In addition to the charcoal business I am currently running to support my family, my plans for this year are to open my own tailoring workshop. I attended tailoring college and acquired all the necessary skills to start my own workshop. My plan is to acquire a sewing machine that costs $120, purchase some materials, and eventually launch my own business. To achieve this, I started saving a portion of my transfers in our merry-go-round group, hoping that once I receive the pooled funds, I could use them to acquire the machine. However, after some time, I realized that this strategy would take me longer, so I decided to restrategize. Currently my plan is to continue saving a portion of my transfers in our Merry Go Round group and then use my pooled funds to buy goats, hoping that these goats will appreciate in value and also increase in number. In the near future, I will sell the appreciated goats and use the proceeds to buy the sewing machine. Having my own tailoring business will not only provide me with a stable income but also allow me to better take care of my family. The prospect of achieving this goal fills me with hope and determination for the future.

I have been consistently managing my transfers in a way that allows me to meet our daily needs while also saving for future investments. Recently, I spent $42 of my transfers to buy food for my family, ensuring we do not go hungry. We are currently facing food shortages because our recent harvest was poor due to the drought that devastated our crops. I am grateful that, despite these challenging times, I can still feed my family thanks to the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly. Also, to ensure my children can continue their education and not be sent home for unpaid fees, I used $30 of my transfer to cover their school fees. Lastly, I saved the remaining $30 of the transfers in our Merry-Go-Round savings group. Once I receive the pooled funds, I plan to use that money to buy goats, which I intend to sell in the future at a higher price as they appreciate in value. I hope to use the proceeds from those sales to invest in a business. I remain hopeful that my plans will come to fruition, as I envision a brighter future for my family.

In the coming year and beyond, my primary goal is to finally own a sewing machine. I've been diligently saving a portion of my monthly cash transfers, and I'm confident that by December, I'll have accumulated enough funds to make this dream a reality. Once I have the sewing machine in my possession, I plan to open my own workshop and start my own business. This transition will be a huge relief for me, as I've been relying on the charcoal business, which has proven to be unprofitable and unsustainable. Moreover, having my own sewing business will not only provide me with a stable income but also allow me to better take care of my family. The prospect of achieving this goal fills me with hope and determination for the future.

As a tailor by profession, I have always harboured a dream of owning my own sewing machine. The prospect of purchasing one has long seemed out of reach due to its high cost, leading me to join a merry-go-round chama with friends to pool our savings. With the recent cash transfers, I was able to save about $30 towards this goal, and I am optimistic that by the end of this year, I will finally achieve it. Owning a sewing machine will be a significant relief, allowing me to fully transition from my current charcoal business, which is both exhausting and barely profitable. The thought of focusing solely on tailoring, a craft I am passionate about, fills me with hope and excitement for a more sustainable and fulfilling livelihood. In addition, the transfers have enabled me to address immediate needs and secure my children's future. I paid $42 in school fees for my five kids and bought a new uniform for one of them, replacing the torn one. The joy of seeing them go to school without the previous interruptions and setbacks is immeasurable. Their education is a top priority for me, and I am glad that these funds have eliminated the financial hurdles that once plagued us. With the remaining $32, I bought food, ensuring that my family had the necessary nutrition to thrive. The relief of not worrying about the next meal has given me the energy to work harder and more effectively, focusing on creating a better future for us all.

Prior to my marriage several years ago, I acquired training as a tailor and gained experience working in a tailoring shop. However, upon relocating, I temporarily set aside this profession. Since then, I have intermittently found employment in nearby tailoring establishments, unfortunately, the remuneration does not commensurate with the level of effort expended. Consequently, I harbor aspirations of acquiring my own sewing machine and ultimately establishing my own tailoring enterprise. The cost of the desired sewing machine exceeds $100, a sum beyond my current financial means given my modest income. Even the collective savings from my participation in a savings group fall short of this amount. Thus, I have devised a strategic approach to realize this goal. I intend to utilize funds from the savings group to procure at least two goats, which I will subsequently sell upon the receipt of my next payout. Upon the receipt of the subsequent disbursement, I will consolidate the proceeds from the goat sales with my savings to acquire the sewing machine. Subsequently, I will formulate plans to secure a business premise and procure the required materials. While this endeavor may entail a prolonged timeline, I am steadfast in my belief that the investment will yield substantial dividends in the form of a sustainable and enduring source of income even long after this project is over.

For approximately 5 months, my husband faced a prolonged period of illness starting in August. Lacking medical insurance, we were compelled to allocate our combined resources towards his medical care. Over the course of five months, a portion of my transfers, amounting to $20, was earmarked for his treatment, while $10 was allocated to the savings initiative I had joined the previous year. Consequently, the remainder, totaling $4, scarcely covered our essential household expenses, leaving little room for additional expenditures. Thankfully, his condition has improved significantly, although he continues to adhere to the prescribed medication regimen in anticipation of a complete recovery. With the January transfer not directed towards his treatment, I followed our customary financial practice of setting aside a portion for savings. The surplus, amounting to $20, was allocated towards addressing the educational needs of our seven children. This allocation facilitated the purchase of essential school supplies, including books and uniforms, ensuring their continued academic progress.

