My main goal for this year is to buy sheep. Currently, I own three goats, and I am determined to expand my livestock by purchasing sheep. I plan to save a portion of my transfers once school closes so that I can afford to buy them. Sheep are a wise investment because they reproduce quickly, allowing me to sell them and provide for my family's needs. Additionally, I have aspirations to start my own kiosk where I will sell essential items like flour, sugar, and other goods to my neighbors. This venture not only aims to generate income but also to create employment opportunities for myself.

As a father of seven children, five of whom are currently attending school, I find myself at home due to unemployment. Previously, I supported my family by burning and selling charcoal, but the dry season has made it difficult to find trees, leaving me with no other option but to stay home. I am grateful to have been selected to receive transfers from GiveDirectly, which have been a lifeline for my family. These transfers have allowed me to keep my children in school without worrying about school fees. I spent $95 of the transfers to pay for their fees, ensuring they can continue their education uninterrupted. My wife also benefits from these transfers, and her transfers, we spent it on our other household needs. With the remaining $7, I purchased food to sustain my family for the week. I am thankful for this assistance from GiveDirectly, as it has eased our financial burden during this challenging time.

My primary goal for this year is to construct a permanent house. The one I currently reside in is small, made of mud walls, and doesn't meet the needs of my family. To accomplish this, I intend to use my savings along with any extra funds I receive. The thought of having a more suitable living space fills me with joy, and I am genuinely grateful for the chance to enhance my home.

I support my family of nine by working as a casual laborer. Life hasn't been easy, especially when it comes to paying school fees for my children. Thanks to GiveDirectly, our situation has improved. Now, my children can attend school without any interruptions since I can afford to pay their fees every month.  With the transfers I received, I allocated $30 to clear a debt for my child in Junior secondary school. Additionally, I used $30 to cover fees for my three children in Primary school who were starting a new term. Lastly, I spent $34 to buy a new bed, replacing the old broken one, allowing me to sleep more comfortably. The support from GiveDirectly has made a tremendous difference for my family and profoundly changed my life for the better. I am deeply grateful for that.

I aim to utilize my upcoming transfers to expand my goat inventory. At present, I own two goats and intend to purchase another, thus augmenting their quantity. As they multiply in the future, the herd will expand, enhancing the potential for selling them and generating a substantial income. I am deeply grateful for the transfers, and this investment will reduce my reliance on farming for livelihood, significantly easing my life.

A significant portion of my transfers was allocated to settling the school fees for my five children, all of whom are enrolled in primary school. By paying off the $44 in school fee arrears, I ensured that their education continued with minimal interruptions. In addition to the school fees, I spent $30 on purchasing new shoes and clothes for my children. The previous shoes were worn out, and the clothes were torn. Providing them with new clothing brought them immense joy, and they now appear tidy and well-presented. I also made a strategic investment by purchasing two hens for $15, foreseeing the potential for them to multiply and serve as a source of income through the sale of their offspring. Furthermore, I acquired food for my family of seven members, ensuring that they had sustenance while awaiting the maize harvest from our farm. I am incredibly grateful for the transfers I received from Give Directly, as they have significantly improved my life beyond what it was before.

As I navigate the challenges of providing for my wife and five children, the cash transfers have provided some relief, but I still face the reality of finding sustainable solutions to support my family's needs. Thankfully, with the ongoing planting season, I am hopeful that there will be enough food to sustain my family. With this assurance, I plan to invest in acquiring livestock such as cattle, goats, and chickens. Having a diverse range of livestock will not only provide a stable source of income but also offer opportunities to sell some of the animals when needed. This way, I can access funds for various expenses and ensure that my family's needs are met without struggling.

