I hope to raise enough money to send all my six children to higher learning institutions. I never had the opportunity to go to school simply because my parents were so poor. I, therefore, vowed to try all I can to make sure that they all get a basic education so that their lives can be brighter. I never wished any of my children to undergo what I experienced because of illiteracy.

According to me, GiveDirectly does well by making sure that they visited every needy household in the entire region. Also, they fulfilled their promise by ensuring that we received the exact amount on time. This has brought about numerous development in the village including new houses, livestock, and most importantly sending our children to school. I do not see anything that needs to be changed.

I spent part of my second transfer on clearing fees of $180 for my two daughters; in forms three and four respectively. They have been staying home for about two weeks due to the pending arrears. This used to frustrate me a lot because I was certain that they would miss exams as it was like a routine to them. I still can't believe that they resumed their studies with the rest. I will forever be thankful to GiveDirectly for this far it has brought us. Also, I spent around $230 to purchase iron sheets, building poles, nails and all the necessary materials to put up a new house for my six children. For the past three years, they have been sheltering at their uncle's house which was not spacious enough and I had the feeling that they had become a burden to them. I now feel contented and relieved as a parent to see them sleeping comfortably in the new house. Additionally, I bought two goats which I believe increased in number within a short period. Through them, I trust that I will achieve some other goals which I haven't accomplished so far. With the remaining amount of money, I bought food for my seven family members and other needful items in my household.

I was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for my family of 7 members after spending the day vending charcoal to earn a living. It was around 7 pm the moment I received the message notifications on the phone. I immediately called the helper to confirm and interpret the message because I am illiterate. I was overwhelmed after learning that it was the transfer from GiveDirectly. The transfer assured me of the continuous support of the education of my 2 daughters who were still schooling.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am living a happy and fulfilling life seeing my kids learning without any interruption. Staying with them at home because of school fees deprived my happiness. Previously, I had to struggle vending charcoal a job that earns me KES 200 per day, a little income that was hardly enough to feed the family of 7 members.

My ambition was to provide the best education for my 4 children. This dream was almost impossible since I did not have a reliable source of income. Most of the time, their education was interrupted due to the huge fee balances. After receiving the transfer, I used KES 18,000 to clear all the fee arrears for my two daughters who are in form 3 and form 4 respectively. Previously, they were always sent home for fees something that negatively affected their performance. Similarly, I used KES4000 to support the education of the 2 younger kids who are in primary school. In addition, I used a larger part of the remaining amount to purchase building materials for the construction of a separate structure for my daughters. This was because we were together spending nights under one roof despite them being grown-up ladies something that is against our customs. With the remaining amount, I bought enough food for the family since there is famine in our area.