I am extremely thankful to Givedirectly for their financial support in helping me raise my children, especially after the passing of my husband, which placed all the responsibilities on my shoulders. Currently, my primary concern is for my two oldest children, both of whom finished secondary school with excellent results. One is preparing to enroll at Kenya Medical Training College to study nursing, while the other will be attending a teachers training college. Unfortunately, we have had to postpone this due to financial constraints. I am contributing to a local savings group with the hope of being able to enroll them soon. Additionally, I recently started working as a househelp, which provides me with some income and helps me save for building a new house. The current house we live in is quite unsafe, as the walls have become fragile and may collapse during heavy winds. However, the roof remains intact, allowing me to reuse the iron sheets from this house in the new one, although I will need to purchase a few additional pieces. Therefore, once I can enroll my children in school, I will begin this construction project. These are my main goals for the near future and beyond.

Upon receiving my latest transfer, I used $24 to purchase food for my family, as we were in urgent need at that time. I prioritized this expense due to the lack of food in the house. I also contributed $18 to our merry-go-round group, as it is easier to save in a collective than to save individually, where access to funds can be tempting. I plan to utilize my savings to invest in an income-generating venture once it’s my turn to receive. Additionally, I bought one mature goat, as I aim to expand my goat-rearing project, which I consider essential for my financial security when these transfers come to an end.

I am so grateful for Givedirectly for being my partner in carrying the burden of raising my children. My husband is late and so this automatically meant that the entire task of taking care of the children lies on me. My current concern is my two oldest children. They both cleared secondary school and performed well, one qualified to join Kenya medical training college as a nursing student while the other is to join a teachers training college. We have had to put a pin on this since I do not have have the cash. I am making savings in a local savings group from which I plan to use the cash to get this two in school.

As a single mother my biggest struggle has been educating my children. I have 6 children, two finished their secondary school and are awaiting to join college, 1 in in form two, another is in junior secondary school while the last two as in primary. The school fees for my child in form 2 is $400 per year, that for my junior secondary school daughter is $60 while the two youngest girls in primary need $20 each. This is a big burden for one person to carry as I work as a help and I make $50 monthly from my job. Thanks to Givedirectly transfers my burden is lessened each month I receive cash. I used the cash transfers to ensure the school fee balance of my child in secondary was cleared at $30 and I also got a goat at $55 so that when the next term begins I can sell the kids the goat gives birth to, to clear the school fees that will be required. I also paid $10 for the younger ones to also ensure they were not sent away from school.

I had planned to start purchasing metal sheets to initiate the construction process for my new house. However, with the expenses of my children's school fees using up most of my transfer, it has been challenging to save enough for the metal sheets. To supplement our income, I wash clothes for others, providing vital support for my family while I await the hatching of our chickens, which I will sell and make a profit. With diligent saving from my work and the potential assistance from GiveDirectly, I am hopeful that I can soon realize my dream of building a new house. Upgrading from our old mud house to one with two spacious bedrooms is a strong desire of mine, and I am determined to make it happen.

As a widow, I take on the responsibility of ensuring my family runs smoothly, especially since all six of my children rely on me. Upon receiving my transfers, I promptly allocated $50 to clear their school fees, ensuring their education remains uninterrupted. Additionally, I spent $34 on purchasing food to ensure my children could enjoy a festive season filled with happiness. Recognizing the potential for future stability, I invested $18 in purchasing six chickens along with their feeds, which not only brought joy but also paved the way for me to start a new business. Investing in chickens holds promise as they can easily hatch, allowing me to sell them and generate profit.

My goal starting next year is to buy building materials aimed at building a new house. My house is almost falling apart and I have not had the cash to build a new one. My transfers have all been focused on school fees since I needed to ensure my children finished school. Two of my children will be finishing secondary education this period and that means I will have less people to provide school fees for. My hope is to use the transfers to slowly buy iron sheets as they are the most expensive and work it from to building poles which once sufficient I will embark on building.

I am a widow and the sole breadwinner in my home. I am currently a house help in a neighbouring village. The job only pays $35 a month which cannot sustain all the needs my family has. I am so thankful for Givedirectly transfers for filling in the major gaps. My transfers have mostly been beneficial for paying school fees for my 6 children in school. In October the entire amount was distributed among them as exams were coming up and I wanted them to be in school during the exams. I spent $10 for each of my three children in secondary school and $1 for each of my children in primary school. In August I also had reduced their school fees debt by spending $23 from my transfers on this. In September I bought a goat at $56 and made a down payment of $30 for it. The $11 and $4 left in September and August went to buying food for my children.

With a vision for progress, I have ventured into goat farming by purchasing two goats with my recent transfer. Simultaneously, I am planning to build a new house to replace my current old and leaky dwelling. To fund the house project, I intend to raise and sell more goats when the time is right. Through this strategic approach, I am paving the way towards a brighter future and a secure home.