Being the sole provider for my family, I heavily depend on making charcoal to meet the needs of my family, including food and school fees. However, this has become increasingly challenging due to the scarcity of trees, making it difficult to gather enough material for charcoal production. Moreover, the process itself is time-consuming, further hindering our financial situation. Whenever I receive the transfers, my primary focus remains on securing enough food for my family, and I allocated $19 from the cash transfers towards this necessity. With the rising cost of living, food is becoming quite expensive, making it essential to budget carefully. Additionally, this term, there were outstanding debts that I had promised the teachers I would pay to ensure my five children's education is uninterrupted. I spent $15 to clear some of these balances and am happy to see my children continue with their studies.

My greatest fear is to spend the rest of my life without a substantial source of income. I would not wish to make charcoal for my entire lifetime; I want to do something more concrete, like starting a kiosk business. I believe I have enough skills and experience to run a shop since I used to work in one back in the day. However, right now it is challenging to establish and run this venture because of the overwhelming financial obligations on my shoulders. Regardless of the constraints, I hope that the cash transfers will allow me to start the business and stand a better chance of supporting my family. 

As my family’s breadwinner, I make and sell charcoal to provide for their daily needs, particularly school fees for the five children, and food. The drought in my region has intensified hardships since we are forced to buy food and water, things that could be easily harvested through the rain. Moreover, the rising commodity and service prices have reduced the ability of the little money I make to cover more needs. This has forced me to spend most of my cash transfers on satisfying the household essentials. From the recent cash, I used $19 to clear tuition debts for four of my children. At least am relieved they will never miss a class until they break for their holidays. I spent the remaining amount, $15 to boost the little food that was left in the house. Gladly, it has provided my family with enough meals to date. 

I own a small kiosk where I mainly market and sell fruits, vegetables, and pigweed. I started this business after I lost my main source of income as a subsistence farmer. The most I can earn from this business is $2, which is a pitiful amount and cannot meet the needs of my entire family. My four children, who attend Bengoni Primary School, are consequently frequently sent home to pay back overdue school fees. They have found it difficult to focus and do well in class because being sent home causes distractions for them. To ensure that my kids would attend school and be able to take their end-of-term exams, I used a significant portion of my transfer a whopping $20 to pay off the school fee debt. Along with paying the outstanding school fees, I also spent $5 to buy two of my children new clothes because their old ones were torn. After failing to make any sales from the small business that I owned for the entire week, I finally bought food that would sustain my family for the next five days because we had nothing to eat.

GiveDirectly, in my opinion, is a well-organized NGO that does an excellent job of improving the living standards of people in my community. It ensures that they are fairly enrolled in the direct cash transfer program. It follows a clear process beginning with sensitization to ensure that the recipients are well informed and understand how the company operates. The aspect of visiting individual households during enrollment boosts our confidence in its program, and I have yet to find anything GiveDirectly does not do well.

My family is unusually large, with eight members. As a result, to ensure that I meet its daily food needs, I must constantly strive to burn and sell charcoal. I chose charcoal making because I do not have another source of income. Unfortunately, we have not had a good harvest for the past two consecutive years. Since I had not paid off my children's school fees, I spent KES 2,000 on fee arrears as soon as I received my transfer. In contrast to previous weeks when they were sent home, they can now concentrate on their studies.

The inability to pay my children's school fees had been weighing on me since the start of the school term. When I received my first transfer, I ululated with delight. At least, the children would stay in school a little longer after I paid their fees while I worked on raising money through the charcoal business.

My children have never been kicked out of school since I paid their fees with the first transfer. As long as I receive the monthly transfers, I am confident that they will stay in school and make up for lost time. I cannot express how grateful I am to Give Directly for their unwavering support.

My primary source of income is charcoal burning. This hustle requires a lot of patience because the product, charcoal, takes at least three weeks to prepare. Due to the low demand, the money I make from a sale barely covers my needs, particularly paying for the children's school fees. As a result, they are frequently kicked out of class to collect outstanding balances while their peers continue to study, which breaks my heart. This is why I channeled KES 1,000 to their education, and they were able to resume studies without interruption. With the remaining funds, I purchased a hen in the hopes that she will reproduce and help to grow the flock. Selling the chickens will generate funds to help me meet my financial commitments.