I have always dreamed of owning cows to use for plowing my farm. Currently, I don’t have my own bulls and ox-driven plow disc, which means I have to hire from others, and this has been quite costly. To reduce these farm preparation expenses, I plan to acquire my own cows and a set of disc plows. To achieve this goal, I intend to continue using a portion of my transfers to invest in goats, hoping that they will multiply. In the future, I aim to trade some of these goats for the cows I have always wanted. As my goat herd grows, I also plan to use them to support my children's education and help with any other needs that may arise by selling some of them. My ultimate goal is to ensure that by the end of this program, I have something sustainable to rely on for taking care of my family and my children's education while also resolving my farming challenges.

The transfers I received from GiveDirectly came at a crucial time when I was dealing with health issues and needed surgery. Given my condition, it wasn't safe for me to use public transport, so I spent $34 of the transfers to hire a private taxi to take me to and from the hospital for me to get the necessary medical attention. Additionally, I spent another $9 on the prescribed medication necessary for my recovery after the surgery. I am not yet fully recovered, but I am glad to say that I am progressing well, and I thank God for the milestone as my condition was very bad. I also have two children in school, and therefore, I allocated $34 to pay their school fees, ensuring they could continue their education without the interruption of them being sent home to collect unpaid school fee debts. Lastly, I used the remaining $25 to buy a goat, adding to my existing livestock with hopes that they will multiply and increase in number and value. In the future, I plan to trade some of these goats for cows that I can use for plowing my farm. I am very grateful for the support from GiveDirectly, especially during this challenging time when we are also affected by drought. This assistance has been invaluable for my family.

In the coming year and beyond, my main aim is to expand my livestock, specifically goats and chickens. I want to ensure that by the time my children are ready for secondary school and college, I'll have accumulated enough goats to sell and finance their education. With the incoming transfers, which are my main source of income, I intend to gradually increase my livestock. I firmly believe that providing my children with a good education will secure their future and enable them to lead successful lives. This goal drives me forward every day, knowing that the well-being and opportunities of my children depend on the steps I take now.

A few months ago, I had a sudden health problem that caused me a lot of pain and kept me from sleeping. Recently, the issue came back, and the pain made it hard for me to rest. When I received the cash transfers, I used almost $58 to go back to the hospital for more checkups and x-rays. I'm relieved that after thorough checkups, I'm now on medication and feeling much better. This was possible because of GiveDirectly, as I wasn't sure how I would afford this treatment since I earn a living through farming and preaching. With the money, I also bought three chickens for $10.They're now assets that I can depend on if money gets tight. I also used part of the funds to pay off the school fees for my two younger children. I'm happy they're not being sent home from school as often as before and can concentrate better on their studies. Finally, I bought food and other things we needed for our household. This support has made a big difference for my family, giving us stability and hope for the future.

With our food security now assured, my goal for the year ahead is to further invest in livestock and poultry. This investment not only promises future profit but also serves our personal needs. Using the transfers received, I aim to expand this venture, recognizing it as an opportunity to transform our circumstances for the better. I am genuinely thankful for this chance to improve our lives and contribute to the prosperity of our community.

I serve as a pastor, and alongside my wife, we engage in farming to provide for our family. However, we encountered significant challenges during a prolonged drought, leading to food scarcity and the loss of twenty-five cows. Fortunately, the support from GiveDirectly has been a tremendous blessing, not only to us but also to our entire community. Through this assistance, we have witnessed positive changes, including the emergence of savings clubs and improved access to food and education. Previously, my children faced the constant threat of being sent home from school due to unpaid fees, but now, thanks to these transfers, they can continue their education uninterrupted. I used $58 to clear a school fee debt for my son in secondary school, and another $30 to purchase a goat and two chickens, which I plan to raise and sell later on at a profit. Additionally, I allocated $14 to purchasing cement for renovating the floor of our house, significantly enhancing our living conditions. I am filled with happiness and gratitude for being part of such a remarkable initiative that has uplifted the lives of my people.

My goal for the upcoming year is to accumulate savings and invest in acquiring goats, a venture I have found to be both worthwhile and promising in terms of potential profits . The recent rainfall in my area further assures me that there will be an ample supply of grass for them to feed on. I plan to utilize future transfers to finance this venture, especially now that the children have concluded their school term, allowing me to channel these resources into the goat farming project. I am profoundly grateful to this organization as their support has undeniably brought about transformative changes in my life.

