In the coming year and beyond, my top priority is to buy a bed and a mattress for my grandchildren. Currently, we all sleep in the same bed, which feels crowded and uncomfortable. I believe that providing them with their bed will improve their health and comfort, as well as give them a sense of independence. To achieve this goal, I am committed to saving $10 monthly. The bed I plan to buy costs $50, and the mattress is $60. This is an important step toward improving our living conditions and ensuring a healthier, happier environment for my family.

I am a mother of seven, and my husband and I work tirelessly at casual jobs to provide for our family. With the recent three transfers, I spent $29 on school fees for my children. Education is a key to their future, and I wanted to ensure their learning was not interrupted. Seeing them continue with their studies gives me hope for a better tomorrow. After that, I used another $29 to buy food for my family. This allowed us to enjoy a break from the constant struggle of finding daily meals through casual jobs, giving us some much-needed relief and comfort. After covering these essential needs, I saved $10 to prepare for any emergencies that might arise. Having a small cushion for unexpected situations gives me peace of mind. Lastly, I invested $34 in purchasing a goat, bringing the total number of goats we now own to two. The goat was priced at $60, but I added savings from earlier transfers to make up the difference. This investment in livestock is part of our plan to build a sustainable source of income and security for our family. These transfers have been a blessing, allowing us to meet our needs while planting seeds for a better life.

My accomplishments in the coming year and beyond include purchasing more livestock, with a preference for goats due to their ease of multiplication. This investment will be beneficial to me in the future, even after the transfer period ends. In the event of an emergency or need, I can sell some goats and use the money to take care of myself and my family. So far, I have two goats, and my plan is to purchase more to increase their numbers. I am very happy and appreciative of the financial support I have received so far.

As a casual laborer earning a living through the sale of charcoal, and with my husband working as a motorcycle taxi driver, we faced significant financial constraints before being enrolled in the program. We often skipped meals due to a lack of money to buy enough food for the entire family, and my three children were frequently sent home from school because of unpaid fees. Our lives took a positive turn when we were enrolled in the cash program. Now, my children attend school without fail, and we rarely miss meals. I spent $50 of my recent transfers to purchase a goat, which I see as an investment for the future. The goat will multiply, increasing my initial investment, and in times of need, I can sell some to meet our financial requirements. Additionally, I spent $10 on school fees for my daughter, who is in form three at Kaloleni Girls Secondary School, ensuring her education continues without interruptions. I saved $33 with the intention of purchasing another goat next month. I also spent $9 on food for my family, ensuring we had enough to eat. I am very grateful and appreciative of the financial support from the cash transfers from Give Directly. It has enabled me to improve the quality of life for my family.

With the recent acquisition of my first goat, I am eager to expand my livestock holdings with the forthcoming transfers. This strategic move is an investment in our future, providing a safety net in times of need and offering a source of income generation. The financial support from these transfers has been invaluable, allowing me to meet the educational expenses for my children and ensuring that our family never goes hungry with sufficient food purchases. I am deeply grateful for this assistance, which has made a significant difference in our lives.

I used a significant portion of my transfer money, totaling $42, to pay school fees for my two children. My eldest is in Form Three, while the younger one is in Class Six. It brings me immense joy to see them continuing their education. My husband works as a motorcycle taxi rider, and I take on manual farming jobs for others. However, the income we earn is not enough to meet the needs of our family of four. Thankfully, the transfers have kept alive the hope of our children receiving a better education. I also invested $50 in purchasing a goat, which I see as a future asset since it will multiply over time. When the time comes, I plan to sell some of the goats to meet our immediate needs. Additionally, I bought food items such as maize flour and sugar, spending $26. This ensured that my family never went without food. I am incredibly grateful that the transfers have enabled me to provide for my family's immediate needs.

Previously, I have faced various difficulties due to water scarcity, particularly during droughts. This compels us to trek long distances in search of water, and the water we obtain is often unfit for consumption. My intention is to invest in a water tank, enabling me to store water during the rainy season for use in the dry season. Additionally, I aim to purchase a large cooking pot that I can rent out, generating a modest income to support my family. I am delighted and appreciative of the financial assistance.

As casual laborers, my husband and I earn our living through different means – I primarily work on other people's farms, while my husband works as a mason, constructing houses. Our incomes are modest, and we often rely on our son, who is employed as a salesperson in Mombasa, for financial assistance. The substantial support from the transfers has allowed me to settle the school fees for my two children; one is a Form Three student, while the other is in primary school. I allocated a significant $42 to clear their school fee arrears, ensuring their continued education. Furthermore, I dedicated $60 to purchase food for my family. I am pleased that, thanks to the financial boost, we have been able to consistently provide food for our family. I am deeply thankful for this financial support.

