The fact that I have my own livestock makes me proud. I walk in the village with pride for I have also achieved what many have achieved in the community. The cows will be helpful because I will use them for ploughing and I won't spend any more on hiring someone to plough my farm. Since water is scarce in my area, I will also use the cows with a hand-cart to fetch water in a nearby river at a cost for other which will also be a source of income. Feeding the cows too does not require much hence it will not be a burden to me

Giving cash to everyone through their pwn phone was the best way to give help. If it had been through hard-cash, many people would have lost their transfers from theft cases. There is nothing according to me GD could improve on.

I spent my transfer on buying a cow as an investment for my family. I felt it was the best way to save the transfer by buying a cow which is easier to keep and take care of. I also used part of the transfer to start a small cloth business as another way to boost my income so that I can always get some income to help me meet my daily needs. The rest of the transfer I used on medication for my family since we were sick and needed medical attention. I am glad we were treated well and in a good hospital because of the transfers. I would have had to borrow to pay for medication.

I have been practising farming for many years but because we lack the necessary tools to undertake this effectively, then even the harvest is always not much to sustain us. Also, a portion of my farm is at times left uncultivated due to poor timing. We can only afford to use oxen in ploughing because it's the best alternative and readily available tool that can help me in ensuring that my whole acreage is utilised. I used to hire from neighbours during the planting season which was a bit costly for me, thus my farm was underutilised. When I received my first transfer, I resolved to buy my own pair, which I now use in ploughing. I am glad that with this pair of oxen, I will be able to cultivate my whole acreage for a better harvest. Having the oxen to me is the biggest difference because I will no longer be hiring from neighbours, instead, I will hire to them at a fee, which means an income to me.

I received the transfer early in the morning as I was preparing myself for the tasks of the day. I was curious to know who could have sent me a message early that morning. When I checked who the sender was, I was greatly amused and happy because GiveDirectly had finally sent the first transfer. I thanked them even as I planned to withdraw my transfer and spend to transform my life positively.

Subsistence farming to me has been the main source of food for feeding and sustaining my family. However, I needed more effective farm tools to aid me in this, that is, a pair of oxen. I couldn't afford to buy them at my own cost. When I received my first transfer, I spent KES 32000 to buy the pair. I decided to buy this pair because it's readily available during the planting season and requires little maintenance. Through the pair, I will be able to cultivate my whole farm timely for better harvests. In addition, my daughter is operating a grocery shop in town which has also been a good source of income to us. Thus when I received my money, I invested KES 18000 to her business to buy more stock which would ensure a higher profit is realised. I know by investing in it, I am assured of fulfilling the family basic needs such as providing foodstuffs and meeting other household expenses without much struggle. I spent the remaining amount to buy adequate daily foodtuffs and also paying for other household expenses.