"I rely heavily on my son, who raises livestock for a living. His job has been negatively impacted by the drought. The effects of the drought caused 40 of the animals he did care for to perish. Because there aren't many livestock left to take care of, he only makes $1.5 per day. I bought a lot of food (three packets of 2 kg maize flour, 1 kg of beans, 1 kg of sugar, vegetables, and fruits) when I got the transfer so I wouldn't have to rely so heavily on my son, who was finding it difficult to feed me. I used up the last bit of maize flour by cooking a tiny piece of ugali two days before getting my transfer. I made do with drinking water and a few wild fruits until I got my second transfer, at which point I was able to buy food because I had no money left.In addition to purchasing food, I spent $20 on a goat. Once the goats have multiplied, I intend to sell them and purchase a dairy cow. I'll get some money by selling milk that the cow produces."

"I've been struggling for a while to pay my kids' tuition. This is a result of the nature of my work, which involves acting as a middleman in the sale of livestock like goats and cows and earning very little money. The village's livestock industry has suffered greatly as a result of the drought, as many animals have perished for lack of enough grass to feed on. My children's education has been impacted by my meager income because they are frequently sent home for nonpayment of school fees. In secondary school, my oldest son owes $830 in outstanding fees, while my youngest son owes just $7. When I received my transfer, I used a significant portion of it to help them resume their studies by paying off a portion of their school debts. I am glad that they are back in school and continuing their studies just like their colleagues. Last but not least, I used the remaining money to buy a packet containing two kilograms of maize flour and one kilogram of sugar. The fact that my family ate supper and did not go to bed hungry makes me happy."

"I turned to raising livestock as a secondary source of income after enduring the negative effects of the drought for more than three years. The lack of rain made it extremely challenging to grow crops on the farm. Many difficulties exist in raising livestock, most of which are brought on by the drought's effects. I currently have four cows and twenty goats in total. The quick influx of wealth over time once the livestock multiplies influences my decision regarding how to make money. I do sell some few goats in an emergency and use the proceeds to meet expenses. I therefore bought a new goat when I got my second transfer. Having more goats will enable me to sell them for more money and make a healthy profit margin during the rainy season, which is why I want to increase my herd size. I have high hopes that the profit will enable me to pay my son's school expenses for the upcoming primary school year."

"After the arrivals of the funds I decided to use KES 2,000 out of the transfers I went on to buy a goat. This is because I planned to invest in my farm by buying a couple of farm animals most preferably goats since cows were quite expensive. Afterwards I was left with a balance of KES 1,000 which I decided to spend on nourishment and bought half a dozen packets of maize flour since I barely had any food in the house."

"Owning a cow is a dream come true. I never thought that I could afford one anytime soon due to our financial status. Additionally, the lives of people in our community were uplifted, too. We are grateful for the unconditional transfer that transformed our lives to a higher height."

"The new goal that I have now is to purchase a daily cow. I always buy milk daily from my neighbors and this is so costly for me. I will save the small income from my business of grocery that I do to buy a dairy cow in the future. I will cut the daily cost and spend the money on other basic household needs."

"I spent $320 on purchasing a dairy cow. I used to buy milk daily this was so costly for me. Whenever I do not have money we would go without milk and this was so demoralizing. I rely majorly on small-scale farming whereby I plant maize and beans. This is majorly for consumption and sometimes we sell the surplus to get some money to meet our daily household needs and school fees for my children. Currently, I have enough milk for the family, and I have cut the daily cost that I usually incur on purchasing me. I spent $30 on paying school fees for my four children in primary school. They are now studying well without being sent home like before. The remaining amount of money I spent on purchasing timber and household basic needs that we were missing. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards."

"Living in a family land was the only option that I had, I could not afford to purchase a parcel of land because of financial constraints since I used to work as a hairdresser where we would earn wages, unfortunately, when there was no work we would go home empty-handed. I am a single mother of one. When I received my first transfer, I used it to start my salon. It is a dream come true since for a year I could not initiate it due to financial constraints. Upon receiving my second transfer, I saw it fit to purchase a dairy cow worth $200. Secondly, I bought a parcel of land for $330. I was unable to acquire this before because of financial constraints. I am happy and contented to have secured the land that I have been longing to have all these years. I am grateful for the tremendous support that uplifted my living standards."

"I depend on selling milk for my survival, It is not an easy task because it involves waking up very early in the morning in search of the commodity. I am a mother of five children. When GiveDirectly promised me the unconditional transfer, I thought about purchasing a dairy cow, this is because I knew that it would attract more profit to my business. Therefore, I bought a cow worth $350 to add to the one that I had. This was not possible before due to school fees responsibilities. Additionally, I used $100 on my business and used the remaining amount on foodstuffs and clothes. I am contented with what I have achieved so far, thus I am forever grateful."

"My next plan is to purchase a dairy cow, which would enable me to cut down on the cost of buying milk daily. I plan to realize this dream by taking up a loan from my employer and also saving the daily profit from my poultry project."