On receiving the cash transfers, I used about $34 to purchase a goat, which now grazes on my homestead. Owning a goat has been a long-held dream of mine, but financial stress has always made it seem out of reach. With this new addition, I envision a future where the goats reproduce and multiply, allowing me to sell the offspring to meet our basic needs and pay bills. This sense of security is something I have craved for years. Additionally, I contributed $20 to the Merry Go Round that I joined with my colleagues. Our collective goal is to accumulate enough money to buy building materials and build new homes. For me, this means a larger house for my family, a significant upgrade from our current cramped living situation. Furthermore, I allocated $20 to cover the school fees for my five children in primary school. Knowing they are all settled in school and no longer at risk of being sent home for unpaid fees brings me great joy and peace of mind. Moreover, with $28, I can buy food and other household necessities. Previously, my charcoal business was no longer productive, making it a challenge to provide for my family. Now, we have enough to eat, and I can comfortably meet our household needs.

I lost my job during the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then, providing for my family has been a constant struggle. Now, my primary goal is to use the monthly transfers I receive to buy several goats. These goats will not only provide a reliable source of income but also ensure that I have something to fall back on in any circumstance. They will be instrumental in supporting my children's well-being and meeting our daily needs without constant worry about upcoming bills. This dream keeps me motivated, and I'm determined to make it a reality in the coming year and beyond.

A significant portion of my transfers was allocated to supporting the education of my seven children. Among them, six attend Mnazimwenga Primary School, each receiving an equal share of the $14 I designated for their educational expenses. Additionally, I allocated $38 to assist my eldest son, currently enrolled in junior primary school. Despite facing challenges in securing employment to finance their education, I am grateful that all my children have the opportunity to attend school. To further aid their learning, I invested $10 in purchasing stationery items for them. Moreover, I became a member of a savings group, contributing $10 monthly alongside 12 other members. Over time, I contributed a total of $20 to the group. The funds accumulated from the savings group enabled me to invest in two goats, a strategic decision for the future. I am deeply content and thankful for the financial assistance provided through these transfers, which have significantly contributed to supporting my family's needs.

I primarily engage in casual labor jobs, often clearing farms for individuals, especially in anticipation of the rainy season. Unfortunately, finding employment has proven challenging lately due to the current dry season. Consequently, I've encountered difficulties in meeting my children's school fees obligations. My objective with the upcoming transfers is to allocate them towards settling my children's school fees, thus ensuring they have an optimal learning environment. I am immensely grateful for the financial assistance provided through these transfers, as they have significantly aided me in providing for my family's needs.

I lack a stable source of income, relying on working in other people's farms to earn a living. However, this income is insufficient to meet the needs of my family of ten, and the persistent drought has worsened the situation, often leaving me with no work to do. Fortunately, life has taken a turn for the better with the recent rainfall in my village, allowing us to harvest enough food. With the aid of these transfers, I've been able to construct the house we now call home. I've also managed to save $20 in our savings club and allocated $44 to clear a pending school fee debt for my children. The remaining $38 was used to purchase clothes and shoes for my children, who were in dire need. The intervention of GiveDirectly has undeniably elevated our living standards.

I have been consistently saving my transfers, and I am pleased to announce that I am close to realizing my financial objectives. With the accumulated amount, my plan is to start a livestock business, with a particular emphasis on raising goats, which I believe will substantially boost my income. I intend to rear these animals until they reach maturity and then sell them for a profit. These cash transfers have provided me with the means to secure my family's financial future.

My main source of income has been doing casual jobs such as working on other people's farms, which is clearly insufficient in comparison to the household's needs. I have six children who are all in school and rely on me for their school fees as well as their daily needs. Because of my numerous household needs, I was unable to save a single penny. Receiving my monthly transfers was a huge relief because it allowed me to start saving for other important projects. We have a merry-go-round group in our village where I usually save $10 every month. This is after I have paid my children's fees which has been priority. I want to put my savings toward purchasing livestock, particularly goats, which are valuable assets that I can own. My six children are also in school, comfortably studying because of the transfers. They would have been sent home if I had not received the money, because my earnings from casual jobs are insufficient to support all six children. Finally, I purchased food, and I am relieved to have food for my family and to be eating well.

I intend to save more money in order to undertake a viable project, particularly purchasing goats, keeping them, and sell them to generate cash. I have been doing casual jobs, mainly working on other people's farms for a long time, but I am worried that my age will prevent me from continuing to do so. Instead of relying on casual jobs, I want to buy more livestock, such as goats, in the coming year and beyond. I believe I will be able to sell to meet my financial needs, such as school fees for my six children.

I have been faced with financial challenges for the longest time, a situation that had most of the time made my children be sent home for school fees. I have 3 children currently in school and most of the time they have been on and off, but with the transfers that I received, I felt a sigh of relief since it enabled me to settle part of their school fees where I paid KES 2000. I also saved KES. 1000 to enable me to buy iron sheets for my house and spent the remaining amount of KES on food.

My main goal is to own a better house in the next one year. My current house in a dilapidated state and getting money to renovate or build a better one had been quite a challenge. My plans are to save the little amount of money monthly and after a certain period, I would have enough money to help me build a better house.

All five of my children had been sent home the day before the transfer date to collect fee arrears. Their school fees had accumulated to $60, and I was concerned about how I would pay even a portion of the fee. I do not have a job other than raising livestock and doing odd jobs. As a result, when I received the transfer, I prioritized paying the $20 school fee. They have learned well since then, though I still owe school money. The remaining $10 enabled us to purchase maize flour, which lasted us a week. I am grateful because the transfer occurred when I was in desperate need. Thank you to GiveDirectly for the financial assistance.

In my view, GiveDirectly has committed to supporting the needy community. It does well in giving cash without any strings attached. As a result, we are always at liberty to prioritize our needs. In addition, it does frequent follow-ups, and we can always share the impact the transfers have in our lives. In addition, the staffs continuously remind us how best to ensure we safeguard our transfers against fraudsters. As a result, some of the community members have found it easy to take our children to school. So far there is nothing that GiveDirectly does not do well.

Having a large family is always considered as a blessing on matters community building. However, there is always a challenge that do come with such a family as far as taking care of the entire family's needs. Being a small scale charcoal vendor, it has never been easier for we having been barely surviving on the inadequate meagre income from charcoal business and sometimes from casual jobs. It is for this reason that upon receiving my recent transfer that I bought foodstuff for my family considering that the previous night before the cash transfer my family had slept on an empty stomach. However, I am now happy that the situation has changed for better and every member of my family is in high spirit even as I continue with my day to day economic activities.

Food being the most basic need, I am glad that since I started getting the cash transfer, my family of eight has never starved due to lack of money. In spite of my wife and I running a charcoal business, we have never ever been self sufficient hence the reason to continue holding on to the GiveDirectly cash transfer dearly. This has been the biggest difference in my life

It was in the evening when we having porridge as the only meal for that day and suddenly, my phone beeped with a message alert. Not giving much thought, I actioned one of my children to bring me the phone and check the content of the message. Upon realizing that it was a cash transfer Mpesa message from GiveDirectly, we could not help but celebrate as we thanked GiveDirectly. What followed the next day was food stuff bought from the proceed of the cash transfer. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for coming through for us financially. God bless GiveDirectly.