"With three children in school, my goal for the coming year and beyond is to ensure that their education continues uninterrupted. Despite the high cost of school fees, I’m committed to using a portion of my transfers from GiveDirectly to cover these expenses, making sure my children have the opportunity to learn and grow. At the same time, I plan to invest another portion of the transfers into purchasing goats, with the hope that they will multiply and grow in both number and value. My aim is for these goats to become a stable source of income in the future, which I can use to support my family and fund my children's higher education. I’m truly grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has given us, as it has opened doors for my children’s education and created a pathway toward a brighter future. Knowing that I can rely on this support gives me hope and determination to build a better life for my family."

"For the coming year and beyond, my aim is to ensure that my children can continue their education without any interruptions as they progress through secondary school and transition to higher education. To make this happen, I plan to carefully manage the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly to pay their school fees and gradually save some of it to invest in buying goats. My hope is that these goats will multiply and increase in both number and value, so that in future I may be able to sell them and use the proceeds to support my family and also my children's education as they pursue further studies. This investment in goats will serve as a valuable source of income to help my family achieve long-term success. I am thankful for the support that GiveDirectly has provided to me and my family, as I do not know what I would have done without it."

"I own a piece of land in our shopping center that I was fortunate to purchase. I’ve been wanting to develop it for a while, but haven't started yet due to a lack of funds. Currently, I'm rearing goats with the intention of selling them once they multiply. To support this initiative, I use part of my monthly transfer to buy one goat each month. With the money from selling the goats, I plan to purchase materials to build structures for shops that I can rent out, generating income to support my family. I’m very optimistic about achieving this goal. Since we were informed that the transfers will continue for five years, I want to maximize this opportunity. By managing the funds wisely, I aim to create an additional source of income by the time the transfers end, ensuring long-term financial stability. As the goats multiply, I will sell some to help me realize this dream."

"A stable source of family income has been a root cause of our family challenge, making it difficult for me to meet our household needs. Currently, I am volunteering at a Child Fund organization, receiving a stipend that is insufficient to cover our monthly expenses. After budgeting, I find myself unable to pay pending bills, including school fee arrears for my daughter Maryanne Jepkemoi, who attends Kasisit Secondary School. The burden of these arrears is the main source of stress, leaving me with sleepless nights as I struggle to find a solution. My fiancee fell ill in August 2024, which significantly worsened our financial situation. I had to borrow money to cover her medical expenses, and her business also suffered because there was no one available to manage it during her illness."

"In the coming year and beyond, my goal is to buy a posho mill machine using my transfers from our savings group. There isn’t a single machine available in the whole village, and the one we have access to is quite far. I haven’t yet asked for its price, but I plan to send my spouse to inquire. Owning a posho mill will not only provide additional income for my family but also serve the entire community. Running my shop has given me incredible financial independence. Without the transfers and my business, I wouldn’t have been able to join a savings group. Instead, I would still be struggling to stretch the little money my husband earns to cover school fees and feed the family. I am excited to continue growing my shop, increasing my income, and ultimately buying more goats and cows. For me, rearing livestock is an excellent way to secure quick cash during emergencies."

"The primary challenges I am currently encountering the lack of steady employment and a dependable source of income. I am solely reliant on casual labor, which is both inconsistent and scarce in my area. Additionally, the rising cost of living has intensified these struggles, as the little I earn is insufficient to meet even my most basic needs, making everyday life increasingly difficult."

"Owning my sewing machine and starting a new clothing business has made the biggest difference in my daily life. As a tailor by profession, it was very stressful to work using my friend’s machine and being paid on commission, which was too little to support the needs of my two children, whom I've been solely taking care of. Earning so little meant I was always in debt, my child was often sent home from school due to unpaid fees, and we sometimes missed meals. This was my lowest moment, as I tried everything I could, but nothing seemed to work. Now, I feel so relieved and excited to begin this journey of entrepreneurship. What I earn is now mine, and the clothing business is giving me a big boost. Moving forward, I believe I will no longer have to struggle as much to provide for my small family. Planning for my children, especially their education, will be much easier, and I hope their future will be smooth."

"My son completed secondary education in the year 2022. He's been with us since then. I feel bad not being able to raise fees for tertiary education. It means he's been left out by his peers who've proceeded with higher education. He wants to study a course in Taxation. I'd be happy to support him but I'm not able to. It stresses me seeing him at home just doing nothing."

"Financial constraints are the biggest challenge because we depend on casual jobs to earn a living. It is difficult to save money to use in future since what we get is hand to mouth. If I had a stable source of income life would have been better as I would meet my family's basic needs comfortably."

"My greatest challenge currently is the lack of money. Because of my old age I'm unable to take part in many money generating activities and therefore I've been left to depend on casual labour such as washing clothes, fetching water and sometimes burning charcoal. The money I get is not enough to meet my household needs. This has been made even more difficult since I provide for my granddaughter Mercy who is in University."