Ensuring my children's education has been my guiding principle, so when the unconditional cash transfer arrived, there was no hesitation. With $40 allocated towards their primary education, I felt a sense of relief knowing they could continue their academic journey without financial constraints. Witnessing their growth and success in school fills me with immense pride, reaffirming my belief in the power of education to shape their futures. Yet amidst the joy of securing their education, a cloud of worry loomed when my son fell ill with malaria. Devoting $8 to cover his medical expenses felt like a lifeline, easing the burden of uncertainty as he battled the illness. Witnessing his recovery was a testament to the impact of timely assistance, filling my heart with profound gratitude and relief. With the remaining $55, I addressed another pressing concern: providing sustenance during a drought-induced scarcity. Investing in food staples ensured our family's well-being, alleviating the strain of uncertainty. As a casual labourer, the challenge of feeding seven children weighed heavily on me, but the support provided a much-needed respite. Despite the trials, witnessing the smiles on my children's faces as they study and thrive, and the assurance of their health fills me with immense gratitude. The unconditional cash transfer not only eased our immediate burdens but also instilled hope for a brighter tomorrow.

My biggest aspiration is to expand my livestock holdings, particularly goats, right here on my homestead. I firmly believe that this endeavour will bring significant benefits, especially for my children, who are currently attending primary school. My aim is to accumulate tangible assets that can facilitate our journey through their educational milestones, from transitioning into high school to eventually pursuing higher education in college. By building up a robust herd of goats, I envision not only ensuring a stable income but also creating a valuable resource that can be leveraged to cover their school fees effortlessly. So, each goat I acquire isn't just an animal; it's a step closer to securing a brighter future for my children.

With five of my children currently in school, I spent $25 on their fees ensuring they were in school despite the challenges we were facing. My husband lost his job, and now he relies on casual labor, which is never guaranteed. I used to work as a cook at a nearby school but the supplies haven't arrived this year, leaving me at home, hoping for a recall. Our house collapsed during the recent rainy season, and for over a month, my children and I had to seek shelter from friends and neighbors. The $34 I spent on building materials has been a blessing, allowing us to rebuild our home, which is now halfway done. Additionally, my daughter fell ill, and another $34 was spent on her medical care ensured she received the treatment she needed. Now, she's on the path to recovery. I spent the remaining $9 to purchase food for my family, providing us with a semblance of stability during these challenging times. Thanks to GiveDirectly, we now have a roof over our heads and a renewed sense of hope for the future.

My plan is to complete the construction of our house, something we've been working on for years. Once the house is done, I'm starting a poultry and livestock venture. I'm sure the extra income from that would make a difference on our financial status. Givedirectly has given my family support and hope for a better future. We are truly grateful for this opportunity.

The Givedirectly transfers gave us a hope to hold on to. We have been struggling with a bad drought that meant we fully relied on purchasing food for nourishment. By the time we were receiving transfers in June I didn't have much on me since all my resources had gone into planting. I had accumulated a debt at the shop of about $17 which I cleared using my transfers. I also settled my children's school fees using $10, the remaining $8 went into restocking food at home. In July Seeing that I still had debts at the shop I reduced the debt I had of $13 and paid school fees for my 5 children I also bought a chicken from the market. The $8 left I bought some personal toiletries. I august I upped my chicken purchase to two as now we had vegetable and were no longer buying them, I also paid my debt of $14 at the shop and settled my children school fees by $10 as well.

As I said the drought made it impossible for me to target my funds into building an emergency fund. My plan is to buy more animals to ensure I have an emergency fund. Animals easily propagate and one goat today can be four goats in a few months. Having harvested I have some spare cash in my transfers that I can redirect to saving for buying animals. They will help me deal with emergency situations and upcoming financial needs that I haven't planned for.

My husband has a casual job, and there are times when he doesn't earn enough. In such situations, I often assist him financially using the money I receive from selling chickens and cows. Recently, I received some money from GiveDirectly, which I used to pay my children's school fees. The school fees amounted to $15, and with the remaining $19, I bought food for my children.