I serve as the pastor in charge of our local church, and I also engage in farming. It brings me great joy to witness the arrival of rains in our village after a prolonged drought, resulting in a bountiful harvest this season. Life was a constant struggle for us in the past, with challenges in putting food on our tables and providing education for our children. I am overjoyed to report that, through these transfers, I have managed to secure an education for my three children – two in primary school and one in secondary school. I directed $15 towards purchasing food before the harvest, and $77 was utilized to clear an outstanding school fees debt and fund an upcoming educational school trip. I used the remaining funds to purchase two chickens, marking a fresh start after my previous flock was eliminated by coccidiosis. This transformation has not only benefited me but has also had a positive impact on our entire community.

I had always wanted to be one of the known livestock keepers in the area and my main goal is to have a large livestock-rearing project. With the transfers that I have been receiving, I already bought some chicken and I currently have around 13 to start off the project. I also plan to be spending around $15 of my monthly transfers to buy at least 3 chicken to increase the current population and with time I would sell some of them to buy goats to keep the project going.

I have been suffering from fistula which made me not to engage in most of the income-generating activities as I used to do before, and with this situation, having enough money to feed my family had been quite a great challenge. The situation worsened and I was scheduled for an operation that was done in the month of May and till now I am still bedridden. The operation went on well but I did not have enough money to cater for the hospital bills and I was forced to borrow some amount from one of my friends, though I didn’t know how I was going to repay the debt considering my current state. But luckily, GiveDireclty came to my rescue, and I managed to repay the amount of $24.00 that I had borrowed and I felt so relieved. One of my children had also been sent home to collect the pending school fees balance and since I was left with a little amount, I decide to pay her $10 to reduce the huge balance.

My primary source of income, farming, is no longer profitable, so I'm considering making a different investment that will still be successful. My objective this year is to get four goats because they can survive the drought in our area and are consequently doing well. The demand for them is strong, and they reproduce every year. Hence, by selling some of them in the future, I will be able to make a nice living from them and use the proceeds to support our family. Although I am a religious leader, I essentially make nothing from it, therefore the goats will increase our income.

The last time we had adequate rain for our crops was five years ago. It has not been smooth for us because farming is the primary economic activity for the majority of people in the area. Food and water are in short supply, and as a result, the few available items are becoming more expensive. In addition, we have school-aged children, and the drought makes it difficult to cover their tuition costs. I'm grateful to GiveDirectly for making it so simple for us to take care of some of our needs. I paid $40 in school for the tuition of my children throughout the course of the previous three transfers. Two of them are still in elementary school, while one is in his final year of secondary school. We bought three chickens for $10 and used the remaining $52 of my money to buy enough food to last my home for a while. The fact that the chickens have already reproduced makes me happy, and I have faith that some of them will eventually be sold to generate revenue.

I spent $10 on food and household items for my family. I did not have enough food at that particular time. I was able to provide this and my family members were so happy and grateful. I spent $20 on paying school fees for my three children in primary. This has been my dream to ensure that my children get the best education. I am so grateful because this has been possible through the support from GiveDirectly.

I am gutted happy I got enrolled to the program because the financial aid has been quite life changing. I get to keep my children in school unlike before where they would end up staying home for weeks. Apart from that, with the rise in cost of living, the transfers have assisted me in being able to cope with changes of the economy.

It has been almost four years since we have experienced sufficient rain back in the village, which would allow the crops to grow. This devastating situation has led to most of us going through hunger and starvation because we are farmers and looked upto the harvest to ensure our families and ourselves were fed. So since nutrition is a challenge, I decided go use KES 1,500 from the transfers I received and bought half a dozen packets of maize flour. As for what was left which was KES 1,500, I ended up paying school fees since my child had been kicked out of school the previous day.

The funds were sent to me quite early in the day and I was just done finishing up on some errands when I saw the notification. I was very much ecstatic especially since I was under a lot pressure wondering how and where I would get the finances to ensure that my children were not kicked out of school and also make sure we would not starve.

I am glad that through the finances I managed to ensure that I keep my children in school which is most important for me especially since in the past they would end up staying for weeks since I lacked the money to send them back. Now they can stay in school just like other children and it makes them happy too.

A day before receiving the transfers two of my children had actually been kicked out if school due to pending debts in tuition fee but luckily I managed to politely request thr administration to consider giving me sometime as I looked for money to sort out the debt. Luckily the transfers came on the next day and I was very relieved since it meant I could keep my promise. I ended up paying KES 700 for the both of them and honestly the debt was not done but atleast the amount I paid would keep my children in school. The remaining KES 500 that was left I decided to purchase three packets of maize of maize flour worth KES 420 and used the remaining balance to purchase sardines because at the time there was barely any food in the house.