"I had been struggling with no livestock and no stable source of income, so when I received the unconditional cash transfer, I saw it as an opportunity to change my situation. I decided to buy one cow for $200 and three goats for $150, something I had always dreamed of but never had the means to do. Having livestock will not only be a great future investment but also bring me joy as I now own animals for the first time. This is something that will help me in the future, especially in case of emergencies. Additionally, I used $50 to pay for my brothers' school fees, which has always been a priority for me. With the floods affecting our farm this year and sweeping away all the crops, I could not rely on farming as I usually do. The loss of my harvest meant that I could not pay for their school fees from the crops I usually sell. The transfer helped me cover this urgent need, allowing them to stay in school. With the remaining $50, I bought food since we had no food at home. We used to rely on farming and doing casual jobs to get by, but with everything destroyed, it was hard to make ends meet. Now, life is better, and even though my husband and I are yet to have children, we support each other in farming and working together to improve our lives. The transfer has brought us hope, and we are now able to plan for a better future."

"My son is growing up, and soon he will need his own space to live in, as it is no longer appropriate for him to sleep in the same house with me. I therefore have been buying building materials, but I still have more to purchase. I plan to continue using a portion of my transfers, along with the savings from the groups I am in, and take small loans to keep buying the materials I need. My goal is to eventually build him a house, and once this is achieved, I will feel an immense sense of happiness and relief. In addition to this, I am committed to continuing to support my children's education. I plan to use part of my transfers to pay for their school fees, ensuring that they can continue learning and working towards their future. Education is a priority for me, and I want to give my children the best opportunities I can. Once I finish building the house and hand it over to my son, I intend to focus on expanding my livestock. I plan to use some of my transfers to buy more goats, adding to the ones I already have. I am hopeful that they will multiply, increasing in number and value, so that I will have a reliable source of income in the future, especially once this program comes to an end. I am deeply grateful for the support I have received. It has been a lifeline for me, enabling me to work toward these important goals for my family’s future. With this assistance, I feel empowered to make lasting improvements in our lives, and I am filled with hope for what is to come."

"The festive season is approaching, and I truly want to make this time special for my family. To make this happen, I plan to use my transfers over the next few months to buy clothes and shoes for my children. I want them to feel happy and enjoy the holiday festivities. Additionally, I plan to prepare special meals for them so that they too can celebrate this season with joy and warmth. Beyond this, I am also planning for the future. I intend to use a portion of my future transfers to buy goats. I am hopeful that these goats will multiply, increasing both in number and value. In the future, I hope to sell some of them and use the proceeds to help me achieve one of my long-held dreams of joining college. My goal is to study beauty and hairdressing, where I can gain the skills needed to open my own salon. I believe that with this training, I will be able to provide valuable services to people in my community, earning an income that will support my family and help us thrive. I am deeply grateful for the support I have received from GiveDirectly. This assistance is making a real difference in my life, allowing me to care for my family while also working toward a brighter future. I am filled with hope and determination, and I look forward to seeing these plans come to fruition."

"Some time back, the roof of my house was blown away by strong winds and has been completely destroyed. It is now full of holes, making it unfit for use, and I am left with no choice but to replace it. Renovating the roof has become my top priority for the coming year. To achieve this, I plan to save a portion of my transfers and gradually buy iron sheets and other roofing materials that will allow me to restore my home. Once the renovation is complete, I will feel a great sense of relief and happiness, knowing that my family will be protected from the elements. After the roof is repaired, I plan to continue expanding my livestock. To achieve this, I intend to use a portion of my future transfers from GiveDirectly to purchase goats. I am hopeful that these goats will multiply, increasing both in number and value, providing me with an invaluable asset. This investment will be crucial for me, especially when this program comes to an end, as it will give me something to rely on for the future. I am truly grateful for the support I have received. It has made a significant impact on my life, and with this assistance, I can work towards a better and more secure future for my family."

