My ambition for the coming year and beyond would be to start a profitable and sustainable business. The one I currently run is small, and we frequently end up exhausting the capital due to school fee obligations. To make this dream a reality. I intend to borrow money from my village saving sacco and microfinance institutions. I am optimistic that by turning the money around, I will be able to get to where I want to go.

The freedom to spend our transfer money on whatever we wanted based on our needs intrigued me. This allowed me to spend our transfer money on things that were important to us. Second, the field officers came to our house and treated us with the utmost respect. I am overjoyed that GiveDirectly's assistance has significantly improved our lives. Throughout my interaction, I never saw anything that needed to be corrected because all was perfectly executed.

When I received my second transfer, I considered buying a dairy cow for my family to save money on milk. My husband and I are subsistent farmers, and I also have a small vegetable stand in the shopping center. We have nine children, two of whom are adults. As a result, I shelled out $230 for a dairy cow. Following that, I paid $200 in school fees for my children and spent the remainder on groceries. I am relieved and happy that, unlike in the past, my dream of owning a cow was realized early enough, and I am grateful for the support that has brought so much joy to my family.

It was around 5 pm. I was cleaning the utensils when I heard a message notification from my phone. When I checked it out I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a message confirming that I have received some money from GiveDirectly. This was the happiest evening I have ever had. I was at home with my spouse and when I informed him of the transfer he felt so happy too. We planned and aligned on how to spend the transfer. Paying the school fees was one of our main priorities since that was a bigger challenge. I went and withdrew the money the following day and started to spend it.

Paying school fees for my daughter who is in secondary school is the biggest difference in my daily life. This is because it has been my dream to ensure that she completes her studies. This had always been my main concern since I do not have a continuous source of income. I do horticulture farming whereby I plant vegetables and maize. I supply vegetables to school and this reduced the school fees. Whenever I do not have it on my farm I buy from other farmers and supply it to the school. My daughter at times could be sent home and this was affecting her performance since she could miss some of the lessons. Currently, she is studying well without missing any lessons. I hope to see better performance compared to previous results. On my side, I have peace of mind to do other activities at home. I have now devoted much of my time to farming to save more money for the next academic year.

I spent KES 8,000 on plowing my farm ready to plant maize and vegetables. Just waiting for the right season for planting. I am so grateful because planting at the right season leads to pamper harvest. I will get enough food for the family and supply the rest to the school. I spent KES 18,000 on paying school fees for my daughter who is studying in secondary school. This had given me peace of mind to do other activities at home without any stress like before. I paid a debt of KES 10,000 that I had borrowed from a friend to pay school fees. I am so grateful because this was giving me restless nights. Besides that, I purchased a phone that cost KES 15,000 for my daughter who is in college. This helps her do some research and assignment. The rest of the money I spent on food and household items for my family.