My main source of income is charcoal burning, but due to the drought, I can no longer continue with this work. The water scarcity severely impacts our ability to cool down the charcoal, making the job impossible right now. For the time being, I am doing casual jobs whenever they are available to support my family. Life has become extremely difficult because we now have to buy everything, including vegetables that we once grew on our farm. I am deeply grateful for these transfers, as they are a tremendous help during this challenging drought season. In the coming year and beyond, I plan to invest in livestock, particularly goats, as this will provide an additional income to support my family and pay school fees for my children. Goat rearing is profitable and requires minimal capital to start and maintain, and the earnings from this venture will help cover food, school fees, and other essential expenses.

We are currently experiencing a drought, making it difficult to find food and water. With my most recent transfer, I spent $38 on food so we could have some extra supplies for the days ahead. I allocated $10 for my child's school fees to prevent her from being sent home. With the remaining funds, I used $30 to buy a sheep and saved the last $20, planning to combine it with my next transfer to buy a goat. My spouse and I rely on casual jobs and farming, which are not dependable, especially with the unpredictable weather. So, I decided to invest in livestock as a future financial plan for when these transfers end. Since livestock multiply quickly, I intend to sell some offspring to support my family.

Currently, I am involved in the charcoal burning business, which often takes me away from my family for two weeks or more at a time. This work is strenuous and requires good health to manage effectively. My goal now is to start a goat-rearing business where I can buy a few goats, take care of them, and sell them at a higher price. This new venture will allow me to spend more time with my family, strengthening our bond and providing me with much-needed rest. Additionally, this business is profitable and requires only a small amount of capital to start and maintain. The earnings from this business will help me support my family by buying food, paying school fees for my children, and covering other expenses.

I run a charcoal business, supplying to distant locations to support my three children. Because this work is strenuous and takes me far from home, I am looking to start a new venture where I buy young goats and later sell them at a higher price. This will provide a more manageable source of income and allow me to support my family without the physical strain of my current job. With my most recent transfer, I spent $69 to purchase two goats, though I had to add $5 from my own funds to meet the $74 required. I also bought three chickens for $12 as part of my future financial planning. Finally, I spent $22 on food to supplement the little stock we had, ensuring we have enough to get by for a while. Unlike before, when resources were scarce and we sometimes went hungry, this new business will help me plan and budget more effectively for my family’s needs.

Currently, I am involved in the charcoal burning business. This work usually takes me far from my family and I always stay for two weeks or more without seeing them. The work is also straineous and needs one to be of good health always. At the moment, my aim is to start a business of buying goats from people and selling them at a higher price. This will not only allow me to spend more time with my family and bond with them but it will also enable me to always have enough rest. The business is also profitable and does not need huge amount of capital to start and run it.

I started building a more spacious iron roofed house for my family last year in the month of March. Due to this, I had been using my monthly transfers in buying some building materials in bits. Currently, I am happy that I am living in my recently completed house. This is because with my recent transfers, I used $ 21 in the purchase of two iron sheets that I used in completing the construction process. Aside from this, my recent transfers came in handy when my children had been sent back home due to the fee arrears that I was still owing the school. This is because I was able to use $ 21 from it in paying for the school fees. In addition, I invested $ 12 in the purchase of four hens as a way of starting poultry farming and $ 340 on the purchase of a goat for rearing. When the hens grow and start laying eggs, my poultry project will expand and my family will also be able to get some eggs to eat on some days. Using the remaining $ 14, I bought some food items to last my family for some time.

As I look ahead to the upcoming year, my primary objective is to secure the necessary funds to support my daughter's education by utilizing the transfers I have received. By paying her school fees, I aim to provide her with the opportunity to acquire knowledge and pave the way for a brighter future. In addition to prioritizing my daughter's education, I have set my sights on establishing a small vegetable-selling business. This venture will serve as a source of income to sustain the needs of my family. I am enthusiastic about the prospects of this endeavor and the positive impact it can have on our overall well-being. The financial support I have received has been pivotal in uplifting the quality of life for my family. It has given us the means to invest in education and explore economic opportunities, fostering a sense of hope and progress. I am immensely grateful for this assistance, which has opened doors to a better future for us all.

My previous dwelling was in a deplorable condition. It had a grass-thatched roof that would leak profusely whenever it rained, exacerbated by the scarcity of grass due to an ongoing drought. Repairing the roof became a challenging task. Moreover, the single-room structure proved insufficient to accommodate my family of four and our household belongings. Over the past six months, I diligently saved my transfers, utilizing the funds to procure essential materials for construction. This included investing in sturdy iron sheets, as well as obtaining building materials such as poles, nails, and timber. I am thrilled to share that I have recently relocated to my new residence, which is not only spacious but also shields us from the rain. The transformation has brought me immense happiness and gratitude. The financial support I have received has been instrumental in making this significant improvement to my living conditions. I am deeply appreciative of the assistance that has enabled me to acquire a new, comfortable home for myself and my family.

