could sustain us for a couple of weeks. With the remaining $24, I decided to save it to buy a goat. I currently own a goat that is about to give birth to a young one, and my goal is to purchase more goats to expand my herd. Once my herd is large enough, I may decide to sell some at a higher price in the market and use the money to cater to my needs.

I commend Give Directly for taking an initiative to financially support people from poor communities like mine. The money alleviates many hardships, the greatest being hunger. It has also given shopkeepers the confidence to give us food on credit with the hope of receiving payments when the transfers come in. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with Give Directly.

My wish has always been to support my son in providing for the family. Though my advanced age hinders me from taking physical tasks to make money, I believe keeping livestock would accumulate enough wealth to generate money. This is why I saved $10 to top up with future transfers to purchase my first goat. Also, since the household had run out of food the previous night, I channeled the remaining amount toward the purchase of food for my son and me. Am glad that it served us for the rest of the month and we have never lacked it ever since.

At 4 pm, I received a text message while I was at home working on my business. I was unable to read the message at the time because I am illiterate. I gave my son the phone later that evening so he could read the message. He cheerfully informed me that I had received my first transfer. Despite being weak from hunger, I jumped around in ecstasy. I bowed down and muttered a brief prayer of thanks to the powerful God.

Making sure I have enough food to eat and don't go hungry is the biggest difference the money from the transfer has made in my life. I would go without food for a few days prior to receiving the transfer because I was unable to raise the funds to purchase food from my small kiosk. I am thankful that I have a backup income source in case I fail like making any sales.

I can no longer perform strenuous tasks, such as working on a farm, due to my advanced age. I own a small kiosk where I sell fresh produce and wild fruits. I can feed myself with the little I make each day (200). But occasionally I have bad business days and don't bring in any money. My youngest son helps me take care of my needs by working as a "jua Kali" artisan, fixing electronics and producing goods out of iron chips. My son and I were both experiencing financial difficulties due to poor returns from our individual businesses when I got my first transfer. I bought food with a significant portion of my transfer, which was $8. I survived on water for the previous two days, so this was enough of a guarantee that I wouldn't sleep on an empty stomach again. In addition, I spent the $4 in leftover cash on a hen. The fact that the hen will multiply and increase my initial investment makes it a wise investment.