"My aim for the upcoming year and beyond is to establish a large livestock-rearing project, specifically focusing on goat rearing. Currently, I have managed to purchase five goats. I am fond of goats due to their rapid multiplication and their resistance to diseases. Additionally, goats have a ready market, so there's no need to struggle to find buyers in case I want to sell them. Initially, I considered investing in poultry, but an outbreak wiped out almost all the chickens in our village, leading me to give up on poultry farming. Furthermore, my primary goal is to diversify my livestock by adding cows, which would be beneficial for plowing land and eliminate the need to hire services from neighbors. To accomplish this, I plan to allocate a larger portion of my monthly transfers, approximately $30 , to save up for a cow that costs $180 to get started."

"I am happy that I have managed to build our dream house. Therefore, in the coming years and beyond, I want to focus on purchasing livestock, specifically goats and cows. Additionally, I want to ensure that my children have access to education and that we have enough food for family consumption. Since we were promised support for five years, I have realized that time is limited. Investing in livestock will help secure my future because I will have goats, and in case of any financial crisis, I can sell them to address the issue. I have four school-going children, and three are still too young for school. As I do not have a reliable source of income, I want to make good use of my transfer to acquire a good number of goats, which I will later sell once they have multiplied to a good number and then obtain a cow. Once I have a cow, it will provide me with milk after giving birth, which will be used for both domestic and commercial purposes. I aspire to live a better life now that I have been receiving financial support from GiveDirectly. I am truly hopeful that my dreams will become a reality, as this would bring me great happiness."

"With seven children in school and no stable source of income, my priority is to work hard in my charcoal burning and selling business to ensure that my children receive a good education and have a better life in the future. Paying their school fees has always been essential for me, and I plan to continue doing so by allocating a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly. Additionally, I want to secure our future by investing in livestock. To achieve this, I intend to use part of the transfers and start small by buying gradually chicken. My hope is that these chicken will multiply, increasing in number and value, which will allow me to trade them for goats. As the goats also multiply, I plan to trade some of them for female cows, with the intention of having them breed as well and multiply in number. My ultimate goal is to build a substantial herd of livestock of various types that will serve as a valuable asset. This will enable me to support my family and cover my children's education as they transition to higher education levels, especially when this program comes to an end. I am very grateful for the support and opportunities that GiveDirectly has provided us, helping us change our future for the better."

"I have five school-going children, and as we rely on small-scale farming, the income we receive is not enough to comfortably support my family. This is because most seasons our crops don’t do well due to lack of sufficient rain, or even no rain at all in some seasons. When I received my most recent transfer, I used $20.50 to purchase food for family consumption, as we were running low on supplies. I realized it is very important to have enough food in the house because it gives parents peace of mind. Seeing your child come home from school and having nothing to cook is not easy. Since I have some school fees arrears, I spent $10 to pay school fees for all five of my children to prevent them from being sent home for fee balances. With the remaining cash, I spent $16 on body oil and bathing soap, as we had run out of these essentials. Additionally, I used $5 to pay for my medication, as I was feeling unwell. Finally, I allocated $15 to buy a school uniform and a pair of shoes for my son. The remaining $5 was used to purchase a spray for my sick cows."

"My children's education has always been a top priority for me. Currently, I have a child who will be transitioning to a higher education level, which requires a significant amount of money for shopping and paying school fees for her enrollment. I understand that without proper preparation, I could easily feel overwhelmed, and my child might miss out on attending school. To avoid this situation, I started saving a portion of my transfers in a local savings group. This way, I will be fully prepared when the time comes to take my daughter to school. Once she is enrolled and settled in, I plan to continue saving a portion of my transfers with the goal of buying four goats—two males and two females. My hope is that they will multiply, allowing me to trade some of them for a female cow that can provide us with milk and enhance our nutrition. Additionally, I intend to use some of the goats as an educational asset for my children. They will be vital for our family's sustainability, especially as this program comes to an end. I am truly grateful for the opportunity that GiveDirectly has provided for me and my family, and I remain hopeful that our future will turn out positively."

"I am a small-scale farmer, and the income from farming is quite insufficient. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the financial assistance as it has made it much easier for me to provide food for my children. Before receiving support from GiveDirectly, my children were frequently sent home from school due to unpaid fees. However, this is no longer the case. I can now pay school fees on time and also meet my children's basic needs. I am aware that the financial assistance will come to an end as we were promised support for five years, and time is passing quickly. To ensure that I am not in a difficult situation once the transfers end, I have decided to invest in a livestock business. Specifically, I used part of the transfer to purchase two goats. I intend to take good care of the goats so that they multiply quickly. Once I have a substantial number of goats, I plan to sell some of them in order to buy a dairy cow. The dairy cow will provide us with milk for both domestic use and commercial purposes. I will sell some of the milk to generate income to support my children's education and other basic needs. Therefore, to achieve this goal, I aim to continue purchasing more goats using part of my monthly transfers in order to realize my ultimate objective."

"I and my wife has planned to spend KES 50000 on cattle ,KES 20000 on one cow and KES 30000 on6 goats.This investment will enable us gather enough money to buy a parcel of land in the next 3 years."

"Currently, we farm on a huge piece of family land, but the cost of preparing it is high. We often have to hire cows from others or even tractors, which can lead to delays because of the long queues that cause us to miss crucial planting days, especially when it rains, which is vital for our crops. To address this issue, I plan to acquire my own cows. Having my own bulls will not only eliminate delays but also reduce the costs associated with hiring other cows or even tractors, which is quite costly. To achieve this goal, I intend to continue saving a portion of my transfers with the aim of purchasing cows in the future. These bulls will not only assist in cultivating our land but will also help generate income through better harvests and by allowing me to hire them out to others for a fee. This additional income will be instrumental in meeting our family's financial needs."

"Currently, my health is my top priority, and I am committed to improving my life so that I can live healthily without setbacks that could hinder me from achieving my future goals. To manage my health, I attend monthly clinics and plan to continue using a portion of my transfers to obtain the necessary medication for a healthier life. In addition to my health needs, I also intend to allocate some of my transfers towards purchasing food, as nutritious meals are essential for me to effectively take my medicine. Furthermore, I have aspirations of owning a piece of land for farming. To achieve this, I plan to buy more goats with some of the transfers I receive, hoping they will multiply so that in the future, I can trade them for cows. These cows will also multiply, allowing me to eventually sell them to purchase the land I desire. Lastly, I am in the process of building a better house made of bricks. I am happy with the progress so far and hopeful that with the continued support from the transfers, I will be able to complete it by January next year. I am truly grateful for the opportunities that GiveDirectly has provided me to manage my health and improve my living conditions."

"I have always dreamed of owning female cows that can reproduce, increase in number, and provide us with milk to improve my family's nutrition. To achieve this goal, I have been saving a portion of my transfers, and I plan to continue doing so until I can make this dream a reality. This venture presents a valuable opportunity for me to generate income, which will help support various needs within my family, such as covering school fees, buying food, and acquiring essential household items. I also plan to sell some of the livestock in the future to further support my family. Currently, my husband struggles to generate sufficient income by selling locally sourced toothbrushes made from medicinal tree twigs. With this new initiative of raising cows, I hope to contribute positively to our household finances as well. Additionally, I have a daughter who will be joining junior secondary school next year. My plan is to prepare early by gradually purchasing her school supplies using another portion of the transfers I will receive, so I won’t feel overwhelmed when the time comes for her to start school. Once I achieve my goal of owning cows and my child successfully joining school, I hope to save more of my transfers in our local savings group so that I can eventually start a food-selling kiosk. This will help me meet our daily family needs and provide additional support for us all."