In the coming year and beyond, my goal is to achieve self-employment, and I am considering entering the livestock trade as my chosen path. Currently, my existing source of income is quite limited, leading to difficulties in adequately providing for my family. The livestock industry, however, presents significant profit potential. I bring some prior experience to the table, having previously engaged in this business as a favor to a friend. Nevertheless, I am extremely grateful for the financial assistance I've received through transfers, which has enabled me to cover my daughter's school fees.

I am currently employed as a chef at a fast-food restaurant, where I earn a daily wage of $2.5. Unfortunately, this amount falls significantly short of covering all the expenses for my family. Most of my earnings are allocated to purchasing food for my family, leaving me with insufficient funds to meet other essential needs, such as school fees. Fortunately, with the financial assistance I receive, I am able to pay for my daughter's primary school education. In July, I used $31.5 from my transfers to purchase three pieces of iron sheets. My goal is to construct an additional room to accommodate my two children, as our current one-room house is too cramped for our family of five. Finally, the remaining $2.5 from my earnings was dedicated to purchasing food for my family.

I would like to have a better life as others, be self-employed and be independent, therefore my main goal for the next one year and beyond is to have my own livestock project. I had started buying livestock with the transfers that I have been receiving and my aim is to still buy more so that by the end of the year I shall have quite a number at the farm. I would later sell part of them and start a cloth-selling business to boost the income that I would be receiving from selling the livestock.

The transfers that I have been receiving had been of great help to me. I had always wished to be a livestock keeper, but getting the money to start the project had been a great challenge. I have been spending my previous transfers on buying livestock (goats) and I also managed to buy one goat with the most recent one where I spent the whole amount that I received of $34. I have been so far grateful for the support from GiveDirectly because the dream I had is finally coming true.

In two years, I intend to be self-employed. I work at a restaurant, but because my employer doesn't pay me as we discussed when he hired me, I experience abuse. He usually pays me half my income with the understanding that he will make the remaining payments, which he never does. With my salary, budgeting is difficult, and I frequently end up in debt. With existing restaurant management expertise, I plan to open own in two years. I have therefore begun saving for it and will set aside $10 of each transfer and a portion of my salary each month in order to raise the necessary funds. Once I start the business, I won't share the profits with anyone, therefore our household income will rise. I will also be peaceful and independent.

I spent my recent transfers on buying food, a goat, and some iron roofing sheets, as well as paying for medical expenses for my children. I have been sheltering in a grassy thatched house for years with my two children. My dream has been to upgrade to an iron-roofed house and I'm happy that I'm in a position to achieve that. Unfortunately, I do not have a stable source of income that can enable me to buy the required building materials. So, when I began receiving the transfers, I saved part of the amount every month to purchase the iron sheets. I am targeting 18 pieces that will enable me to renovate my grass-thatched house. I also own a goat that I bought using the transfer. I expect that it will reproduce and increase in number. Owning the goat is a savings plan for me, as I am banking on that for the future of my children's education. My child fell ill and got hospitalized for several days. I used part of the transfers received to settle the medical bills. Last, I did some shopping for foodstuffs like maize flour, sugar, and vegetables. This ensures that food is available in plenty and my family can now enjoy three meals a day compared to before when we would skip meals.

Throughout my life, I never imagined that I would one day be able to be subjected to receive such huge financial support. When I reflect on the first time we were informed about the program, I have a view that GiveDirectly can work well because it has adopted effective approaches that cannot derail its project. The way it sensitizes the community, the medium for cash transfer and regular follow-ups are the key aspect that makes its operations to be seamless. Giving us direct transfers gives us high purchasing power thus the community is rapidly changing for the better.

I felt a sigh of relief immediately after I confirmed receipt of my recent transfer. I have been living in abject poverty but with the transfer, I have a determination to break this poverty chain. As a result, I spent KES 2,500 buying a goat. I desire to develop in life. Prior, I just had two goats. I am glad that at the moment, the number has increased to three. I will keep female goats in order to have an increased size of my flock within a period. Alternatively, I will always be selling the male goal to raise some money that can help me support my family.

I was relieved to receive the transfer after being sick for a week without having money to pay for medication. I could not wait until the next day to finally see the doctor and get the right treatment. I am equally confident that upcoming transfers will alleviate some of my burden and prove helpful in critical situations.

Having enough food is the most significant improvement in my life since receiving the transfer. Unlike in the past, my family has not skipped any meals or run out of food in the last week. I hope that future transfers will result in even better livelihood transformation.

I used my transfer to pay for medical expenses and food for my family. I had been suffering from malaria for a week and could not afford to go to the hospital because I lacked the necessary funds. At the same time, my house had been without food for three days and had slept hungry the night before due to a lack of money. My salary as a herder is incapable of meeting basic household expenses such as food, let alone medical bills. That is why I spent KES 500 on my hospital bill and the rest on food.