With the current drought and hunger impacting us in our region, my top priority is ensuring my family's health and nutrition. I therefore plan to keep using a portion of my transfers to buy food and water until the rains come, and we can finally harvest and put an end to this hunger crisis. Additionally, I intend to invest another portion in acquiring more goats and chicken, hoping they will multiply and grow in both numbers and value. These animals will become a valuable asset for me which I can rely on in the future, especially when this program concludes. I am truly grateful for the support from GiveDirectly as it has been a lifeline for my family during these tough times.

My wife is getting older and struggles to fetch water or gather firewood for cooking especially now when are facing drought and one has to walk for very long distances to get water. With my recent transfers from GiveDirectly, I used $21 to buy charcoal, making it much easier for her to prepare meals for us. Also with the current drought and hunger that we are facing, I spent another $47 of my transfers on food and water to ensure my family would not go hungry. Additionally, I invested the remaining $38 of the transfers in a goat and a chicken, adding to what I already have. I hope they will multiply and increase in number and value, providing me with a reliable source of income support in the future when this program comes to an end. I am truly grateful for the assistance from GiveDirectly as it has made a significant difference in our lives during these challenging times.

I currently have three goats, all purchased with money from Give Directly. The prices of goats have skyrocketed, making it impossible to purchase one with a month's transfer. I now want to purchase hens, which are much cheaper. Once the hens multiply, I will sell them and use the money to purchase more goats. This strategy will help me accumulate a lot of livestock that will help raise money whenever needed in the future. I am very appreciative of the financial transfers.

I live with my wife and granddaughter, who is differently abled and cannot work. Old age is catching up with me, and my wife is mentally ill, so she cannot help in providing for the family. I depend on my son, who works as a casual laborer in Mombasa, hawking bottled water. The financial support from my son is very little, so I heavily depend on the cash transfers for my own survival and that of my family. I spent $58 to purchase a goat, aiming for it to multiply. Once it does, I will have the opportunity to sell some in the future and use the money to cater to my pressing needs. I spent $35 on plowing my two-acre farm as we had anticipated some rains. Unfortunately, the rains stopped, and all the crops we planted dried up, making it a bad investment. Nevertheless, we are hoping that in the coming days, we will receive rain. After the rains failed, I spent $9 to purchase food for my family. This ensured that we had enough to eat and helped us avoid sleeping on an empty stomach. I am very content and happy with the financial support.

Moving forward, I intend to invest my forthcoming transfers in acquiring additional livestock. With careful nurturing, this livestock will multiply, potentially resulting in a substantial herd. This, in turn, will offer opportunities to sell some of the animals, generating additional income. The impact of these transfers on improving the quality of my life cannot be overstated, and for that, I am deeply appreciative.

I acquired two hens for $2 each and a goat for $40, supplementing the remaining $8 from my savings. The goat has since multiplied, proving to be a fruitful investment of which I am immensely proud. Last year, I allocated $15 towards the plowing of half an acre of land using a tractor, preparing it for farming. I am pleased to report a successful harvest of two 90 kg bags of maize, sufficient to sustain my family of three for the next four months. Prior to the maize harvest, a significant portion of my $53 transfer was utilized in procuring essential provisions such as food, water, and firewood. Given my wife's mental health challenges and my granddaughter's physical limitations, neither of whom can engage in manual labor, relying on purchases for necessities like water is our only viable option. I am profoundly grateful for the assistance provided by these transfers, which have enabled us to access these crucial services.

My intention is to utilize my future transfers by acquiring hens as an investment. This strategic move will enable me to generate income through the subsequent sale of these hens at a profit. By doing so, I aim to attain financial stability and reduce my dependence on my sons even after the conclusion of the five-year financial aid period. I am sincerely thankful for the assistance provided through these transfers, as they are instrumental in helping me accomplish my goals.

After experiencing a bountiful harvest recently, I felt a sense of relief as I could allocate my monthly transfers towards ventures other than purchasing food. One of my purchases was a comfortable mattress, which cost $55. I am delighted that I now sleep soundly and experience fewer back pains compared to when I used to sleep on a bare sisal twine bed. Additionally, I obtained charcoal to use as a cooking fuel. Due to my advanced age, I am unable to gather firewood from the forest, and my wife is unable to do so as well due to her mental condition. The monthly transfers have proven to be a tremendous support for my family. Currently, my sons no longer feel overwhelmed because when I have access to funds, I am able to address our basic needs. I am truly grateful for the positive impact that these transfers have had on our lives.

