"A few years ago, I lost a herd of three cows and some goats as a result of the drought that dried up vegetation and water pans. It was a low moment in my life as these animals were the backbone of my financial stability; I used to sell them for money. After the tragedy, I was not able to acquire more livestock because I did not have funds. I am grateful that the financial aid opened an ideal door toward reviving my livestock-keeping venture. So far, I have obtained two goats and two chickens from the transfers. By next year, I wish to have increased the number of goats. Despite the harsh climatic conditions, I believe these animals are more resilient in such weather."

"I currently want to invest in raising livestock, mainly goats. I decided on goats since they can handle the hard climate in our area, they are less expensive to buy than cows, and there is a ready market for them when it comes time to sell. Due to the famine situation, it is challenging to accomplish this all at once, so I came up with a plan to buy at least three hens with each transfer to trade them for goats."

"In my area, goat keeping is very common. I believe this is due to the animal's ability to survive harsh climatic conditions better than any other type of livestock. Furthermore, owning goats is the safest way to invest money around here. As the animals reproduce and the herd grows, one's wealth grows and can be sold to generate money in times of need. Because I don't have a steady source of income, I'm concentrating my efforts on this venture. Fortunately, I already have two goats and five cows, and I hope to purchase more with the upcoming transfers, one goat every two or three months depending on hunger and other pressing family needs."

"When my cow died last year I lost hope but when Givedirectly gave me the financial support, I was able to buy another cow and I also paid the medical insurance and I even bought food and clothes for myself. My life is becoming better because of Givedirectly."

"I used the money I received from GiveDirectly to pay for my child's school fees, which cost $10. Additionally, I added $10 to my merry-go-round, a savings group that comes in handy whenever I am in need. The group comprises seven people, and I usually receive $80 from it. Aside from taking care of my family, I also look after my livestock, including two cows and four goats."

"I have a plan of increasing my number of animals. I do currently own one goat and 5 hens which is quite a start since I never had them before. However, I would like to increase this much more. I plan to get more female goats and I plan to breed them so that they reproduce and increase in number. For chicken what I want are more eggs to hatch in turn increasing my numbers. These are the easiest animals to sell around here and having them in large numbers is a big investment as I would be able to meet my family's emergencies as well as get goats and cows from selling the hens or their chicks."

"As I mentioned earlier, I joined a savings group as a result of receiving GD transfers. Last year we saved from February, and I was able to get about $100 in February this year, which has contributed towards achieving my goal. My main goal for the year is to build a house for my family which is usually a capital-intensive project. I have already purchased some of the things but I hope to see this project accomplished at the end of this year. I will still be saving with my savings group and direct my savings towards the project as my husband also works on the same. I also want to add a few more animals that will reproduce. I plan to eventually buy a cow by selling the offspring and using the proceeds from selling milk from the cow in taking care of my brother's school fees."

"I currently burn and sell charcoal but due to the persistent drought, we do not have customers like we used to. Life has become so difficult and challenging because most people do not have jobs to earn themselves income. The ones with jobs, do not have customers. After completing my house building project, I am planning to start my poultry farm and also buy goats, and start taking care of them. I believe with goats it is easy to sell them when they have grown and one can get a huge cow that you can feed and invest on, and sell it later at a profit. I believe every idea one has, provided they get the funds, they can put it into action and better their tomorrow. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for believing in us."

"My ultimate goal is to invest in buying cows once I receive the money from my savings account. With cows, I can generate a steady income through milk production and when the time comes, I will sell them for meat. This investment will help me provide for my family and ensure that my children have a bright future by using the profits from my cow business to pay for my children's college education. I believe that investing in their education is the key to helping them succeed and achieve their dreams. I want them to have access to the best possible education, and I am determined to make that happen."

"Since last year, it has not rained and life is really becoming unbearable. I currently work as a motorcyclist and people barely have money for food leave alone taking motorbikes as a means of transport. The most I can get in a day is $4 and that will only be enough for petrol for a day; nothing to eat, nothing to save. There are days that I will go home empty-handed after staying in the scorching sun for the whole day. For now, I am planning to continue investing most of my transfers in buying goats because they are capable of surviving in the drought, and once it rains, I will go sell them and get my family daily cows that we can milk from and also feed it and when they grow we sell them at a profit. I also have plans of joining my wife in selling of vegetables because what people need the most is food to make them strong and survive these tough times. I will be using my motorbike to go to a nearby village called Gana and purchase the vegetables in bulk at a cheaper price and sell it to my neighbour at affordable prices."