"I work as a mechanic in Mombasa, but my limited earnings make it challenging to support my family. I rely on my GiveDirectly transfers alongside my job income to help cover rent, purchase food, and care for my loved ones. Due to my financial circumstances, I need to explore additional ways to generate income. I've been considering animal husbandry to increase my earnings. At present, I have 5 goats and around 20 chickens, which I can sell for extra cash during financial emergencies. In the upcoming year and beyond, I plan to invest more in goat farming. My goal is to acquire additional animals so they can breed and produce even more. This venture will provide me with financial security for the future, as I can sell the animals if I face any financial challenges to support my family."

"After receiving my latest transfer, I invested $24 in two iron sheets because I plan to build a house, as I currently do not own one. Along with that, I purchased two chickens for my poultry farming venture, which I see as a promising future financial investment. I also spent some money on nails and a few building materials for the construction. Additionally, I bought a few new clothes since my old ones were getting worn out. With what was left, I decided to invest in one goat, as I appreciate their resistance to diseases and their fast multiplication, which can enhance my financial stability. Overall, these purchases reflect my strategy to secure my economic future. Each element of my spending is aimed at building a more sustainable livelihood."

"I was filled with happiness and gratitude when I received $450 from GiveDirectly. After careful planning with my husband, we decided to invest the money in livestock, as we saw this as a sustainable way to secure our future. I used $420 to buy seven goats. With my background as a livestock keeper, I understand how to care for them, and I know how profitable this venture can be. As the goats multiply, they will provide a reliable source of income that I can use to support our farming and meet other personal and household needs. With the remaining amount, I decided to boost my poultry business, which had suffered losses after recent floods washed away some of our chickens. I bought 15 young chicks with the money, planning to raise them for egg and meat production. This addition to our income sources will allow me to pay school fees and buy food for my family without depending solely on my husband. Thanks to GiveDirectly, I now feel more secure and empowered to meet our family's needs."

"With the current drought and hunger affecting our region, I plan to continue using a portion of my transfers to buy food and water to keep my family from going hungry until this dry spell is over. Water has become very scarce, and we have to pay motorcycle transporters to travel long distances to bring us water, which is quite costly. Once the rains return and we have enough water and food from our farms, my focus will then shift toward investing in goats, as well as more ducks and chicken. I hope that these animals will multiply over time, increasing both in number and value. These will be a valuable asset and will provide me with a reliable resource to support my family, especially once this program ends."

"The transfers from GiveDirectly have brought so much hope to my family, especially in securing my children’s education. For the coming year and beyond, I plan to continue dedicating part of these funds to cover their school fees, ensuring they can stay in school and focus on their studies. In addition, I intend to invest another portion of the transfers in livestock, such as goats and chickens, with the hope that they will multiply and grow in value over time. These animals will become a valuable asset, providing us with a stable source of support, especially for the future when this program ends. I am truly grateful for the support GiveDirectly has provided. It has given us a brighter outlook on what lies ahead."

"The transfer will enhance our living standards, we plan to invest well. Fishing is the main economic activity due to proximity to Lake Baringo. I plan to spend $100 to set up a place to fry fish and sell. It will give me about $5 daily profit, enough to meet daily household food needs. Since education elevates once life. We plan to invest about $500 on our children's education. Our daughter wants to join college and the others are still at a secondary level. Its always sad seeing our children at home not being able to pursue their dreams. It will make me happy when they all join school. Goat and poultry farming is convenient here due to the hot climate. There are enough feeds for goats and chicken require little food. We plan to spend the rest of the transfer on this. We'll be able to sell eggs or even sell goats in the future. Three goats for a start is good. One goat is sold at approximately $50."

"The floods took everything from me, leaving my family in despair. Five goats, twenty chickens, and even my clothes were swept away, and one of our houses collapsed, dragging my life down to zero. I felt hopeless as my generator was also destroyed, and with five children to care for, the burden became unbearable. However, when I received the unconditional cash transfer, it felt like a new beginning. I used $350 to pay a down payment on a plot of land far away from the floods, where my family could finally settle and rebuild our lives.Furthermore, I allocated $50 for my children's school fees because education is crucial for their future. I want to ensure they have the opportunity to learn and grow despite our struggles. The remaining money went towards buying small essentials like food and medicine for our remaining livestock. My wife and I work casual jobs and farm to make ends meet, but it has been challenging since the floods caused sickness and forced us to relocate.This support from GiveDirectly has been a blessing in our lives. We were overwhelmed by the difficulties we faced, but now we have hope for a better future. I feel grateful for the chance to start anew and provide for my family again. With this help, we can focus on rebuilding our lives and ensuring our children have a brighter future."

"Receiving my second transfer from GiveDirectly was life changing for me, especially given my current situation. My family lives in a small one-roomed house that serves as our living room and bedroom. We cook outside, which is inconvenient and unhygienic, particularly when it rains and cooking becomes impossible. With $146 from the transfer, I decided to invest in iron sheets for an additional room, planning to use my final transfer to buy the remaining materials and finally begin construction. In addition, I have always wanted to own livestock, but until now, I have only had chickens. My neighbors have sheep, and I have seen how well they do in our area; they multiply quickly and can be a reliable source of income. So, I decided to use part of the transfer to buy three sheep, each costing $58. As the sheep multiply, I can sell them to generate income in the future. My son, who is in boarding school, had fee arrears of $50. To ensure he does not get sent home, I made the decision to clear that debt completely. Unfortunately, I got sick during this time and had to be admitted to the hospital due to blood issues, which cost me $36. Being ill meant I could not do any casual jobs, so I also spent $42 on essential food items like cereals to sustain my family as I recovered. I used the remaining funds for transportation to town and back."

"I have four children who are currently in school, so when I received my latest transfer, I set aside $60 to pay their fees. This was to ensure they wouldn’t be sent home over unpaid balances. I divided the amount among them to avoid any issues. Additionally, I spent $8 on food for our family since we were running low. With the remaining funds, I invested $23 more in groceries. Lastly, I used $11 to buy two chickens, which I added to my poultry project. This will act as a future investment once these transfers are no longer available."

"We currently live on less than an acre of land where I manage all our activities, including keeping goats, sheep, and chickens. Unfortunately, these animals often ruin my crops, making it difficult to sustain our farming efforts. Since our land is near the river, it’s ideal for crop farming; however, I realized I needed to buy another piece of land to build our house and keep the livestock separate. I paid $200 for half an acre of land, and I plan to clear the remaining $100 with my final transfer, ensuring I can dedicate our original land purely to crop production. Additionally, our living situation had become quite uncomfortable; we’ve been sleeping on old maize bags because we did not have a mattress, which made our nights rough. The bed board has hurt our backs for years, so with part of my transfer, I purchased two mattresses, one for me and one for my children, each costing $50. Food has also been a challenge since I lost my maize to floods earlier this year. I had to rely on casual jobs and charcoal production to provide for my four children, so I used some of the funds to buy maize for $38 and condiments for $30, addressing our immediate food needs. To further support our food security, I rented half an acre of land for $25, where I plan to plant maize. I hope this will help us reduce our food costs in the future. Moreover, I realized how long it had been since we bought new clothes, as we had been relying on secondhand items. I spent $50 on new clothes for my children, and their joy was noticeable. The remaining $7 went toward transporting these items home from town."