"I spent my recent transfer to restart my poultry farming by purchasing two chicken for KES 800. This is a profitable venture that I had been doing sometimes back but they all died due to an outbreak of a chronic illness. Since then, I have not been able to go on with it because I lacked finances. The remaining amount assisted me in purchasing food for myself. I did not have enough food in the store. I am planning to use KES 1000 for the next transfer to support the education of my grandchildren who are in primary school. Also, I will use the remaining to purchase enough food for the family."

"We spent KES 22000 of our recent transfer on buying a 2300-liter water tank. We bought the water tank because we usually experience a prolonged dry season in our area which usually makes the nearby small rivers dry up. We are hence usually forced to a bigger river which is quite far from home. We hence bought the water tank so that we could use it in collecting rainwater for our household use. We also spent KES 4000 on constructing a cowshed for our cows. We decided to construct the cowshed so that the cows could have somewhere that they can stay when there are rains. We were not able to buy the water tank and construct the cowshed since we didn't have the money. Most of the money that we usually make from our businesses usually goes to the payment of school for our four children who are still in school. Two are in the university and two are in secondary school. Other than that, we also spent KES 3000 on tilling our piece of land for planting and we bought more chickens for rearing which cost us KES 2000. I still have some amount with me which I am planning to use in expanding our chicken house and to buy a wire mesh for placing all around the chicken house. I want to rear more chickens. The few chickens that I have been rearing have been of great help to me. I usually sell the eggs and use the money from the sales on buying household items such as sugar, soap, etc. We are thus grateful to GiveDirectly for their big support."

"I spent KES 25000 of my recent transfer on paying college fees for one of my children. My child was owing to the college a lot of money which was being needed urgently and I didn't know where I was going to get such a large sum of money. I am thus glad and grateful to GiveDirectly because their transfer came in handy. I then bought 2 bags of maize for our consumption at a total cost of KES 7000. With the remaining transfer amount, I used it on building a sleeping house for my boys. They didn't have somewhere to sleep. They have been sleeping in the store. It has always been my wish to build them one but I was not able to since I didn't have the money. I usually do casual jobs to earn a living. I also have some trees in my farm and a few chickens that I am rearing which I at times sell and use the money in paying school fees for my two children. One who is in college and the other who is in secondary school. I am thus grateful to GiveDirectly for making this possible for me."

"The transfers have ensured that I have enough food in my household. For the past months, I have struggled a lot to at least buy a single meal for my family. I depended on subsistence farming which has not been doing well due to the drought that has persisted for a year now. I do not have a source of income that I could rely on to fulfil my needs. I am glad that food has not been a challenge after receiving the transfers. I am now able to take three meals a day unlike before when I could skip meals. In addition to this, I now own two chickens and two ducks that I purchased through the money. I believe once these birds increase in number, I can rely on them for my future needs like school fees for my children."

"Over the years I used to indulge mostly in subsistence farming so as to ensure that my family and I always had a meal, but unfortunately climate change did a number on us because we have experienced drought for quite sometime which has left us and our families almost headed for starvation. So when I received the funds from GiveDirectly it was a no brainer when it came to deciding what I needed to purchase first. I went on to buy a bag of maize flour, that contained a dozen packets for KES 1,620 and the used KES 380 to acquire sardines, a kilogram of beans and sugar. Luckily I was still left remaining with about KES 1,000 which I ended using in buying chicken since I intended to begin poultry farming."

"In the hopes that they might be useful later on while experiencing financial difficulties, I was planning to invest in buying a few farm animals this year by purchasing a few goats and chickens. In addition, I want to use the money to pay for my four children's college tuition as we often rely on my husband's meager earnings from side jobs. I'm hoping that this money will enable me to support myself when my husband is unable to. It's also important to consider nutrition, particularly in light of the drought we're currently facing and the subsequent poor harvest."

"I invested a larger portion of my transfers in livestock which include 9 chickens and a goat. My plan is to ensure that through these animals, I will be able to use them as assets to educate my children. In addition to this, I also paid for my children's school fees for them to continue with their studies. They had stayed at home for some time due to a lack of fees. I am relieved to see them continue with their studies without any interruptions. Lastly, I took KES 1000 and bought enough food for my family. I am glad that my family could now enjoy three meals a day unlike before when we could skip meals."

"The transfer has brought a very big difference in my life. This is because I managed to achieve a lot with the money. I now have a cow of my own and we will no longer lack milk for our consumption when it calves. I also managed to finish building the house that we had left pending for a while. We now have enough space that can accommodate guests visiting our household. Other than that, I also managed to pay school fees for my child. I have thus rested a bit from going out to do casual work since I am busy taking care of the cow that I bought. The chickens that I bought are helping me in that the money that I am getting from selling the eggs is helping me in buying the small household items such as soap."

"I first took out KES 12500 of my recent transfer and I used to buy five bags of maize for our consumption. We didn't have maize for our consumption and hence we were incurring the cost of buying some every day. I then took out another KES 6000 that I spent on paying school fees for my child who is in secondary school. Other than that, I also bought a cow at KES 25000. I bought the cow because I didn't have my own and my children were lacking milk for their consumption. I hence usually buy milk at times when I have the money and this milk is only enough to prepare the morning tea. I then spent another KES 15000 on improving the house that I have been living in. We had built the house while my husband was still alive but we didn't manage to fully complete building it. I thus resorted to moving into it that way because I was left with more responsibilities after he passed on and I didn't have the money. I usually sell maize casually for someone during the market day. The money that I get paid is little, it is only enough to buy food for the children. I at times save it and I use it to pay school fees for them. Other than that, I also usually rear chickens and sell eggs. The money from the sales helps me in buying the small essential household items. At times, I sell a chicken or two when I am faced with an emergency. My children gave me some of their transfer money, and hence I added to what I had. I hence bought clothes for the children with the remaining amount."

"The difference in my daily life since I received these funds is buying the two chickens. I intend to start poultry farming as another way of boosting my income. Poultry farming is one of the best ways to make extra cash because the market price is high and the demand is as well. Chicken rearing is relatively manageable and in 6months, I can start making a profit. I also intend to use the profit to buy some goats and practice goat farming as well. I am certain that keeping this livestock will be a turning point for my financial issues.  "