My main goal is to acquire two bulls to enhance our farming operations. Currently, we are utilizing four acres of our family land and the cost of preparing it is high because we have to hire a tractor at $10 per acre. This expense has limited our farming capacity prompting the need to purchase the bulls that will allow us to till a larger portion of our land that is currently unused. Each mid-sized bull costs around $200, so I need $400 for two. From the sales of some chickens from my poultry project last month, I managed to raise enough money for one bull, which I plan to purchase next month. Then, I intend to use the payout from my savings group to buy the second bull. In addition to enhancing our farming endeavors, these bulls will serve as an additional income stream for my family as we intend to offer ploughing services to fellow villagers at a slightly lower fee compared to tractor services. This initiative not only benefits our farming activities but also provides a valuable service to the community, contributing to agricultural sustainability and economic empowerment.

In order to allow myself to achieve bigger plans that may require a huge amount of money, I usually save $20 of my monthly transfers which when accumulated can go along way in supporting my growth endeavors in the future. Additionally, I allocate $10 of the transfers for my poultry project. The money is usually meant for the purchase of chicken feed and other requirements such as vaccines. I currently boast of 60 chickens which is after I sold a good number last month.This project stands out as my greatest achievement since I began receiving the transfers as it was initiated with the funds from the project. Once these two critical aspects are addressed, the remaining funds are used to meet basic household needs.

My primary objective is to save money within our savings group with the intention of using it to acquire additional livestock, such as goats and chickens. Currently, I am the owner of 30 chickens and seven goats, which I am diligently caring for. These animals serve as valuable assets that I can turn to in times of financial need. In addition to this, I shoulder the responsibility of covering the educational expenses for my two brothers, as my parents are no longer able to provide support due to their advanced age. Consequently, I am setting aside funds in anticipation of their future educational endeavors. Given that my siblings depend on me for their education and I lack a consistent source of income to sustain them, I believe that the ownership of these livestock will help ensure their educational aspirations and secure their future.

I am currently in the process of acquiring iron sheets and timber to restore my house's rooftop, which was damaged by strong winds. The existing roof couldn't withstand the force of the winds. My objective is to purchase at least 14 iron sheets to initiate the renovation. To start, I have already invested $70 in procuring a portion of the required iron sheets, and I plan to acquire more in the upcoming months. Revamping my house is essential to providing a secure and peaceful living space. Additionally, during this time, I received the transfer while preparing my three-acre farmland for cultivation. In order to enhance productivity, I allocated $20 to purchase fertilizer, which I applied to my farm. This investment led to a bountiful harvest on my three acres, alleviating the issue of food shortages in my household. As a result, my family now enjoys three meals a day without any concerns. Moreover, I set aside $10 to cover the school fees for my siblings who were sent home due to fee arrears. I am pleased that this support allowed them to continue their education. Finally, I joined a savings group with the intention of accumulating funds for future investment in viable projects. I have diligently saved the remaining funds, and I am optimistic that by the end of the year, I will have amassed a substantial amount to embark on new ventures like buying more poultry and goats.

The excitement within me is palpable as I eagerly await my turn to receive the funds from my savings group. With this money in hand, I have plans to purchase a male cow that will prove instrumental in assisting with the harvest. This cow will bring strength and support to our farming efforts, ensuring a smoother and more productive harvest season. I am filled with anticipation and gratitude for the opportunity to invest in such a valuable asset that will contribute to the success of our farming endeavors.

As I work diligently in a hotel to make ends meet, the arrival of my transfer brought a sense of relief and opportunity. With joy in my heart, I contributed $20 to my savings group, fostering a spirit of collective progress. Additionally, I invested $10 in seeds, envisioning a bountiful harvest in the future. With the remaining amount, $4, I wisely purchased soap and oil, ensuring our household's cleanliness and well-being. This moment of financial empowerment has inspired me to strive for a brighter future while meeting our immediate needs.

I believe every little effort we give into our business, the output will be great. I am really working hard so as to be able to save enough and start my own poultry farm. Ever since I was a child, I have had a vision of being great and to be great one has to do something unique. I have so far bought thirty chicken and I believe it will hatch and I will be able to sell them and buy more chicken. Through buying and selling of chicken I was able to buy at least four goats that are giving me pride. I also joined a merry go round last month so as to save enough and take loans when needs arise to buy more chicken and sell them. I have been able to make more profits and I believe I will make more and more in days to come.

I completed my class eight and was unable to join high school because of my parents inability to pay my school fees. I really wanted to complete my high school and join college to pursue my dream of becoming an Electrical Engineer but because of the financial constraints, I was forced to remain at home. Instead of staying at home, I decided to start selling local toothbrushes to people in Mombasa. My business is really doing well and at times I get $10 a day which at least helps us cover most of our family needs. My parents currently live in a muddy house whose roof is made of grass. The moment I received my transfers, I decided to renovate my parents house. I changed the grass roof to a metal sheet roof. It did cost me $16 to buy two metal sheets. I had originally bought five metal sheets which really made my work easier because I did not incur cost. I also bought building sticks and nails at $8 and I immediately started renovating my parents home.

Give directly did well to provide the funds in my village because most of the women in my village have come together and formed saving groups which are helping the pull funds together and finance women on different business projects.

Financial constraint is one problem faced by my family due to lack of employment. I am born into a family of six children, with my mother being the breadwinner of the family. I could not complete my high school education but did some training in electrical wiring. My mother works as a charcoal burner, which gives us little earnings to meet our basic needs, whereas my father is unemployed and ancient. My transfer was spent on buying a goat and a cock, which cost me $27. The remaining $3 was spent to buy a packet of maize flour to be used that day as food because it was one of those days that we had nothing to eat and it was a bad day for my mother’s charcoal business.

I was woken up from a nap at 5 p.m. by a message alert on my mobile phone. Upon checking its contents, I confirmed that my first transfer from Give Directly had been sent. I breathed a sigh of relief because I had just depleted my weekly income and the household had run out of food. The money would allow me to provide food for my family that day and I could not be happier.

The cash transfer relieved a lot of the stress I had been experiencing throughout the day. After finishing all my earnings, I had been wondering all day how I would feed my family since the household had run out of food. The ability to put food on the table is the greatest impact brought to my life by the transfer.

At his advanced age of 72 years, my father no longer actively contributes to the provision of my family's needs. As the first-born son, my family mostly counts on me to financially support the household of nine members. I sell chewing sticks outside mosques in Mombasa. Mostly, the believers use these sticks as toothbrushes after every religious session. Due to the high demand, I can sell up to 300 sticks every week making at least KES 3,000. However, as a result of the heavy burden of responsibilities behind me and the rising commodity prices, sometimes this amount is just not enough to meet a week of expenses. In fact, when I received the transfer, the household had run out of food the previous day and I had no money. So, I used the entire transfer amount to buy foodstuffs for my family.