"My goal for this year and beyond is to first renovate the roof of my house and create a better living space for myself and my family. The roof is very old and worn out, and it desperately needs repairs. To make this happen, I have been saving a portion of my transfers from GiveDirectly, and I plan to continue saving more through our local savings group until I have enough to finally repair the roof. Once the house is repaired, I will shift my focus to expanding my livestock base. Increasing my livestock is a valuable investment that will provide not only a steady income but also something I can rely on, even after the project is complete. To achieve this, I plan to use a portion of my transfers to buy goats, with the hope that they will multiply, increasing both their numbers and their value. I am excited about this plan because it will give me a solid foundation for the future. I am proud of the progress I have made so far, as it ensures that my family will be well taken care of, especially in case of any urgent needs. I am deeply grateful to GiveDirectly for their support, which has made a world of difference in improving our situation."

"I have been buying goats with the help of my parents, who assist in their care while I continue attending school. I currently own 10 goats and aim to increase this number to 25 to achieve my goals after finishing school next year. My plan is to move into my own house to avoid the ongoing inconvenience of searching for a place to sleep, as I am now grown and can no longer share my parents' one-room house. In addition to building my dream house, I am using part of my transfers to purchase goats and also to acquire iron sheets in preparation for construction. Once this project is complete, I will focus on preparing to join college. My parents are small-scale farmers, and the little they earn cannot fully support my college education without a combined effort. Therefore, I must plan early. These goats will multiply, increasing their number beyond what I currently have. I plan to sell some in the future to raise funds for buying additional building materials and to expedite the construction process. I am deeply grateful to GiveDirectly for their financial support. Without these transfers, I would not have reached where I am today."

"My father is partially disabled, leaving my mother as the primary breadwinner for our family. Due to the heavy financial burden, I could not proceed to college, as my mother had to prioritize paying school fees for my four younger siblings and providing for the entire family. She works as a peasant farmer and supplements her income by burning and selling charcoal, but her earnings are minimal, often requiring her to struggle to make ends meet. To help alleviate this burden, I have been using part of my transfers to invest in poultry and goat rearing. Currently, I have six chickens and five goats, and I am focusing on building a sustainable livelihood through livestock farming. My plan is to let the chickens multiply, exchange them for goats, and eventually trade the goats for cows. My ultimate goal is to acquire two cows, care for them, and sell them at a profit to fund my college education at KMTC. This aspiration motivates me to work hard, as I believe furthering my studies will lead to a brighter future for myself and my family."

"I am financially struggling to support my family without a stable source of income. Every penny I earn from my casual jobs or charcoal burning goes toward food and basic needs, leaving me with little opportunity to build a better home for my family of five. However, with the support from GiveDirectly, I am hopeful for a better future. I plan to use $450 of the transfer to build a spacious two-room house, which will help lift the shame of living in a grass-thatched house. I plan to invest $400 of the transfers in livestock farming, purchasing two cows and five goats. This investment will help increase our family’s income and provide a more reliable source of income, reducing the financial strain we currently face."

"Receiving the cash transfers means so much to my family and I. First we intend to use the first cash transfer to build a house for our son Hillary whose house got destroyed by heavy rain. This has forced him to go sleep in our neighbours house as our small house and community culture cannot allow us to stay in the same roof. I intend to use about KES 18000 of the cash transfers on this. With our village being dry and semiarid we have planned to use the second cash transfer to grow grass. This will be our investment since we will be able to sell the seedlings and also the grass. We intend to use about KES 30000 of the cash transfers on this. For the remaining KES 15000 we intend to purchase 5 sheep. For the third and final cash transfers I intend to use KES 20000 to pay school fees arrears and purchase a sofa set for my family. With the remaining KES 25000 we intend to purchase 8 goats which we will add to the few goats we already have. This is important for us because it will be our investment to use for household needs and any emergencies that might come up in future."

"Receiving the cash transfers means so much to me and my family. We believe that it will be a life changer and a boost. For the first cash transfer we plan to build a chiken house and purchase six chicken. We intend to spend about KES 18000 of the cash transfers on this. This is important because once we sell the chicken we shall have income in the long term. For the second cash transfer, I intend to fence my land with the intention of growing grass. Since our village is dry with occasional rains and the inability to plant other crops growing grass will help us during the dry season. We intend to use about KES 45000 of the cash transfers on this. For the third cash transfers we intend to use KES 20000 to pay school fees for our children and the remaining KES 25000 we intend to purchase 5 goats. With the goats we shall have an investment which we can sell in future."