"My health and well-being will remain my top priority, so in the coming year and beyond, I plan to continue using a portion of my transfers to purchase the necessary medication, refills, and special nutrition I need to maintain and improve my health. Additionally, I intend to keep investing another portion of the transfers in more goats and chickens, with the hope that they will multiply and grow in value. In the future, I can sell some of them to start a business. Due to my health condition, I am unable to do heavy work, so my goal is to open a shop where I can sell household consumables without needing much physical strength. I am hopeful that these dreams will come true, and I am deeply grateful for the support I receive from GiveDirectly." (Occupation: Small business)

"Initially, I had plans of renovating my house, but things have become quite difficult and so I had to shift my priorities. The drought and hunger affecting our region has made life challenging for many of us. I used to collect building poles from the forest and sell them to people in my community who were constructing homes. But with the current hunger crisis, people are more focused on providing food for their families, leaving me with fewer customers for the building poles. This has reduced my income, and now I solely rely on the transfers from GiveDirectly. For the coming year and beyond, I plan to use a portion of these transfers to continue paying school fees for my children and buy food for my family. Additionally, where possible, I intend to invest in chickens, hoping they will multiply and grow in value. My hope is that when my children need school fees, I can sell some of the chickens to cover their costs and ensure they continue with their education. I’m truly grateful for the support from GiveDirectly, especially during these difficult times." (Occupation: Small business)

"Going forward this year and beyond, my goal is to continue farming. I want to make it a sustainable venture by consistently reinvesting in it. This will help me meet my family’s food needs and generate extra income. I plan to save money from farming and, hopefully, open a business in the future. The thought of achieving this excites me because it will truly transform my life."

"I woke up to a message confirming I had received $200. Unsure of the source, I called my village elder to ask if it was from GiveDirectly. He confirmed that the money had indeed come from them. Overjoyed by the news, my mood instantly brightened and set a positive tone for the day. My first thought was to use the money to find a safe piece of land. I wanted to move my family away from the devastating effects of the floods that had previously caused so much damage." (Occupation: Small business)

"Our home is incomplete, we've not done roofing and final finishing. As our family grows the house becomes smaller. We have already expanded it and need an additional $400 to complete it. Once complete, we can peacefully live as a family. It will reduce stress on where our children can sleep. Goats do well here due to the favourable hot climate. There are enough feeds in the village. Keeping them is an easy task and they multiply fast. They can be sold for additional income. We plan to spend $300 to buy about six goats. Since I've been doing fish vending, I plan to establish a permanent place to sell. The transfer will enable me to pay for licenses and buy enough stock. I'll also need materials such as a frying pan and oil to deep fry the fish. When the fish is prepared, they fetch better prices. This business means sustainability for my family, the income will enable us to buy food daily and also save some for school fees." (Occupation: Small business)

"My current dream is to expand the number of animals I own. These animals have proven to be a reliable way to cope with extreme weather, allowing us to sell them for school fees and food. We currently have 8 chickens and 8 goats, and I plan to grow this by purchasing more animals through my monthly transfers. I also intend to breed my goats to increase their numbers, which will provide financial support in case I face any challenges. This is a dependable way for me to improve my living standards, especially as the transfers come to an end. I also run a motorbike taxi business to help support my family, along with the assistance from GiveDirectly."

"Our current house is in a dilapidated state, which poses a serious safety concern for us. For this reason, I am determined to build a new house that will provide the security and space my family needs. My goal is to continue saving $10 each month in the savings group, allowing the funds to accumulate over time. Once I receive more transfers, I will combine the savings to begin building a spacious, secure home for my family. I’m truly thankful for the financial support, which is helping me work toward achieving my goals and improving our quality of life." (Occupation: Small business)

"Currently, my job selling charcoal brings in very little income, making it difficult to meet all of my family’s needs. To address this, I plan to use my future transfers to invest in livestock. The goal is to rear the animals and, once they multiply, sell some to generate additional income. This will enable me to better support my family. I will continue saving with my savings group to build up enough funds to purchase the livestock. I am really thankful for the financial support, as it’s helping me work toward a brighter future for my family." (Occupation: Small business)

"Looking ahead, my biggest goal is to provide my children with the education they need for a brighter future. I plan to use future transfers to pay for their school fees. This will make sure that their learning continues uninterrupted. Along with supporting their education, I aim to invest in my business, attracting more customers and boosting profits. I’m truly thankful for the financial support, which is helping me take care of my family and improve our lives." (Occupation: Small business)

"Working from home for the past 1year has enabled me see an opportunity of opening up the tailoring business here.With time I foresee the number of customers rising , therefore I would like to put up a kiosk worth approximately KES 18000 and get my husband a startup business of trading goats through acquiring 6 goats each at a cost of KES 5000.I am extremely excited that these transfers will enable my family have a better life in the future."