"My area is not good for crop farming due to the prolonged drought. As a farmer I have shifted to livestock keeping. Animal rearing does well in our area. I plan to buy 20 goats as an investment. One goat goes at $30 so it will cost me $ 600. Goats are resistant to drought thus I will have a source of income through their milk and meat once I sell them. I will also use $ 300 to pay school fees for my grandson who is at secondary school. He has a fees balance of $ 300. I am happy than once he is done with his KCSE examination, he will get his certificates and proceed to college. I give thanks to Give directly for their program."

"Drought and hunger are problems we all dream of curbing through agriculture. Although I have a 1-acre piece of land that I often cultivate, I have always admired going large scale but financial constraints have been a breach. When I receive the transfers, I intend to purchase an additional 1acre piece of land at KES 80000. I will be glad to cultivate tomatoes and watermelons in a surplus. The profits from tomato farming are double the expenses, this attracted my attention to venture into this farming. I will use the profits to purchase an additional piece of land and engage in business (apiary, dairy and goat rearing ). I am a business-minded fellow and I wish my wife Precious, could also have a source of income hence assisting each other in raising the family."

"When we received the second transfer, we used $60 to buy goats for keeping. The goats investment was was a savings plan towards payment of school fees for our first born son who is joining form one next year. We also paid his initiation fee of $90 since he is undergoing this right of passage this coming December. We did not want a situation where we will not have money for this rite when that time comes. We used another $25 to buy furniture to be used in our house; we did not have a table and therefore we bought one. We then spent another $60 to buy food for the family. We received the money at a time we were facing a very serious drought and lack of food. Prices of essential food items had also skyrocketed and we thought it wise to buy maize in bulk which took us for a couple of months. There were some debts owed to us by the extended family. The debts accumulated to $70 and we used the second transfer to clear this too. We now have peace of mind having cleared the balances. We used the amount that remained to buy clothes for our six children, making all of them happy and feeling part of the program that GiveDirectly brought. The money brought smiles in everyone's face in our family and we are so happy and grateful about this."

"Yes, the new goal that I have at the moment is to boost the goat rearing that I started with the transfers by purchasing more goats. This would be something that I will be relying upon in the future when I face any financial needs. Also, the plan is to sell them when they multiply to purchase a dairy cow that would ensure a steady supply of milk for the family. Similarly, I would sell them to the neighbors to earn an income daily that would support some of the essential needs."

"I spent my recent transfer to purchase two goats for $80 which is a future investment for myself that will help me once they reproduce. I will be able to sell them to support me whenever I face any financial emergency. Previously, I did not have any investment that would assist me whenever encountered a financial crisis. In addition, I used $110 to purchase proper bedding for the family since we were sleeping on mats as bedding on the floor on a high-raised ground in the house as a bed which was not comfortable. This was miserable life since experiencing body pains every morning was the norm of the day. Similarly, I spent $120 to purchase sufficient food since we are experiencing drought and famine making it hard to obtain food for the family. The charcoal-burning activity that I was depending on is no longer sustainable due to the depletion of the forest cover. With the remaining amount of the transfers, I used to lay my grandchild to rest since he died a few days after we received the transfer due to health problems."

"I did not attain an education due to a lack of school fees. I am 32 years old now and since I was 19 years old I have been doing masonry jobs that my father would get for me. I have been getting masonry jobs outside my village and recently I am working in Mombasa. I am paid $10 a day, I send money to my wife who is a stay-at-home wife to take care of my children. I have five children, three are in school and two are still young to enroll in school. I am the only one receiving this transfer in my family and every month I send I also send $18 to my wife to buy food for the family, bought a goat that I will rear, and sell it later at a profit."

"Throughout, I have concentrated on livestock raising. Before my recent transfer, I had ten goats, one sheep, and six cows. However, because I do not have any other options for work, I spent $30 on another goat. This has increased the size of my flock, and I am always happy to look after them. It reminds me of the kindness shown to us by GiveDirectly. I prefer livestock because they are valuable, and I can sell them for a profit. I intend to sell some of them when I need to raise school fees for my three school-age children, Pili, Katana, and Kitsao."

"I spent $320 of my second transfer to open a retail shop. I bought items such as flour, sugar, oils, beans and vegetables. I have been thinking of taking a loan from a financial institution but I didn't have any security to be granted a loan. I am therefore thankful to GiveDirectly for coming along at the time that I needed their help the most. The business is now doing fine with good returns. I can now settle my household bills without struggling like before. Also bought a goat at $40 which shall now serve as an asset that I can rely on just in case of any financial crisis. I am positive that I will have many of them within a short duration because they reproduce twice a year. Also, I paid school fees and my spouse who is in college pursuing a teaching course. He was about to sit for his exam and because of the arrears, he wouldn't be allowed to take the exams. I am so thankful that through GiveDirectly he was finally able to sit for the tests with his peers. With the remaining amount of money, I bought food for my three family members."

"I am living in a one-room house which act as the kitchen as well. The house is not spacious for me and most cases my clothes have smoke smell. I feel shameful whenever I mingle with colleagues and due to the smoke smell. I plan to build a two-room house with a separate kitchen. The house will cost $600 and the kitchen will cost $ 100 respectively. I will also buy 5 goats and 5 sheep as an investment. A goat cost $ 30 and a sheep cost $ 25. The investment will help me in the future in case of an emergency. I really appreciate Give directly program."

"When I received the money for the second time, the first thing I thought of was nice sleeping places. My children and I used to sleep on small traditional beds which were not comfortable. Instead of waking up relaxed and restful, we used to wake up exhausted. Therefore, I opted to buy two modern standard beds and two mattresses for $330. One bed was mine and the other one for my children. As of now, we are very happy because we usually wake up strong, refreshed and ready to pick up the day's activities. I also bought 10 goats as an investment. I chose goats over cows because of the climate condition in our area. Goats can survive in harsh conditions while cows cannot cope. For the remaining amount, I used $50 to pay school fees for my children and used the rest to buy some food for the family."