Educating our seven children has been a challenge for me and my husband. At times, they were frequently sent home due to lack of fees. Three of my children had reached school age, but I was unable to enrol them on time because we couldn't afford the admission fees and other necessary expenses. We almost had to postpone their admission because it would take some time for us to gather enough money to enrol them. Our only source of livelihood has been burning and selling charcoal, which was not enough to support our family's needs, including paying for the children's fees. When I received my first transfer, I felt greatly relieved because I used a significant portion of it to clear the fee arrears and enrol my three children who were still at home. I also covered their shopping and admission expenses, and we are at peace now that all of them are enrolled in school. In addition to the fees, I spent $130 on buying iron sheets, building poles, and nails to build a new house for them. It brings me joy to see that they now have a good place to shelter, unlike before when they had to seek shelter from neighbours at night. Furthermore, I spent $100 on purchasing a new bed and a mattress to replace their old and worn-out bedding. I spent the small portion that remained on covering my medical expenses and buying some foodstuffs and other household items that were lacking.

I had three children whom I was unable to enroll in school due to financial constraints, despite reaching the required age to start school. I have been trying to save from my casual jobs but to no avail. As the date for them to be enrolled was fast approaching, I found myself having saved nothing that would allow me to pay for their admission. I thank GiveDirectly for the transfer that came on time, as it allowed me to enroll all of them in school. I bought new school uniforms and books and paid for their admission fee. Witnessing them continuing with school has given me peace of mind as a parent, because this would have been delayed if I had not received the transfers. Additionally, I also have two others who are already in school, and to ensure that they also stay in class, I cleared the arrears on time. I am happy that they are now comfortably in school, and this alleviated the risk of them being sent home for lack of fees.

I had given my phone to my helper because I was busy preparing corn for the evening meal. While I was working, my helper came to me holding the phone and told me that there was a Mpesa notification on it. I wasn't expecting to receive money from anyone, so I was curious to know who could have sent money to me. To my surprise, it was my first transfer from GiveDirectly, and I was overwhelmed with joy as I read the message. I have been waiting to pay fees for my children who were at home, and I was happy to know that they could now go back to school.