My family's primary source of support comes from my husband, who works as a motorbike rider. I have always wanted to contribute to the household, but in the past, I lacked a source of income to do so. However, with the continuous monthly cash transfers, I now have the opportunity to fulfill this goal. I plan to use the transfers to acquire goats, rear them, and build our wealth. As these goats reproduce, I will have the option to sell them and contribute to our family's financial needs. This initiative is crucial in supporting my children's education and ensuring a brighter future for our entire family.

To support our family's financial requirements, my husband works as a motorbike rider but his little earnings barely cover all the household needs. This is why I primarily use the cash transfers to contribute towards these necessities. Each month, I allocate $10 to clear any outstanding debts for my child's primary school fees, ensuring he can continue his education without disruptions. I have always wanted to acquire goats, rear them, and grow my wealth. However, I faced challenges in directly purchasing goats from the transfers due to other pressing obligations. Instead, I decided to join a merry-go-round with a monthly contribution of $10, which allows me to save and eventually buy a goat. The remaining $14 usually goes towards the purchase of food as the arrival of the funds mostly align with the timing when the household has run out of food.

My desire would have been to start and run a fast-moving goods business in my village. However, operating the business in my locality is a challenge as there is little demand for fast-moving goods, which would make me run into losses. Instead, I want to start keeping livestock, especially goats. Since they can survive the harsh weather, the goats may reproduce and survive longer, thus giving me a chance to sell them for money. 

Lack of food is a major concern in my household, as we lack money to purchase enough. The only job I rely on to make a living is charcoal burning, which raises low earnings as there are no longer trees to cut down. Therefore, when I received the money, my priority was food, and I spent $10 on acquiring it. Next, I used $2.5 to buy school shorts for my son who had been wearing casual clothes to school. I also cleared his school fee debt of $2.5 so that he would not be sent home. I also set aside $5 for water as drought has made it very expensive to easily access water. Lastly, I paid $14 for my high school son’s tuition who had been constantly calling to remind me about the overdue debt. Am glad that this kept him in school and bought me more time to raise money to clear the balance. 

My youngest son was sent home to pick up past-due school fee arrears the day before I got my transfers. Since I didn't have any money at the time, I was forced to ask my son to stay at home. I sell charcoal for a living, but I only make a pittance. My meager income is sufficient to cover my basic needs, leaving nothing over for other expenses like school fees. I spent $5 as soon as I got my transfers to cover my son's past-due school fees so he could return to class and continue his studies. I was very grateful for the transfers and felt a lot of relief when my son returned to school. I then used the money that was left over to buy food for my family. I have struggled to explain to my children that there is nothing to eat for supper after they get home from school for the majority of the days this month. The hardest thing I have had to deal with this month is watching them cry and hearing their tummies grumble in agony. The money gave me a huge financial boost and enabled me to avoid difficult questions from my children.

I am grateful to a be a part of the program being carried out by the organization especially because the finances gave really played a huge role in my day to day life since the financial stress I had before has lessened. I count myself lucky especially since both my spouse and I got enrolled which has been a tremendous help to our family.

My son who happens to be in high-school was almost on the verge of being kicked out of school since we were required to pay about KES 5,000 in tuition. Luckily both my husband and I were both enrolled onto the program so he sent half of the debt and I used KES 2,500 from my transfers which was what was needed to clear the debt. Afterwards I was left with KES 500 and I decided to use on nutrition by purchasing a packets of maize and sugar.

I received the text message confirming that I had received my first transfer early in the morning. I was in a burial ceremony and immediately after I saw the message, my heart melted with joy. Later that evening, I shared the good news with my family members and all were thrilled.

Life is becoming hard every day. Being able to buy the food for my family to prevent them from starving is the biggest difference that the transfer has made in my life. I now have plenty to eat for the next one week and my family is thrilled.

My husband is the sole breadwinner in the family. He earns a living as a “Boda Boda” motorcycle rider. In recent months, he has faced serious financial challenges that have hindered him in fully providing for the family. The sharp rise in fuel prices has led to an increase in transport costs. His customers are opting to use alternative sources of transport. This means he does not earn any income, and it becomes difficult for him to pay school fees and buy food for the family. When I received my first transfer, I spent KES 400 to pay school fees for my son, who was in primary school and was at home due to school fee arrears. Besides paying school fees, I spent KES 800 on food for the family. The increase in food prices has made it difficult to buy food as a 2kg packet of flour goes for KES 200. The little income he earns makes him struggle to buy food daily for the family.