Paying school fees for my six children that I was glad to start with when I received the first transfer. After their father passed on back in 2007, I had been trying my best to fill the gap he left by ensuring that my children are fully provided for both in school and also home. At the moment, I don't have any new goal but working hard to raise my savings to that will, in turn, pay the following terms in school for my children.

I am thankful to GiveDirectly for the great and unbiased support that we received throughout our village after enrollment. Right from the entry-level to the last day, we were equipped with a lot of information that enabled each household to spent their money in harmony. I have no complaint or any correction to make but wish GiveDirectly will keep doing the good work and even come back to our village again next time.

As a single mother of six after the passing on of my husband in the year 2007, I have been working hard both in casual labor and on my farm to ensure maximum productivity that can settle all my household's financial obligations. At the moment, I am working as a school cook at the school where my children attend. The proceeds I get there are normally divided into two, the first half goes to the school fees and the other half to help in sorting my household bills. I am glad that all has been well and still working hard to ensure that my children get the best. After receiving the second transfer, I purchased a heifer at KES 20000 to add to the existing dairy cow that has been producing milk for our home use and surplus that have always paid part of the school fees. I am looking forward to better productivity from the two breeds in the future that will even make the school fees payment easier. I also bought 8 goats at KES 21000 instead of another cow since the prices were so high when I receive the transfer. I saw it good to save the money on goats that I will later sell out to purchase a good dairy cow at a bit lower price. I spent part of the remaining on a sack of maize worth KES 4000 and also KES 8000 of paying part of the arrears that my children had in school. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for this support that has given me more time to raise my savings and meet the school's payment timeline that I had been given.

Receiving the first transfer was a great joy to me. I had been anticipating this money with great hope, and on confirming the receipt that morning, I was filled with joy. I had woken up a little bit earlier that day to attend to my usual where I had been helping in preparing breakfast and lunch in the nearby day school where my children are currently schooling - a job that has been keeping my children in school as all my wage had been paying school fees for them. I had to wait for my son who took a motorbike later to the nearest town where he collected the transfer.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the complete construction of the spacious new house. Seeing all my children enjoy enough space where they can read on good furniture is so satisfying to me. I am really grateful for the great support from GiveDirectly as it has enabled me to complete a big project that would have taken me many years to realize.

Living as a widow with my six sons had never been that easy as I have had to stand in and provide all their needs, ranging from school fees, foodstuff, and also clothing. On receiving the first transfer, I had to put up a new house as the old kitchen that I had been using was getting older and smaller for my big family. I had to obtain construction materials that include iron sheets, building posts, and also nails. All these materials added to the labor cost was KES 25000. After the completion of the construction, I also had to obtain a new piece of furniture at KES 6100 as I was using homemade benches curved around the wall in my old house. I also added a sack of maize to replenish an almost-exhausted reserve at KES 3200. My sons also needed at least a pair of new outfits each and had to spend KES 4200 for the six sons, and finally spent the remaining KES15000 on obtaining a heifer. I had been having only one lactating cow that has never been consistent in milk production and needed to start rearing another one that could also be providing us with extra milk in the future that we can sell to cushion us in other household bills.