"I want to express my deep gratitude to GiveDirectly for their financial support. It has significantly helped me become more self-reliant, even while I’m still in college. For the coming year and beyond, my plan is to save $20 from each transfer to reach my goal of building a house. Currently, I don’t have my own home and stay at my brother’s place, but I know that once he marries, he’ll need his space, and I won’t have a place to stay. That's why I’m saving $20 each month towards building my own house, and I’m optimistic about achieving this goal. Once I have my house, I plan to start investing in goats. This is a promising initiative because goats multiply quickly and are easy to sell. If I grow my herd to a good size, I can sell some to help with any financial challenges that come up."

"My goal moving forward is to use my subsequent transfers to purchase more goats. Once they multiply, it will increase my investment, and in the future, when the transfer program ends, I can sell some of the goats to meet pressing financial needs. To achieve this goal, I plan to start saving money next year specifically for purchasing goats. With the festive season approaching, I also hope to sell many hens, and the profit from those sales will help me reach my goal. I am very happy and appreciative of the financial transfers so far, which have been a lifeline for my family."

"As a family of five, we rely heavily on my barber shop for support. Unfortunately, the business is not thriving, which has led me to seek alternative sources of income. I have been hoping to purchase an additional shaving machine to help grow my business, but finances have always been a challenge. Thankfully, with the anticipated transfers, I plan on spending KES 7500 on purchasing this shaving machine. In addition to that, I aim to spend KES 30000 in goats. They thrive well in our area and can multiply quickly, making them a solid investment for my family. With proper care, I believe I can earn a significant income in a relatively short time. This dual approach—enhancing my barber shop and starting a small goat farm—will hopefully provide us with better financial stability and support our family’s needs in the long run."

"In the coming year and beyond, I am determined to invest in a project that will generate sustainable income once the transfers come to an end. This project will help me escape the difficult life we’ve lived in the past. I’m glad that I’ve been using part of my transfers to acquire goats—so far, I’ve managed to get seven, which is a good start. Additionally, I’ve been using the transfers to pay my children’s school fees, allowing them to focus on their studies without interruptions. I’m very grateful to GiveDirectly for this opportunity. As the five years of support will soon come to an end, my priority is to invest in my children’s education and create an income source that will allow me to support my family with ease. By investing in goats, I’ll be able to sell some when needed to pay school fees and buy food for my family once the transfers stop. I don’t want to return to the poverty we faced before GiveDirectly’s support, so I’m committed to using these transfers wisely to secure our financial future."

"The floods completely swept away my home, leaving us living in tents and struggling to survive. All my belongings, including my house, five goats, and six chickens, were destroyed. So, when I received the cash transfer, I knew I had to rebuild. I spent $300 to construct a room with iron sheets and used $30 to build another room made of grass and mud walls. I also spent $50 to construct a proper toilet since we had been using the bushes for a long time. These changes have made a huge difference for my family, and we now feel more secure and comfortable in our new home.In addition to rebuilding, I used $70 to pay school fees for my children. Education is important to me, and despite the hardships, I want to ensure my kids have a better future. My husband is a fisherman, and I work casual jobs, which together used to be enough for basic needs, but the floods took everything, making life difficult. Now, with the help from GiveDirectly, I can focus more on my children’s education without worrying as much about school fees. Although life was hard after the disaster, we are finally recovering, and I am grateful for the improvements. My family of eight now has a safe place to live, and we no longer have to rely on temporary shelters. We feel hopeful for the future, and I can confidently say that our lives have changed for the better."

"The transfer is timely, we need to repair our house which has a leaking roof and also cement the floor. It's dusty hence it can lead to respiratory problems and especially since we have an asthmatic child. It will cost approximately $500. This will give us a healthy environment to live in. Since we depend on fishing, we plan to also add more nets and repair our wooden boat. Fishing is our main source of income. With a good boat and enough nets we can catch enough fish to support our family. It will cost us about $200 to improve our fishing gear. We also plan to invest in goat farming. It is easier here due to the favourable climate and availability of feeds. If we can buy five goats, they will expand and support us in the future. One goat costs about $50. The rest of the transfer will help us buy food, new clothes for our children, uniforms and saved for unforeseen circumstances."

"Receiving this money is an opportunity to live on a balanced diet after so many years. With no guaranteed source of income, having a complete meal has been only my wish. I will use about $100 to buy enough food to sustain me for the next few months. From the remaining amount I will spend $350 to pay fees for my last born son in the university and the rest, invest in about 3 goats."

"I am currently in the process of renovating my house, and I’m happy to share that the floors are already complete. Now, I am focusing on reinforcing the walls to make them stronger and more durable. My plan for this coming year and beyond is to continue using a portion of my transfers to gradually purchase building materials, ensuring that I can achieve my dream of having a solid and lasting home. In addition to the renovations, I also intend to save a portion of my transfers to buy more goats. My hope is that these goats will multiply and increase in number and value, providing me with a reliable source of income once this program comes to an end. I am truly grateful for the cash support that GiveDirectly provides, and I pray that my dreams of having a durable house and a thriving herd of livestock come true."

"As I mentioned earlier, my house needed reinforcement to withstand the harsh weather conditions we face in our region, including strong winds. I am currently in the process of construction, and my plans for this year and beyond is to continue using a portion of my transfers to ensure my family has a strong and lasting home. I want to create a safe environment where we won’t have to worry about renovations or the possibility of the house collapsing in the future. In addition to my home improvement plans, I also want to save another portion of my transfers in our local savings group. My goal is to buy more goats, hoping they will multiply over time. I envision trading some of them for female cows, which can also increase in number and provide us with even more opportunities for income. Ultimately, I plan to sell some of the cows and goats and save the proceeds in my bank account. This will give me a financial cushion for when I need it most, particularly for my children’s education and to invest in my livestock-selling business. I am incredibly grateful for this support, as it enables me to pursue my dreams for my family and secure a better future for us all."

"Now that my two children are in their final year of secondary school and preparing for their final exams, I am relieved to know that I can redirect my transfers to other opportunities since I am getting a little break from paying school fees. In the coming year and beyond, I plan to use a portion of my transfers to buy goats, hoping they will multiply and increase in number and value. My goal is to eventually trade some of them for female cows, which would also multiply, providing me with a reliable source of income as my children transition into college and as this program comes to an end. I am very thankful for the support from GiveDirectly, which has made all this possible."