I have a strong desire to increase my investments in cows and chickens. I am already involved in these ventures, but I would love to expand my investment further in order to save money for my children's future, specifically to cover their secondary education fees. By investing more in these areas, I hope to secure the financial resources necessary to support my children's educational journey.

My husband, our seven kids, and I make up our family of nine. My five children are enrolled in Mnazimwenga Primary. After the birth of my last child, I was forced to quit my job (cooking fast food) for the better part of a year. My husband, who works as a salesperson and is the only provider for the family, finds it challenging to meet their needs. He receives a pitiful salary and frequently experiences payment delays. I spent $12 on school fees and $3 on stationery for the children when I got my January transfers because my husband didn't have any money and hadn't been paid yet. In addition to paying the school fees, I also spent $19 on food for the family. The family's food supply was running low, and since my husband was finding it difficult to provide for the family, more food needed to be purchased. My family typically eats 2 packets of maize flour per day, which is very expensive; as a result, we need a lot of food to last us the entire month. I am appreciate that the funds helped us go cope up with that difficult situation.

This year, my main objective is to find a reliable source of income that will enable me to help my husband pay the household bills. Since poultry farming is less expensive to start and maintain, I'm considering it. I intend to buy day-old chicks and animal feed with a portion of my future transfers and raise them. I'll sell some of the hens when they're fully grown and use the proceeds to take care of my immediate needs. The long-term plan is to purchase goats and sell them to use the money to pay my children' secondary school tuition.

I am a mother of seven working as a subsistence farmer for a living while my husband is a carpenter. I have five children who are in primary school. My husband and I support each other in paying our kids’ school fees using the income from our menial jobs and the GiveDirectly transfers we receive. Paying school fees, accessing water, and affording decent meals have been our biggest challenges due to our unsustainable income. The water point is far away from our home making us walk long distances to fetch. Daily trekking in search of water causes us to use a lot of energy leading to exhaustion and lack of peace of mind. Using my GiveDirectly transfers, I bought food and household items worth KES 1960 to cushion us against hunger. I also paid KES 1600 for our kids’ school fees to help reduce their arrears. Next, I bought a chicken for KES 350 for investment because I did not have any and had for a long time yearned to rear some. I thank GiveDirectly for supporting me financially.

What I like most about GiveDirectly are the transfer schedule dates. Before GiveDirectly, I could wait until month end to receive money from my husband to cater to our basic needs because the little I earn from farming is never enough to sustain us for even a week. Nowadays, I can hold money in the middle of the month and hence can cater to my needs without relying on my husband's contribution for upkeep. The transfers have enabled me to become financially independent as I no longer bother my spouse for monthly financial support. I have, however, not spotted any area where GiveDirectly does not do well. The organization offers us good services.

We are a family of nine; my husband, our seven children, and I. Five of our children are all in school. We rely on my spouse who is employed in a shop in Mombasa town. Unfortunately, he has never been paid on time. So these transfers came in handy since I received them at a time when he had not been paid for two months, and we had also slept hungry the previous day. I, therefore, bought six kilograms of corn flour worth KES 600, paid KES 400 examination fees for my children, and used KES 200 to purchase detergents and body care products. We are glowing, and I am at peace having met my household needs.

The ease with which I was able to meet my family's needs is the biggest difference in my daily life. We had no finances and my children owed the school examination fees. My spouse had promised to send us some money in case he got lucky to borrow from a friend, but he did not manage to. He is employed but the pay is not regular and by then he had received two months' salary. I am glad I paid for part of the debt, and they were allowed in school.

I actually cannot explain how happy I was when I received the first transfer. It was around 9 pm when I heard my phone ringing but unfortunately, it went off immediately before I could read the message. I, therefore, put it on charge and went to bed. When I woke up the following morning, I checked the message and found out it was money from Give Directly. I was overjoyed! I knew that finally, my family would get something to eat on that day.