"Educating my children has been my priority despite the ups and downs in finances. I have two children who are in secondary school; one is in form three and the other one is in form two. Since they were on holiday by the time I received the money, I opted to deduct $200 from the sent transfer and set it aside as their term full one fee. I did this to reduce the pressure of sourcing for fees once the year began which would result in them being sent back home. Thereafter, I saw it prudent to invest in my wife by equipping her with some knowledge. Therefore I took her to a tailoring college where she could acquire some techniques so that she could also assist in fending for the family as well as being independent. Based on that, I paid the full required fees in her college amounting to $230 so that she could have time to concentrate on her studies. I used $50 to buy some food for the family and the rest to complete a project of renovating a business house in terms of painting to make it appealing to clients."

"As usual, I woke up and left for my daily hustle since I am a casual laborer. Although it was harder for me to take up the day's hustle because I was very hungry since I did not have the privilege of taking some meals the previous evening. Since I had no alternative, I had to force myself to go to the forest to burn some charcoals for sale. On my way, I met my sister who asked whether I had received the promised transfer from GiveDirectly for she had received hers. Illiteracy had delayed me from knowing that information. I gave her my phone to check whether I was also lucky to receive the transfer. Upon checking, she informed me that the money had been sent into my account the previous evening. I was filled with joy for having some money at a time when I needed the most. I changed direction to the nearest Mpesa shop to withdraw some amount for food."

"I spent a bigger part of my transfer completing the construction of a toilet which we had started with the first. This is because we were using an old mud-walled toilet which was collapsing posing a great risk to the family members. I was always worried our kids would fall into the pit while using it. Additionally, I purchased one dairy cow with my first transfer and I spent $70 to do artificial insemination. Having done that, I am positive that it will give birth in the coming two months and start vending milk to earn income. Lastly, I used $ 75 to purchase proper bedding for my mother whom we are staying together since she was using old and worn-out bedding which was uncomfortable."

"Since my husband and I couldn't l afford to buy a piece of land, we were living on a small piece of land that our father in-law allocated us. Being a small piece of land, we couldn't practice farming or rearing domestic animals. Our dream was to buy a piece of land once we get capital but this dream seemed to be slipping far away because we couldn't not raise enough capital because we both don't have reliable jobs. I added second transfer to some savings that I had and bought a half an acre piece of land. I am so grateful to GiveDirectly for making my dream come true."

"I depend on temporary house construction as my reliable source of livelihood. Most of the time, I have been staying away from my wife and 9 children which have affected our bond. I had desired to purchase a plot of land closer to my place of work and relocate the family there. After receiving the transfers, I spent a larger part of it acquiring a piece of land that cost $1200 in total. I paid half the cost of the land with part of the first and the second transfer. Additionally, I spent the remaining amount to clear the fee arrears of our 7children who are both in the primary. secondary and college."

"I am honestly quite excited for myself this year, and this is because I have absolutely amazing plans that I hope will be productive and essentially help me when it comes to providing for my family. I plan on saving up a substantial amount of the funds that I receive, and when I finally have enough, I want to open up a salon and buy the equipment that I will need for the business. This means a lot to me, especially since after my husband passed, I was left all alone to cater for the needs of my children, which was extremely hard, especially considering I had no job. Therefore, I am excited to see what the future has in store for me, and I'm grateful that with these donations, I will finally be able to stand on my own two feet by starting my own business. I will also ensure that I use the money to pay for tuition for my two children as well."

"I am a businessman dealing with buying and selling livestock, for quite some time I had desired to boost this business. The coming and receiving of the Givedirectly transfer revived my dream of improving it. I invested $300 of the recent transfers on improving the capital. I am delighted that the income has improved from $30-$50 per week after successfully selling the livestock. This can comfortably meet the family's needs like food without much strain. Furthermore, I spent $100 to support the education of my children by clearing their fee arrears. Currently, our two children are happy for not missing classes due to financial challenges hence restoring peace of mind in our lives. The remaining amount helped us in buying sufficient foodstuffs and clothing for the family."

"My husband passed on and he was the sole breadwinner in my family. He left me with four children, one in college and three in high school. I had to leave my matrimonial home since I was not getting any support from my husband's kinsmen. I relocated to my parents with my children. I have been struggling to raise fees for them, through my small business of vending vegetables which does not pay much. Getting support from GiveDirectly has added to the little I earn from the business, which has enabled me to pay their fees on time. My goal now is to see them excel in their studies. I am no longer struggling to pay fees because of the monthly transfers."