"Thank you so much, GiveDirectly, for your support in agriculture. I have a passion for farming, and it's always been my work, but before receiving this cash, I struggled a lot to get enough capital. My husband is a police officer, but he's not very involved in development projects. With five children depending on me for everything they need, I work hard in agriculture to ensure they live a comfortable life.With the support, my children now have stable food at home with the maize I grow. The grass I cultivate feeds my goats and cows, and the tomatoes I grow provide income to buy other necessities, like building a better home.After receiving $450, I invested it all in farming. I have three farms: one for tomatoes, another for maize, and a third for oxalis grass. With the money, I purchased fertilizer for both the maize and tomatoes and bought a knapsack sprayer for treating them. With the remaining $150, I harvested my grass, yielding around 10 bags of 10kg each, and made 120 bundles of hay. I plan to store the hay and grass seeds to sell in the future when prices are higher."

"I am grateful to GiveDirectly because, through their financial support, I was able to cover my children's educational expenses and clear the school fees that I owed. This ensured that my children's education was not interrupted due to outstanding fees. It was a significant step for me in helping my children achieve their educational aspirations. I am optimistic that in the coming years, I will be able to continue supporting their education and help them reach their goals. Additionally, I am thankful for the support as I now own five goats and a cow. My plan is to breed them, expand the herd, and eventually sell the offspring to fund my children's education as they progress through their academic journey."

"Receiving support from GiveDirectly has transformed my life and filled me with hope for the future. In the coming year, I hope to achieve something I've dreamed of for a long time; expanding my herd of cows. Currently, I have two cows, and I want to get a dairy cow for milk production which will serve as a source of income for my family. I also have five goats, which I plan to exchange for a fourth cow. This will allow me to focus on raising cows, which are easier to manage and more profitable in the long run. By doing this, I can ensure that my children have enough to eat, can attend school regularly, and that we have a better quality of life. Beyond the next year, I envision a thriving farm where my cows produce enough milk to sell, securing our future and helping us to continue growing."

"For the first transfer of KES 20,000 I intend to purchase food such as maize beans and other food products by using about KES 5000, I also intend to purchase fuel for irrigation and pay school fees for my seven children who are in various levels in school. For the second cash transfer I intend to purchase two cows at KES 40000. This will be my investment into the future. For the remaining KES 5000 I intend to purchase food for my family. For the third cash transfer I intend to invest KES 20000 into farming. I also intend to pay school fees for my children and purchase food for my family since it will be during the Christmas festive season."

"I want to work hard to ensure my son goes to college to study as a machine operator. It has been his dream for as long as I can remember. To make this a reality, I am working hard to make money, saving as much as I can while ensuring we have enough to feed my family. My daughter, who is in Grade 6, will be joining Junior Secondary School next year. I have a cow I bought from the first cash transfers I received and by next year, I will be milking the cow, and I plan to sell the milk to make money to pay for her school fees. I feel a sense of determination and hope and though it won't be easy, I am ready to put in the effort for my children's future. With hard work, I am confident I can accomplish these goals in the coming year."

"I am hopeful that all my children will successfully complete their education. The support we have received from Givedirectly has played a crucial role in providing education for our children. Additionally, a part of the funds has been utilized to purchase food for our family due to the depletion of our food reserves. Unfortunately, our maize farm has been adversely impacted by the lack of rain. However, if we are able to harvest a significant amount of maize, I plan to allocate the entire transfer towards school fees. Furthermore, I aspire to realize my dream of purchasing some goats as they have the potential to multiply and generate additional income for our family's needs. As an alternative, once they multiply to a substantial number, I intend to exchange them for cows. This is because cows yield a good profit; you can sell one for $500, which is sufficient to enroll a child in secondary school. This is the plan I am focusing on, especially as my elder children are soon joining secondary school."

"My dream has always been to own cows that I could use to plow my farm during the farm preparation period, but cows are very expensive and I cannot afford them, so I decided to take it step-by-step. I started by focusing on purchasing goats instead, with the hope that they would multiply and increase in number and value over time. I therefore opted to use my transfers from GiveDirectly to purchase the first few goats, and I plan to use my future transfers to buy more goats. Currently, I have six goats, and I pray that they continue to multiply. In the future, I plan to sell or trade some of these goats in order to acquire cows, which will allow me to fulfill my dream of owning cows to work on my farm. I will also be able to sell some of these goats and use the proceeds to pay the school fees for my four children. This will ensure they can continue their education and have a better future."

"I currently own five goats, and I have big plans for them. Goats multiply easily, so I am investing in them with the goal of eventually trading up for a cow. Just the other day, I bought a goat for $20, and it put a big smile on my face. In addition to my goats, I have got twelve chickens. I started with five of them, spending just $10, and I'm eagerly waiting for them to start laying eggs and multiplying so I can sell some chickens too. I am also part of a merry-go-round savings group where we each save $10 every month. I joined last year to secure a better future for myself, and I have already saved up $40. I have six younger brothers who are all in school right now. One of them recently got sent home because we couldn't afford his school fees. It broke my heart to see him sitting at home while his classmates were at school, so I used $20 of my transfers to pay his fees. With the remaining $22, I bought enough food to last my family for the week."

"I am focused on investing in livestock and poultry as part of my future plans. Currently, I am involved in a merry-go-round investment group where I am saving diligently. By November this year, I aim to have saved enough to be able to purchase two to three cows.My strategy includes acquiring a cow to assist with land preparation and renting it out for additional income. Alongside my work as a motorcycle driver, I prioritize savings and investments. Income earned from my job will cover our household expenses. At present, I own seven goats, and as they multiply, I plan to exchange them for cows. Similarly, I have over thirty chickens, which I intend to exchange for goats, further advancing my goal of expanding my livestock holdings. Ultimately, I envision selling mature cows to generate income, thereby enhancing my family's standard of living. This investment will securing a prosperous future for my loved ones."

"I am employed as a conductor in Mtwapa and I have hopes when it comes to investing in goats. At present, I own three goats and my intention is for their numbers to increase through breeding. My ultimate goal is to eventually exchange these goats for cows, which will play a crucial role in preparing my land for agricultural activities such as crop planting. I aim to generate income by renting out the cows. The income generated from renting the cows will gradually be accumulate, enabling me to purchase a piece of land. The size of the land I acquire will depend on the amount of income I am able to accumulate over time. Thanks to GiveDirectly, for the support and for making my family and I have hope that our lives will be better in the future."