Now that I feel my health improving day by day, I’ve set a new goal: to buy goats and keep them in my compound. Currently, I don’t have any goats because I’ve been facing some hardships and rely on my sons for support. To achieve this goal, I plan to set aside a small amount from my transfers within my savings group each month. In a few months, I will be able to buy one or two goats. I’m confident they will thrive here at home, as there is plenty of pasture available. Once I succeed, I’ll have something to fall back on, especially for emergencies, particularly those related to health. This way, I can sell a few goats if needed and easily cover my expenses.

A few months ago, I was admitted to the hospital due to severe hypertension, a condition I have been struggling with for some time. Thankfully, the cash assistance arrived just when I needed it most, as I was uncertain about how I would pay for my treatment. With this help, I was able to settle my $54 hospital bill and use some of the remaining funds for other essential needs. I have been following the health recommendations I've received, and I am improving day by day. It is hard to express just how grateful I am to this organization for supporting me when I had nowhere else to turn. With the remaining $48, I focused on purchasing nutritious food, as my doctors advised me to maintain a balanced diet alongside my medication. Eating well and regularly, particularly with plenty of fruits, has helped me see gradual but significant improvements in my health. I am especially thankful because I was once unable to stand on my own, but now I feel stronger. These changes feel like miracles in my life something I never expected, especially now that I am a widow of advanced age and heavily reliant on my sons.

In the coming year and beyond, I am determined to focus on investing in goat farming to secure my future. I plan to save at least $15 every month, ensuring that I can gradually expand my herd. The choice of goats over cows is a strategic one; goats are more affordable to acquire and maintain, making them an ideal investment for my current financial situation. My passion for goat farming fuels my drive, and with careful planning and consistent effort, I am confident that I will achieve my goals and create a thriving agricultural venture.

As a widow depending on my five sons who do casual jobs in Mombasa town, I have always been grateful for their support. Despite having their own families to care for, they never fail to help me whenever they can. With the last three transfers, I decided to make a small investment for the future. I spent $40 to buy a goat, adding to the one I already had, making it two goats. This small investment is my hope for a more stable future, as I plan to breed them and possibly sell the offspring or use them for other purposes. The goats symbolize a step towards self-reliance and a little bit of security. With the remaining $62, I bought food to ensure I had enough at home. This purchase was a significant relief not just for me but for my sons as well. Knowing that I had enough food at home meant that they could focus more on their own families' needs without the constant worry about my situation. It felt like a small victory, to lift that burden off their shoulders, even for a while. These transfers have truly been my backbone, providing me with the means to support myself and allowing my sons some peace of mind.

In the next few years my plan is to start a chicken faming business .I want to buy some Chicken and raise them to sell later on and met my emergency at the same time be able to slaughter one whenever a visitor comes .Right now , am counting on the monthly transfers I receive from Givedirectly to help me get started. I believe that if I manage to grow my flock , I can eventually sell them for profit and make good money for myself and provide financial stability.

The quarterly transfers from GiveDirectly have been a true blessing for me. In December, I saved $20 and added $30 from January to buy a goat for $50, believing that its offspring will provide a safety net for emergencies. With the remaining $18 from January, I purchased food and milk for myself as I've been unwell for some time. I used $34 from January's transfer for transport to the hospital and to cover medical bills in Mariakani, where I've been seeking treatment for high blood pressure, stomach aches, and headaches. However, I now feel my health is improving, thanks to the support from GiveDirectly, which has eased the financial burden of seeking medical care. Although I'm jobless and old, I rely on my retired nurse son for support, and I'm grateful for the assistance of my sister-in-law who helps me physically when needed.

Considering the positive impact of the financial transfers, I have decided to allocate more of my future funds toward purchasing livestock. By doing so, I anticipate that the livestock will multiply over the next year, providing a safety net in case of emergencies. If needed, I can sell some of the livestock to meet my needs. I am overjoyed that I am now able to afford medical checkups and receive the necessary assistance thanks to the financial support I have received.