Experiencing the difficulties of aging, I face significant challenges in meeting the basic needs of both my family and myself. There are times when those whom I depend on for support fail to provide the necessary funds, resulting in considerable hardship for my wife, grandchild, and me. To address this situation, I intend to utilize funds from future transfers to purchase food and invest in livestock. This livestock will serve as a long-term investment and a contingency plan for unforeseen emergencies. By selling some of the livestock when necessary, I will be able to address any emergencies without relying excessively on my relatives to meet our needs.

With the assistance of my daughter's financial support and my May transfers, I managed to acquire a bed and a mattress. For the past two decades, I have endured discomfort and suffered from various health issues, including chronic back pain, as a result of sleeping on a twin bed. Recently, the bed broke, leaving me with no choice but to improvise by using a torn mat to create a barrier between my body and the cold floor. Being elderly and unable to work, I rely on my daughter's financial aid to meet my needs. Unfortunately, her job selling palm wine does not provide a substantial income, and there are times when she is unable to send me the money I require for essential items such as food and my health-related expenses. Additionally, my wife is afflicted by mental illness and is unable to offer assistance. Managing her condition has become a challenging task, as she requires medication periodically to manage her symptoms. Finally, after enduring 20 years of back pain and other health complications, I am grateful to now have a comfortable sleeping arrangement, allowing me to wake up feeling much better.

I do not have a source of income to depend on and at my age, I cannot engage in casual jobs since I am old and weak. My son whom I depend on does casual jobs which do not pay much, and most of the time I am left to fend for myself. My wife is also suffering from mental illness and I need to take care of her, and I can only fulfil this through the transfers. I am planning to spend the transfers mainly on buying food and nursing my sick wife, and in case of surplus, I will purchase some goats to keep in my homestead.

For many years, I have been relying on subsistence farming which always ensured I do not lack food in my household. However, for almost two years now, I have not been into farming due to drought that has severely affected our region. I do not have a source of income that I could at least depend on, and currently, I have to buy everything, food, water, and vegetables which are all expensive to afford. I thank GiveDirectly because I am now left to depend on the monthly transfers for my household's basic needs. I have been able to buy enough food that can serve us for some time, and my family are also enjoying taking three meals a day despite the hardships. In addition to this, I have paid school fees for my two grandsons. I am glad that they are now continuing with their studies without interruptions on fees, unlike before when they could stay at home for some weeks, thus missing lessons.

I want to thank the GiveDirectly employees for treating us with the utmost respect and tolerance throughout the enrollment period. We learned a lot from the staff during our interaction with them, particularly about how to invest the transfer money wisely. I implore the organization to continue its mission of supporting more rural villagers in need. This will ensure that they improve their lives by wisely using the funds to end poverty.

Three years have passed since my wife's health began to deteriorate. I sold all of my possessions, including the livestock, to help pay the medical bills and make sure she received the best care possible. For a while, her condition got better, but she still occasionally has lapsing episodes. She was rushed to the hospital after her condition deteriorated the day after I received my transfer. I transferred $10 from my account to help pay the hospital's bill. After that terrifying episode of lapsing, I'm relieved to see her back at home and doing well. I used the $20 transfer that was left over after paying for my wife's treatments to purchase food, firewood, and water for my own use at home. I am too old to work, so I am dependent on my son, a casual worker in Mombasa town. It was pragmatic of me to use the remaining funds to purchase food and lessen the burden on him given the numerous responsibilities he has in caring for my wife and I. I'm relieved that I have enough food to last me for the next three weeks.

I was starving to death, and I was laying on my bed, weak and powerless. I had not eaten anything for the preceding three days and was getting by on a cup of porridge. My mind raced with ideas of how I would earn money to buy food. My phone interrupted my thought process with a loud ring, informing me that I had received a message. I gave my helper the phone and she informed me I had gotten my first transfer, which was great news. Tears of joy formed the number eleven as they cascaded down my cheeks. I said a quick prayer of thanksgiving as I glanced up into the sky, praising God for the miracle.

Since I was able to buy food for my family thanks to the transfer, it significantly improved my life. My weakness from not eating prevented me from having the strength to seek for work and make money. I am overjoyed because having purchased food, I now have the energy I need to look for work and earn some money.

I've been struggling to support my family for the past three months since I can't seem to get a job. As the family's only source of income, I rely significantly on short contract jobs like constructing people's homes and collecting water. My family occasionally has to go to bed without eating because we don't have enough money to buy meals. The majority of my children are malnourished as a result of consuming less food, which has had a significant impact on their health. Consequently, when I got my first transfer, I used it all to purchase food for the family. I spent KES 1000 for five packets of maize flour and KES 120 on one kilogram of sugar. Purchasing food in bulk was sufficient to ensure that my family won't go hungry for the upcoming two weeks. As a result, I've been inspired to work harder and look for more sources of money so that I can provide for my family.