Looking forward, my goal is to continue growing our livestock assets. Currently, I have four goats, all bought with the help of the transfers. I plan to expand the herd further by using both my transfers and savings from the group. As the goats multiply, I’ll have the option to sell some in the future to address any pressing family needs or emergencies. I’m truly happy and grateful for the financial support, which has not only improved our living standards but is also enabling me to work towards building a more secure and stable future for my family.

I run a small business selling charcoal to support my family. My husband, who is the primary breadwinner, works as a mason, constructing houses. However, house construction jobs are not always available, and it’s challenging for him to secure consistent work. During these times, it becomes difficult for him to provide for the family, and I step in to help with the little I earn from my charcoal business. Thankfully, the financial transfers from GiveDirectly have provided a safety net for us during these financially difficult periods. I used $30 from the transfers to pay school fees for our two children who are in primary school, ensuring they can continue their education without any disruptions. I also spent $42 on food, making sure that our family had enough to eat and didn’t experience hunger. Additionally, I saved $30 in a family savings group we formed with eight other members. Every month, each member contributes $10, and the total is handed over to one person in the group to use for a development project of their choice. My intention is to use my turn’s savings to invest in livestock, which will be a long-term investment for my family, providing us with a source of future income.

By December, my goal is to expand my livestock holdings to around four goats. Currently, I'm proud to say I own three goats, which is a significant step forward considering our previous financial constraints. Before receiving monthly transfers, it was a real struggle to afford and care for livestock while also meeting our family's basic needs. Now, with this support, I can see my dream becoming a reality; a dream I never thought possible. I'm optimistic that with more goats, I'll not only secure a stable source of income by selling them as they multiply but also be able to support my children's education as they progress to higher levels. This opportunity means a lot to me and my family, promising a brighter future ahead.

Education has always been a priority in my life, driving my decisions and aspirations for my children's future. With the $20 from the cash transfer, I promptly cleared their school arrears, ensuring they could focus on their studies without worry. Witnessing their dedication and improved performance filled me with immense pride and motivation to persevere. Alongside that, I invested $30 in a savings initiative that involves purchasing goats. This initiative not only serves as a financial safety net but also aligns with my long-term goal of ensuring my children's educational aspirations are supported. Goats, with their potential to multiply, will provide a sustainable source of income, enabling me to fund their future endeavors as they progress through their schooling years. In addition to that, I allocated $12 to purchase three chickens, foreseeing them as a valuable asset in times of unforeseen expenses or emergencies. The strategic investment was a step towards securing my family's stability. The remaining $40 was essential for immediate household needs, including food and essential items that had been challenging to afford consistently. Each purchase and decision fueled by the cash transfer aimed at fortifying our resilience and ensuring my children could pursue their educational dreams without financial hindrances.

My current objective is to acquire more livestock, particularly goats and chickens, and raise them. At present, I own two goats and sixteen chickens, which are valuable assets for me given our poor financial status. Previously, it was challenging to purchase and care for livestock because of our financial situation while also providing for our family's needs. However, I recently received a good harvest from my farm, which has ensured that my family has enough food. As a result, we can now comfortably enjoy three meals a day without any financial strain. This has provided me with an opportunity to invest in the livestock I have always wanted to have. I am confident that I can use the livestock to meet my future financial needs by selling these animals as they increase in number.

Receiving the transfers has been a significant relief for my family, especially for my children. Previously, my children were frequently sent away from school due to a lack of money. Sometimes, they missed school for up to a month because I was unable to raise the required amount. Being a housewife, I don't have any source of income and rely on my husband, who does casual construction jobs, which are hard to come by. This makes it challenging to support my family adequately. However, the transfers have transformed our lives in many ways and have been a lifeline for us. I have always wanted to keep some livestock, especially chickens and goats, as they are good assets that can generate income for us. Therefore, I spent $65 from the recent transfers on buying two goats and three chickens, which makes a total of sixteen now. These are the only assets that I can comfortably keep and look after, and I hope they will multiply. In case of a financial need, I can also sell them. Furthermore, I settled my children's fee arrears, which were $50. This has ensured that my children are no longer facing disruptions due to a lack of fees, and they can continue with their studies. I am also happy that I have ample time to prepare for the next term. Finally, with the remaining amount, I bought food, which ensured that my family did not lack food. We are now comfortably eating three meals a day, unlike before when we could skip meals due to financial hardships.

I am to be able to educate my children. I did not get a chance to go through formal education to the highest levels I wanted to due to financial constrains. I do not want the lack of finances to cause a halt in my children's education and I aim to ensure this buy buying and rearing more animals. By this the animals I will increase my income and ensure that all my children go to school.

