"We own about thirty goats, able to milk on a daily basis. The milk is enough for tea or the children to drink. It makes me happy knowing we have something to depend on even during difficult times. Goats are our main source of happiness. We can also sell them during emergencies or for school fees."

"My family of five depends on the goat business to earn a living. However, the KES 500 profit I make in a month is not enough to fully cover our household needs, such as food and school fees. Because of this, I have always wished to expand the business, but finances have been a major challenge. Now, with the anticipated transfers, I feel a sense of relief. I plan to spend KES 50000 towards expanding the business, which will help increase the profits and ensure a more stable income. The remaining money will go towards settling the family bills, including food and school fees. With this expansion, I am hopeful that my family will achieve greater financial stability."

"I run a small grocery business that provides me with a modest income to support my family. However, a lack of school fees has delayed my dream of joining college, so I am saving the little income I earn to make this possible. The profits from my business help meet our needs, support my husband, and contribute to my savings for enrolling in an Early Childhood Education course, which I have always wanted to pursue. Additionally, I save through our merry-go-round group, where I contribute $20 monthly to accumulate funds for my school fees. My ultimate goal is to secure a stable teaching job to provide for my growing family. I am grateful for the financial support I have received, which has made it easier to work toward my dreams. If everything goes as planned, I am optimistic about joining college next year."

"Receiving this money feels like a long-awaited miracle after enduring years of hardship and insecurity. One of my biggest dreams has been to construct a permanent structure for my business, as the current iron sheet structure is vulnerable to thieves. I have already taken the first step by purchasing bricks, and these cash transfers will enable me to buy the remaining construction materials needed to build a secure space to protect my stock.With the remaining funds, I plan to buy food for my family and pay school fees for my children, ensuring their education continues uninterrupted. This support is a transformative blessing, bringing hope and stability to my family."

"I am a mother of seven, and my husband and I work tirelessly at casual jobs to provide for our family. With the recent three transfers, I spent $29 on school fees for my children. Education is a key to their future, and I wanted to ensure their learning was not interrupted. Seeing them continue with their studies gives me hope for a better tomorrow. After that, I used another $29 to buy food for my family. This allowed us to enjoy a break from the constant struggle of finding daily meals through casual jobs, giving us some much-needed relief and comfort. After covering these essential needs, I saved $10 to prepare for any emergencies that might arise. Having a small cushion for unexpected situations gives me peace of mind. Lastly, I invested $34 in purchasing a goat, bringing the total number of goats we now own to two. The goat was priced at $60, but I added savings from earlier transfers to make up the difference. This investment in livestock is part of our plan to build a sustainable source of income and security for our family. These transfers have been a blessing, allowing us to meet our needs while planting seeds for a better life."

"I built five bee hives at a cost of $50 which is cheaper since purchasing it would have cost me three times that. A month ago I harvested from one of them and this earned me $100 which I used to pay school fees for my children."

"I used around $44 to buy one goat and two chickens, which I now keep at home as valuable assets. I purposely made this purchase to help cover the school fees for my four children who are still in primary school. It has been a great challenge for me since I work at a construction site, which is not a permanent job, and my wife is jobless. I believe having these animals will benefit me in many ways, especially when it comes to paying their school fees and meeting their other needs. Later on, I paid $20 for my children's school fees, as I had been warned by the teachers that they might be sent home anytime due to arrears. I was very worried because I didn’t have the means to raise the cash, and what I earn mostly goes towards buying food for my family. With $29, I bought enough food to last my family for a while, knowing that we would soon run out of stock. I had already used all the money I had to buy other essential items for the house. Without the cash transfers, we would likely have gone without food for days. I am incredibly grateful for this support, as I can't imagine where my children would be without it. I also used $9 to buy clothes for some of my children so they could at least look nice for the upcoming Christmas celebrations."

"I recently joined a savings group with six trusted village mates. Over the past three months, I’ve managed to save a total of $60. This money is helping me work toward one of my goals: buying livestock, such as goats, and starting a new vegetable-selling business in the village. At the moment, I am jobless, but I believe that once I have this capital from my savings, it will help me generate some income. Having these goats will also give me a tangible asset, something I can rely on if anything unexpected happens, especially for the well-being of my children. Additionally, I used $10 to pay the school fees for my three primary school children, ensuring they could continue their education without any interruptions. I also set aside $26 to buy Christmas clothes for my children, as the holiday is just a month away. I wanted to prepare in good time so they wouldn’t miss out on looking as good as their friends. This will help boost their confidence and ensure they feel included in the celebrations. Lastly, I used $6 to buy food for my family, which has lasted us for about a week now. I am incredibly grateful for this, as it means we rarely go to bed without food these days."

"My primary goal now is to buy more goats and keep them on my homestead. Since goats are expensive and I cannot afford them on my own, I have decided to join a merry-go-round where I save about $10 a month. My aim is to increase my savings until I can purchase goats. Over time, these goats will multiply, and I plan to exchange some of them for cows. In addition to saving through the merry-go-round, I currently sell mandazis, and I plan to use some of my earnings to ensure I achieve this goal. I am confident that once I succeed, I will no longer feel stressed. Owning livestock will provide me with a sustainable source of income, especially for paying my children's school fees, which has been a constant challenge. This accomplishment will bring me much-needed relief and peace of mind."

"With a son in school, my greatest priority for the coming year and beyond is to ensure that he completes his education and I am very much committed to supporting his studies. To achieve this, I plan to continue dedicating a portion of my transfers from GiveDirectly to paying his school fees. Unfortunately, my husband and I have been unwell for some time, and managing our health has become a significant challenge due to financial constraints. To address this, I will use a portion of my transfers to purchase the monthly medicines we need to improve our well-being and lead a normal life just like our fellows in our community. Additionally, the drought in our region has been so bad, bringing hunger and uncertainty into our lives. To ensure my family has enough to eat, I intend to continue using part of the transfers to buy food until the rains come and we are able to harvest enough to sustain ourselves. Also, looking ahead, I am determined to build a more sustainable future. Once we receive rain and are able to secure enough food to last us for a longer period, I plan to save a larger portion of the transfers and invest in purchasing more goats, with the hope that they will multiply and grow in value. This approach is my way of securing a reliable and lasting source of income for the future, especially when this program eventually comes to an end. I am deeply grateful for the cash support from GiveDirectly."