I work hard doing casual jobs and burning charcoal to provide for my family of six. I have three children in school; two in primary and one in college. When I received the last three transfers, totaling $102, I carefully planned how to spend it to meet our most pressing needs. First, I used $60 to pay school fees for my child in secondary school to ensure he continued his studies without any interruptions. Then, I spent $24 on school fees for my two children in primary school. Education is important to me, and I want them to have every opportunity to succeed. Finally, with the remaining $18, I bought food for my family. It's crucial to keep them nourished and healthy so that we can continue to move forward together.

This year and beyond, I am filled with hope and determination to rebuild my poultry farm, which once thrived with over twenty chickens before coccidiosis wiped them out. With the support from GiveDirectly, I can start afresh, buying a hen each month for $5. This gradual approach balances my commitment to paying my children’s school fees. My vision goes beyond merely recovering; in the long run, I aim to exchange five grown cocks for a goat, steadily transforming my poultry into a herd of goats. This strategy will not only provide a more resilient source of income but also secure a better future for my family.

I am currently unemployed, relying solely on selling charcoal to support my family of eight. Securing income in the past was a challenging ordeal, and there were numerous instances where I went to bed on an empty stomach. I am grateful for the assistance from GiveDirectly, as it has significantly improved our living standards. My children are now able to attend school, and we no longer worry about food scarcity. With a consistent monthly transfer, we can even consider taking loans for further financial stability. Due to prolonged heavy rainfall, my children's house collapsed, rendering it uninhabitable. Utilizing the entirety of the $102 transfers, I undertook the task of rebuilding the house, which involved purchasing corrugated roofing sheets, building poles, and rafters, and paying the builders for their services. I am happy with the progress I have made in my life and i am looking forward to a better year ahead.

As I look forward to the upcoming year, my primary goal is to settle all outstanding fees arrears for my children and subsequently venture into the chicken business. Resolving this lingering debt is crucial for my peace of mind, enabling me to fully focus on the poultry enterprise. I plan to utilize future transfers to accomplish these financial objectives. GiveDirectly serves as a beacon of hope for me and my family, providing the support needed to realize these aspirations and secure a brighter future.

I have three children enrolled in school and I have been relying on government bursaries to educate them. However, it's not reliable and this made my children to sometimes miss classes because I was unable to pay for them on time. Ever since I began receiving the transfers,my priority has always been to ensure that my children's education is well catered for. I thus spent $30 of the most recent transfers on paying fees for them, which allowed them to stay in school. In addition to this, I also spent a portion of the money on buying food stuffs such as maize flour and some other cereals. This ensured that my family was well fed, and had enough to eat, and could enjoy taking three meals per day. I have also been building a house for my children since my house is very small and cannot accommodate them. I spent $13 on purchasing two pieces of iron sheets to add to the ones I bought and I hope to complete the roofing of their house so that they can also have a good place to stay and study. I do not want them to wander in the night while looking for shelter from neighbors.

In the coming year and beyond my objective is to ensure that my children stay in school and continue with their education. I currently do not have a job that could have otherwise helped me to take care of my children's education expenses. I am raising livestock and mostly doing small scale subsistence farming. All I want is to ensure that my three children continue with their studies without interruptions concerning fees. I solely rely on the transfers for this, I believe that my children will be able to realize their educational goals in the period that I will be in the program. I also want to save a portion of the money after paying fees so as to buy more livestock especially goats, which I can also rely when I need to raise my children's fee. I can sell the offspring as they multiply and take my children.