With my advanced age comes inevitable health challenges, and for the past two years, I have been grappling with fluctuating mental illness. To effectively manage my condition, I make regular visits to the hospital and, following each checkup, I need to purchase medication. During my last hospital visit, I spent $20 on medical expenses. Additionally, I recently invested $40 in purchasing a goat, recognizing it as a wise investment for the future. If I encounter financial difficulties, I can sell the goat and utilize the funds to support myself. As our village has started receiving rains, I allocated $25 to prepare my land for planting, ensuring a bountiful harvest that will provide an abundance of food for my household. The remaining $15 was used to purchase food for my family, preventing us from experiencing hunger. I am immensely grateful for the financial support that has uplifted my life out of poverty.

I wish to establish a stable source of income to cover my ongoing medical expenses and reduce my reliance on my sons. It weighs on my heart when they have to contribute to my needs while managing their financial responsibilities, especially with the increasing tuition costs for their children's education. To build my wealth, I plan to invest in livestock, particularly goats. I am happy that one of the goats I purchased with previous cash transfers has already given birth, and I am excited to continue growing my herd. This way, I can generate income from the sale of goats in the future, ensuring I have the necessary funds for my medical needs even after the cash transfers come to an end.

Before receiving the cash transfers, I relied heavily on my two sons to support me with my monthly medical expenses for my stomach complications. However, I was sad that my reliance placed an additional burden on them as they had their own families and responsibilities to take care of. The cash transfers have been a blessing as they have allowed me to cover some of my medical costs, including transportation to the clinic and the purchase of necessary medication. This has relieved the financial pressure on my sons, and I am grateful for the support. With the most recent cash transfers, I allocated $12 to cover my clinic expenses, ensuring that I could continue receiving the necessary medical care. I contributed the remaining $22 towards the purchase of food for my household. These transfers have not only enabled me to address my medical needs but also actively contribute to providing meals for my family. This has improved our overall well-being, knowing that we can enjoy at least one meal per day.

This year and in the future, I intend to invest in animal farming. I would like to expand my goat herd. After all, they serve as a form of security because they can be easily converted to monetary value when the need arises. If the herd grows, I will convert them to cows because our local calculation is that five goats can be exchanged for one cow. I hope to acquire plowing bulls for use during farming seasons. I'll be able to hire them for a fee and use them in my subsistence farming as well.

After receiving the latest transfer, I made the decision to increase my investment in my goat farm by adding a goat. I paid $30 to add an eleventh goat to the ten that my deceased spouse had bequeathed me. The idea behind buying goats is that they are cheap to keep and can easily be sold for money because there are markets for them. I made the decision to spend the final $4 for some food for my family out of sheer hunger. If I can't support my family, I typically become stressed out, which disturbs my peace of mind. I am very appreciative to the monthly transfers I receive.

I applaud the organization for providing us with the unconditional transfers because they have helped me in this difficult time to better my life. The money was very important in enabling me to purchase food and never go without. I implore the organization to keep taking on new members from the impoverished villages and work to improve their lives.

For the past three months, my health has been steadily getting worse, which has made it harder for me to take care of my needs (buying food, paying for medication, and buying clothes). Right now, I rely on my son, a teacher, to assist me financially in meeting some of my needs. I spent a significant portion of my second transfer, $22, on food purchases. Because of my son's financial difficulties and inability to support me, I purchased food in bulk. The food included fresh fruits and vegetables, which were crucial in boosting my immunity after getting sick several times. Finally, I bought two hens with the $8 that was left over. The hens are a wise and long-term investment because they will procreate and multiply, increasing my initial investment. I am free to sell some in the event of an emergency and use the proceeds to deal with the situation. I appreciate that this will provide me with a different option.

When the notification came in confirming the arrival of the transfers, I asked my grandson to help me read it out because I personally could not. Immediately after, he confirmed that the organization had sent out the money. I was honestly very much elated especially because this was my first transfer to receive from GiveDirectly.

I am really grateful with the donations that I have received so far from the organization. The reason behind my gratitude is because right now the funds have given me a form of independence and also the fact that I don't necessarily have to rely on my kids for my day-to-day needs because I'm quite old and cannot fend for myself.

As soon as I realized the funds had been sent out I went ahead to withdraw the funds because I already had an idea of what I wanted to start investing in since this was my first transfer. After the withdrawal I ended up spending KES 500 on buying a hen and this marked the beginning of me investing in poultry farming. I was left with a balance of about KES 670 which I ended up on focusing on nutrition with, so I bought three packets of maize flour and half a kilogram of sugar.