I have been able to facilitate my children going to school using this cash transfers that I have received from Givediretcly. My first child is in grade three and the fees per term is $3 while for my youngest who is in grade one, the school fees termly is $6. I spent $10 in July, $10 in September while in September I spent $4. I also used $24 in August and July on food. In September I have set aside $30 from my transfers to buy a goat.

The transfers have greatly helped me curb food shortages in my household as well as take care of my children's school fees. I am currently farming, and I am expecting to get a good harvest that will ensure food security in my household since the rains are now adequate, unlike the past three years. When I have enough food in my household, I am planning to divert my transfers to buying livestock such as chickens and goats, rear and let them reproduce and increase in number. The advantage of keeping them is that I can sell them to cater for my financial needs, such as school fees for my children and other basic household needs.

The transfers have ensured that my children are in school, and I can also take care of the family's basic needs, such as food. I have three children in school and raising fees for them would have been a challenge if it weren't for the transfers. Currently, I have been paying for them on time every month whenever I receive a transfer, thus enabling them to continue with their studies without interruptions. Apart from the fees, I have also been able to adequately provide food daily. I do not have a source of income that I can rely on as I have been doing subsistence farming, which has not been doing well, and my husband also sells charcoal, which also doesn't pay him much. Receiving the transfer has made it possible for my family to take three meals a day, unlike before, when we could skip some meals due to lack of money to buy enough food.

One of my biggest struggles has been getting my kids to go to school, especially when they end up staying home for weeks after I fail to pay their tuition due to lack of funds, which is distressing for both them and me. I intend to cover their costs this year so that they can continue their lessons uninterrupted. After that, I'll use the money to make sure that neither my family nor I ever go hungry, as that is another issue brought on by the drought that we frequently encounter.

I have always had an interest in trying to grow my farm by investing more in buying a couple of farm animals preferably which include poultry and goats especially since cows are way more costly. Therefore, this time around after I received the transfers I went to ahead to use KES 2,700 in acquiring a goat. Afterwards, I ended up using the remaining balance of KES 700 to ensure we had food in the house so I bought three packets of maize flour.

We had run out of food in the house two days before I got my transfer. A half cup of maize flour porridge that we borrowed from our neighbor was our main source of nourishment. Subsistence farming is my main source of income, but I am no longer able to work on the farm due to the severe effects of the drought. In the present, I make a second income by selling charcoal. Due to the small amount of money I make, which is insufficient to support my family's needs, I have struggled to make ends meet. I therefore spent $10 on food for my family when I received my transfer. I made a lot of food purchases because I wasn't sure I would make money from selling charcoal. This made me feel more at ease about the possibility of my family going to bed hungry again. I then paid the $15 in overdue school fees for my children attending Mutulu Primary School. My children were shuttled out of school for over two weeks until the full amount of the school fee debt was paid. They were compelled to stay at home and miss crucial lessons because I didn't have any money at the time. They returning to school and continuing their education makes me happy.

I hold an opinion that in giving direct cash transfers, the beneficiaries have freedom to decide on how to spend their financial aid. As a result, all recipients have an opportunity to prioritize what they need most and this creates more impact in our lives. For instance, when I received the cash, I was able to spend it on school fees as well buying a goat and I take pride in the same. There is nothing that I have observed that GiveDirectly does not do well.

I had not fully paid my three daughters' school fees at the time the transfers were sent. As a result, I spent KES 500 to cover their school fee arrears, allowing them to continue their studies comfortably. Furthermore, I spent KES 2,500 on buying a goat. I had always wanted to raise livestock, particularly goats. Goats do well in our area and are easier to maintain than other flocks such as sheep. Raising goats will assist me in raising some money once the program comes to the conclusion, allowing me to continue to support my family by providing food and paying school fees.

I remember it was around 10 p.m when I was about to go to bed when I heard a message notification from my phone. I hurriedly opened the message thinking my husband has send me some money which I expected only to find out that I had received the transfers. I was supper excited as we had just cooked the last packet of maize floor and with the transfers, I was guaranteed of a bundle and more.

I bought enough food to take us through the month and we have been managing to have three meals per day compared to previous when we could only afford one meal per day. This has also given my husband a chance to save for school for and we have been able to redeem fees arrears.

Sine I'm a house wife, my family entirely depends on my husband who depend on carpentry to earn living. since he cannot afford to buy hardwood, he's been making beds, chairs and doors out of softwoods. Due to quality of the items, he sell them at low prices and the demand in this location is not high because high levels of poverty. The less that he earns at least manages to afford is a one meal per day and pay a bit of school fees so it hasn't been easy for us. I spend KES 500 to buy school uniform for one of my five children who's uniform was torn and the balance to buy a bundle of maize floor and five kilograms of beans.This food can last us for a month hence giving my husband easy time to save up for school fees.