With immense pride as a mother to my six remarkable children, I prioritize their education above all. As soon as I received my transfer, I swiftly took action. I divided $25 wisely among my three primary school and secondary school children, ensuring each institution received its rightful share. Understanding the significance of nourishment, I thoughtfully allocated the remaining $9 to purchase essential food for my family. This decision, driven by my unwavering love, sustains and nurtures my cherished children as they embark on their educational endeavors.Guided by an unwavering commitment to their growth and well-being, I seize every opportunity to support their academic journeys while ensuring their fundamental needs are met.

In the coming year and beyond, I plan to concentrate on building a new house. I live in a house that was built when my husband was still alive. Its walls are frail. It is not only small, but it is also old. Even though it is only a two-room house, I have been living in the same house with my co-wife for those years. I am hoping to finish my house before the end of the year. It will be possible once my son Kazungu and daughter Pendo, who is in form four, complete their O'levels.

I am a widow and the sole breadwinner in my family for the past seven years since my husband died. I have three children in High School, and three are in Primary School. I struggle a lot to fend for them. Occasionally, I do household chores such as washing clothes for people to earn a wage. Despite my situation, all my children are in school, and I attribute this to the transfers from GiveDirectly. From my recent transfer, I spent $6 on school fees for my three children in primary school. In addition, I spent $18 on food hence we have been able to have regular meals amidst the famine that is ravaging our area. I am also a member of a merry-go-round, and I contribute $10 every month. I intend to invest my dues in livestock keeping.

I'm pleased that my kids can eat a balanced meal, get school supplies, and wear better apparel. At the time of enrollment, this was not the case, but the regular transfers made it possible. Even if we haven't yet accomplished what we need to, I believe that our lives have improved. My husband passed away six years ago, and I have been raising his six children ever since. While the rest are in primary school, three are currently in high school. In addition, the condition of our one-room house, which serves as the living room, kitchen, and bedroom, is poor, necessitating the construction of a new, bigger one.Currently, I work as a domestic helper, earning $30 per month. When combined with the monthly stipend, our household income is $64. In order to satisfy the urgent needs, I will set aside a portion of the revenue each month to purchase a goat for rearing and utilize the remainder to pay for both educational costs and everyday living expenditures. I'll sell some of the goats once they will have multiplied to generate income for both the school's expenses and the construction materials..

In my family of six school-age children, I am the only source of income. Ten years ago, when my husband passed away, I was left to care for the children on my own. Working as a housekeeper, I bring in $40. Due to the enormous school fees that I am required to pay in addition to other essential needs like purchasing food and clothing, this amount is very small to support two children in secondary school and four in primary school. As a result, when I received my transfers, I used the entire sum to pay my children' tuition. I frequently failed to pay the school fees on time, which resulted in my children being sent home and occasionally missing their chance to take their exams. As we speak, I am overjoyed because I have partially paid the students' outstanding school fees, allowing them to take their exams. Even though they will face difficulties in their education, I have faith that they will succeed.

I commend Give Directly for giving out cash transfers to the needy in the society. Since I started receiving the funds, my live has drastically transformed. I am happier now that all my children are in school courtesy of Give Directly. Everything the organization does is perfect; there are no faults.

My husband's demise was the most difficult time in my life. I was left to feed and pay school fees for our six children. To meet these needs, I relied solely on charcoal burning until last month, when I was hired as a house maid in Mariakani, making around KES 4,000 per month. However, this sum is insufficient to cover all of the expenses. Life is still tough. In fact, when I received the transfer, my son, who is in form three, had been absent from school for three days due to unpaid school fee balances. In addition, due to a lack of funds, my family had gone two days without eating. As a result, I budgeted KES 1000 and KES 2000 from the transfer for food and school fees respectively. When my son returned to school, he was excited to inform me that he and his sisters (at the same school) could access the benefits of the institution, such as free lunch meals. My heart is content!

I was watering plants at the back of my house when my son came running to me holding my phone. He told me I had received a text message. I could not believe it when I found out that I had received my first transfer. My heart pounded heavily as mixed emotions ran down my mind. I went inside my house and murmured a brief prayer, thanking the lord for the miracle.

Life is extremely hard on my end, juggling between paying school fees and buying meals for my children. The situation becomes unbearable when I cannot find a job, and we have to sleep hungry for over three days. Buying food using the money from the transfer made a vast difference in my life and I am very grateful.

I am a widow and the sole breadwinner of the family. I have six children who fully depend on me for their support in school and meals. Two of my children are in secondary school while the others are in primary school. It is five years since my husband passed away and since then I have struggled to provide for my family’s needs (paying school fees and buying food). I currently work as a casual laborer, washing people’s clothes to earn a living. The bills I pay at the end of every month are too much compared to what I earn (300-500 per day). This forces me to reduce the number of meals from three to one meal a day in order to save some money to pay school fees. Sometimes when I cannot find a job, we sleep hungry and pray for better days ahead. I spent my entire first transfer in buying food for the family. It ensured that we would not lack food to eat for the next three days.