"I am currently building a new house for my family, as the one we live in now is so rundown and unsafe that I feel as if I am practically sleeping outside. It is even on the verge of collapsing. To make this new home a reality, I have been using a portion of my previous transfers to buy building materials. My goal for the coming year and beyond is to keep investing part of my transfers from GiveDirectly toward buying more materials until the house is fully completed. Once we are able to move in, I will feel a huge sense of relief, no longer worrying about the house falling down on us. Afterward, I plan to use another portion of the transfers to buy goats and chicken, hoping they will multiply over time, creating a sustainable resource that I can rely on to support my family in the future. I am incredibly grateful for this support and looking forward to better days ahead."

"The last time we spoke, I mentioned my plans to buy animals, and I’m pleased to share that I’ve made significant progress toward that goal. I now own 5 goats, 3 sheep, and 15 chickens, which feels like a big step forward. Selling some of the chickens has helped me provide food for my family and support my child's education. I’m motivated to continue expanding by adding more animals with the help of my GiveDirectly transfers, allowing them to keep reproducing and increasing in number. This way, I’ll have a sustainable resource to sell from whenever needed. My long-term vision is to purchase my own piece of land and build a house for myself. Right now, I’m staying with my mother, but I’m diligently saving to turn this dream into reality. I also work in tailoring, though only occasionally, which helps contribute to my overall goals."

"Since my husband passed away two years ago, I’ve had to take on the full responsibility of covering our children’s school fees, clothing, food, and other essentials. The house was already in poor condition when he passed, and it’s been a struggle to meet all their needs with the limited profits from my charcoal business. With the recent increase in the cost of basic commodities, the situation has become even more difficult. My children were often sent home for unpaid fees, so I decided to dedicate all my transfers toward paying their school fees. Renovating the house is my second priority. Although I replaced the roof, the house is still unsafe as the cracked walls let in insects and rain. My immediate goal is to rebuild the walls, and I plan to save $4 each month to buy construction materials. I can’t save more than that right now due to other basic needs. Once my children finish their education, I intend to invest in goat and chicken rearing projects. These projects will generate more income, as they multiply when well taken care of, increasing their financial value. I'm confident that once these projects are established, they will provide security. In case of a financial crisis, I’ll be able to sell some animals to support my family."

"In the coming year and beyond, I am focused on making investments that will eventually replace the GiveDirectly transfers, as the five years of support we were promised is coming to an end. Establishing a solid investment will help ease my financial stress, which is why I have chosen to invest in goat rearing. I am pleased to have already acquired ten goats through my transfers, and I am working diligently to obtain more by setting aside part of my transfer each month to buy one goat while using the remainder for other domestic needs. I also invested in chickens, but unfortunately, all except one died; I took the surviving chicken to a friend's place for care. I aspire to have an animal farm and am determined to make this happen. These animals will help me support my children's education, as I plan to sell some in the future to cover their school fees."

"I currently have ten goats and ten chickens, a venture I started as soon as I began receiving the GiveDirectly transfers. My plan is to allow the goats to breed so I can sell them to cover my children's school fees and eventually trade them for cows. I also take care of my neighbor's chickens and apply my skills to manage my own flock. I am confident that, over time, both my goats and chickens will thrive and multiply, providing opportunities to sell or trade them, which will help establish a reliable income stream to support my family's needs. Ensuring my children receive a good education is very important to me, and this will help make that possible. However, I have paused further investments in chickens and goats due to the ongoing drought, as I'm concerned about losing some of my livestock to the harsh weather conditions. Therefore, I want to focus on the animals I already have while monitoring the climate. Once the weather improves, I plan to resume my projects as originally intended."

"The GiveDirectly cash transfers have come at a pivotal moment for my family, as we have been grappling with financial struggles to meet our daily needs. Currently, we have no investments to rely on. Our plan is to set aside KES 10,000 from the first transfer to venture into poultry farming by expanding our chicken coop and purchasing more chickens. The remaining funds will be used to stock up on food and buy essential household items. Additionally, we aim to begin livestock farming, expand our one-room house as our children grow, and invest in a water tank for our family."

"I was overjoyed when I received $450 from GiveDirectly, and I immediately set to work on the plan I had in mind. I used $350 to buy five sheep. I had never owned livestock before, and with the high cost of buying milk, these sheep will help me cut down on that expense in the long run. Additionally, I’ll be able to generate income from raising livestock. I already have grass available for grazing, so providing pasture won’t be a problem. I also spent $40 to build a secure space for the sheep, ensuring they are safe from theft and predators. With that done, I turned my attention to poultry farming, another project I’m excited to start. Although I’ve never done it before, I used $34 to build a proper space that will accommodate a good number of chickens. Now, I am waiting for GiveDirectly’s final transfer so I can buy the chickens. This project will provide a steady income, as I plan to sell eggs and chickens. Lastly, I spent $20 on food to make sure my family had enough to eat. The recent drought affected my harvest, so this was necessary to keep us going. GiveDirectly’s support has been a blessing, and these projects will help secure my family’s future and create a sustainable source of income."

"I currently don’t have a house, so I’m saving part of my monthly transfer for that project. With my most recent transfer, I spent $60 in our merry-go-round savings towards purchasing building materials. Since I’m in college, I used $10 of my transfer to buy personal clothes to ensure I look presentable. I also invested $10 in buying two chickens as a future financial investment. Additionally, I set aside $14 for any emergencies, such as buying books or other necessities. The remaining $8 went towards airtime and personal items like bathing soap. I’m truly grateful for the support from GiveDirectly, as it has made my time in college much easier."

"When the cash transfer arrived, I was very stressed about how to pay my children's school fees. I had two kids in secondary school, and I paid $250 for their fees. Before this, I used to farm and sell livestock to support their education, but I had to sell all my animals to cover overdue fees. Heavy rains also damaged my maize, and I had to spend $150 for workers to help with the harvest because the floods almost took everything away. Luckily, GiveDirectly helped me just when I needed it most. With the remaining $50, I bought clothes for my five children. Their old clothes were in terrible condition, and they didn't have decent outfits for visiting the hospital or going out. My wife and I are just farmers, and life has been hard, especially when it comes to meeting our basic needs. However, after receiving this cash transfer, I can now focus on other important things without constantly worrying about school fees.The floods have really affected us, destroying 15 chickens and damaging parts of my maize farm. Still, I am thankful for the support from GiveDirectly because it has greatly reduced my stress. Now we can finally relax a bit and think about the future, knowing that our children's education is secure and that we can work on rebuilding our lives."

"My plan is to continue with agriculture, focusing on both crop and poultry farming, but I will mainly concentrate on chickens. I want to purchase an incubator so I can raise my own chicks instead of buying them. I also plan to supply eggs and chicks to people in the village because I know this project can make me rich in the near future. Additionally, when I have visitors, I will slaughter chickens for them, and their water will also serve as manure for my farms. I also aim to buy a water tank so my chicks will have enough water to drink at home. The income I earn from poultry will be used to plant tomatoes, which can provide high returns. I am really grateful to GiveDirectly for helping me improve my life, especially after the floods affected our agricultural lands."