I have a solid background in tailoring from my college education. With my experience of selling charcoal and participating in a merry-go-round, I am determined to save my transfers to purchase a sewing machine and materials. This strategic investment will enable me to perfect my skills and launch a successful tailoring business.

I am a mother of seven children; with six of them currently attending school. The moment I received my transfers, I immediately allocated $20 to my two children's school fees. This sum went towards the educational needs of my two school-going children; one in class six and the other in class two. I made a wise financial move by setting aside $10 for savings within a merry-go-round arrangement, ensuring a secure future. With the remaining $4, I ensured that my family's immediate needs were met by purchasing food. It's a careful balance of investing in education and securing our well-being.

Due to financial limitations, I have been unable to fulfill my dream of owning a sewing machine to establish my own tailoring business. With the responsibility of taking care of my seven children and my husband's little income from charcoal making, saving for the machine has been challenging. However, since the cash transfers began, I have been able to save $10 per month through a self-help group to eventually purchase the equipment. I am grateful for this opportunity, as it allows me to work towards my aspiration. Even after the cash transfers come to an end in five years, I am confident that the sewing machine will serve as a valuable asset, enabling me to generate income and support my children's well-being.

My husband usually earns a living by making charcoal, but his earnings are not enough to cover all our needs, especially food and school fees for the children. However, in the past month, he has been sick and unable to work, leaving us in a difficult situation to provide for our seven children. When I received the cash transfers, six of my children had been in and out of school because we couldn't pay their tuition fees. It was heartbreaking to see them miss important exams because we couldn't afford the fees. So, I used $10 from the cash transfers to pay off their tuition fees. Although they couldn't take the exams, I'm glad they didn't miss out on learning for the past month. We often ran out of food at home, and I spent $14 to buy enough food to last us for about five days. I'm happy that we didn't go hungry during that time. I saved the remaining $10 through a self-help group to buy a sewing machine in the future. I am a trained tailor, and owning a sewing machine would allow me to start a tailoring business.

To cover the arrears my primary school-aged children owed the school, I paid $24 of the transfers in school. I'm glad I was able to pay off the debt and I did not carry any arrears over to the students' subsequent academic year. Due to the holiday season, I used all of my transfers from the previous month to buy groceries for my family. I'm happy that the money allowed my kids to have the respectable Christmas party they had always wanted. In addition, I am a skilled tailor, albeit I do not work as one because I cannot afford a sewing machine. As a result, I joined a group that saves money monthly and distributes shares to each of the nine members in turn. I will use the money I get when I get my shares to buy goats to grow, then I'll sell them after a year to make money for a sewing machine. We rely on odd jobs to make a livelihood, but they don't pay much. Hopefully, our household income will increase once I purchase the sewing machine.

Givedirectly did well in conducting meetings in the village to give us a clear picture of what the program entails. In addition, we were given brochures so that we could get more information about the organization to understand it better which increase acceptance. There is nothing that I feel the organization did not do well.

With 6 children who are still in primary school, the transfer was of great help in terms of providing for their education. The children had huge fee balances since it had been a long time since I paid their school fees because of poverty. I used $10 to pay part of the fees for 3 of them who are in classes 6,5 and 4 respectively. In addition, I saved $10 in our marry-go-round group intending to start goat rearing as an investment for the future. I bought foodstuff with the remaining amount due to the ongoing famine in our area making it hard to get food.

I was overcome with joy when I found out about my transfer. It was 8 p.m., and we only had a small amount of food that was insufficient for that evening meal. After confirming that I had money, I went to a nearby center to withdraw it and then buy food for the family. Having a sufficient meal that night made me and the entire family very happy and grateful to GiveDirectly. My husband is always grateful for GiveDirectly's charitable work.

Although my husband and I struggle to provide our children with basic needs such as food and education, we can always afford food through casual jobs, albeit not regularly. The main issue has been raising fees for our sixth-grade son. However, thanks to the transfer, I was able to pay off a portion of his fees, and both my husband and I were spared the initial stress. That is the biggest difference the transfer has made in my life, and I am so grateful because my child is currently doing well in school.

Despite my wishes, I make and sell charcoal for a living. It is tedious and exhausting work, and whenever I focus more on it, I become ill to the point of seeking medication. Similarly, my husband finds it difficult to make a living by making traditional chairs. Our combined income is never enough to support the family. We had no food at the time the transfer was sent. I spent KES800 on maize flour, which lasted us more than a week. The remainder was used to pay school fees for my son, who is currently in grade school. On the same day, he was sent home from school due to his accumulated fee arrears.