"As a parent without a stable job and source of income with a child in secondary school whose school fee is quite high, my top priority is to ensure her education continues without interruption, especially from being sent home to collect unpaid fees. My plan for the coming year and beyond is to continue using a portion of my transfers that I receive from GiveDirectly to consistently pay her school fees, ensuring she stays in school. Additionally, I am a farmer, and as a farmer, the costs of preparing my land have been a heavy burden. Each farming season, I have had to hire a tractor or plowing bulls, which is quite expensive. To reduce these costs, I have embarked on a journey to acquire two sets of plowing bulls, which would allow me to plow my farm and save on preparation expenses. To reach this goal, I started by purchasing goats and poultry with my previous transfers, and I plan to continue using a portion of future transfers to buy more. My hope is that these animals will multiply and increase in value, enabling me to trade them for the cows I have always dreamed of owning. These cows will help me work on a larger piece of land, securing more food for my family. I remain hopeful that these dreams will come true."

"As soon as I received the cash transfer, I used $500 to buy a motorcycle, which is now in my homestead. I plan to keep it for a while, but due to the hardships I was facing, I couldn't afford to buy one on my own. I purchased it intending to create an employment opportunity for my son, who has been working casual jobs. Now, he earns an income and gives me $3 a day from the money he makes offering transportation services. In addition to that, I feel relieved because I used to walk long distances to fetch water or hire someone to do it, which was tiring and exhausting. Now that I have the motorcycle, my son easily fetches water for us, and I no longer get worn out. I also used $50 to pay school fees for my daughter, who is in Form Two at the nearby school. She had been missing many days of school, which greatly affected her academic performance, and by the time I received the money, she was at home due to the arrears that had accumulated. Thanks to GiveDirectly, she is back in school, and I am forever grateful for that. I won't take it for granted."

"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."

"Although my main priority this year is to buy a modern bed for myself, as I currently sleep on an uncomfortable traditional bed made of ropes, this focus has changed due to the severe drought affecting our area, which has resulted in a lack of food and water. Consequently, I am spending my limited income on food to support my family. While I am saving, when it’s my turn to access those savings, I plan to use it to stock up on food to ensure my children don’t go hungry. Once the rains come, I anticipate a good harvest, allowing me to shift the money currently spent on food towards purchasing a bed and bedding as I originally intended. For now, I must endure sleeping on the ground, but having a proper bed and mattress will greatly enhance my living conditions and provide me with peace of mind. I am truly grateful for the achievements I have made so far and look forward to a brighter future."

"After finishing my secondary education in the year 2010, I dreamed of living a better and more fulfilling life. However, that vision fades each and every day. Without a stable job, achieving my dreams feels increasingly out of reach. I rely on fishing, which earns me only about $3 a day which is not enough to cover food and other essential needs for my family. A habitable home remains just a dream, as I lack the financial resources to build a decent place to live. Struggling to provide basic necessities like food and clothing is deeply frustrating and embarrassing for me."

"I successfully built a house for my sons, as I had promised, using my monthly transfers from GiveDirectly. In the coming year and beyond, my goal is to build a single-room house for my daughters, as it’s important for them to have their own space and privacy. In addition, I’m focused on a project to buy goats, giving me two key goals for the upcoming year. As a member of a merry-go-round group, I plan to save part of my transfers and invest in goats when my turn comes. Since goats multiply quickly, I’ll sell some to build up my savings, which will help me purchase building materials. Once I complete the project of building my daughters' house, I’ll shift my focus to buying a cow. Although buying a cow outright is challenging due to the high cost, this strategy will allow me to acquire one over time."

"I used the money from my transfers to finance my hairdressing education, and I’m thrilled that it enabled me to complete my course. Now that my business is thriving, I’m able to support my children’s education and work towards building a secure future for all of us. Currently, I’m running a salon business from home. In the coming year and beyond, I aim to build our own house on the land we own. To achieve this, I save part of my monthly transfer through a savings group to enable me achieve this. For now, I’m staying with my parents. With my most recent transfer, I allocated a significant portion towards this project to give it a strong boost. I’ve also started goat rearing and have managed to buy two goats. I chose this investment because goats multiply quickly, increasing their financial value. Once they’ve multiplied, I plan to sell some to support other projects, such as the building project I hope to begin soon"

"The lack of employment is our household’s primary challenge, as we solely rely on fishing in Lake Baringo. At times, my husband comes home without catching any fish, which makes our income very inconsistent."

"I used to have a small one-room house, and when we spoke last month, I had plans to build a more spacious one. Unfortunately, the walls had become weak, and one day it collapsed due to heavy winds. After this happened, I informed my spouse, who lives away, about the situation. I had to relocate to my parents' house, as there was nowhere else to seek refuge. Looking ahead, my spouse and I remain determined to acquire a plot of land and build a larger house that will provide us with the space and comfort we need. Although I don’t currently have a job, I plan to save diligently from my transfers. Our family relies solely on my husband's income from his work in house construction, and he is also saving what little he earns to support our dream of owning land and a home. I remain optimistic that we will achieve this goal."