I recently enrolled in a driving school course and I have been utilizing my transfers to cover the necessary expenses. I therefore, spent $54 on school fees and other essential supplies to ensure a smooth learning experience. I am pleased with my progress and look forward to the benefits that come with obtaining my driver's license. In addition to supporting my own education, I have also been contributing to my siblings' educational expenses to relieve some of the burden on my mother. Specifically, I spent $15 on school fees for my two siblings, which has been a significant help to our family. Furthermore, I have been assisting my family by covering some of our living expenses and so I spent $29 on food to ensure that we never go hungry. Finally, I allocated $4 for personal grooming items and mobile phone airtime to maintain my personal well-being.

Initially, I had planned to enroll in a mechanical engineering certificate course, but the high cost made it difficult for me to afford it with the transfers I received from GiveDirectly. To achieve my goal, I decided to join a driving school course. Once I complete the driving course and obtain my driver's license, I plan to secure a job and earn a steady income. I will then use my earnings, combined with the transfers from GiveDirectly, to enroll in a mechanical engineering course next year. This plan aligns with my long-term aspirations and means a great deal to me.

Currently, my primary source of income is casual labour, which are scarce within our village hence the reason I heavily rely on the transfers as my financial lifeline, particularly to accumulate funds for my college education planned to commence in the coming months. Furthermore, these transfers have proven indispensable in supporting my siblings in highschool, as my widowed mother, who sustains the household through vegetable vending, struggles to meet their educational expenses. Upon receiving the transfers, I usually allocate $10 towards my college fund, reserving the remaining amount for various essential expenditures. These may include necessities such as food provisions, school fees, or personal items like clothing. Notably, in February, I directed $25 towards covering a portion of my siblings' school fees, channeling the remainder towards addressing other pressing needs. This strategic allocation reflects my commitment to securing not only my own educational pursuits but also supporting the academic endeavors of my siblings.

My long term dream of joining college is almost becoming a reality as I have made the decision to enroll for a certificate course in mechanical engineering starting in May of this year. To prepare for this endeavor, I have diligently saved a portion of my transfers, accumulating a total of $200, which is sufficient to cover the initial admission fees. Upon entering college, I will become entirely reliant on these transfers to finance my education and meet any associated expenses. This reliance stems from the financial constraints faced by my widowed mother, who sustains our family through a modest income generated from her small vegetable business. Additionally, she shoulders the financial burden of educating my two younger siblings who are currently enrolled in high school. For this reason, I understand that the responsibility for funding my college education rests primarily on my ability to leverage the resources provided through these transfers forcing me to ensure the highest order of financial discipline.

I am the eldest my three siblings, my mom is a widower. My two siblings are school students and we are all dependent of my mother for financial support. I am already done with my basic education and that means that I help around financially. I used a part of my transfers to pay for my siblings school in July, I spent $15 for my brother who is in form one and $500 for my sister who is in class 6. I also was able to take my brother to hospital in September when he fell ill at $16. I also assisted with food purchases, spending $10 in August and $14 in September. I was also able to buy two chicken in August, one at $5 and the other $4. I save some amount monthly on my mobile money savings account, I saved $10 in July, I saved $15 in August and $4 in September.

As I said my mother is our breadwinner since my father is late. I cleared form four but couldn't continue my education further due to financial constrains. I had really hoped to get a chance to study as a mechanic as well as a driver but I was not so lucky. Seeing that now I am a recipient of Givedirectly transfers, I am saving towards achieving my goal of joining tertiary education. I hope to be able to have enough to start then figure out the rest as I go.

My aspiration is to enroll in college and acquire skills in mechanical engineering. This path holds the potential to provide me with financial independence while also supporting my family. From my May transfers, I managed to save $10, which I later allocated towards paying my tuition fees. Additionally, I utilized $15 to purchase food for my family, consisting of my mother and two siblings. As a single parent and peasant farmer, my mother faces significant struggles in meeting the needs of my younger siblings. To alleviate this burden, I contribute by shouldering the responsibility of buying food and paying school fees for my siblings. In the case of my younger sister, who had been sent home due to outstanding school fee arrears, I paid $9 on her behalf. At that moment, my mother lacked the necessary funds, so I stepped in to ensure that my sister could return to school and continue her education.

At present, I am engaged in various odd jobs within the construction sector and also sell charcoal. However, these occupations do not provide substantial financial returns. Two years ago, I was unable to pursue further education due to the prevailing poverty in our household. To rectify this situation, my goal is to diligently save money and enroll in college starting in August of this year. By doing so, I aim to enhance my skills, gain knowledge, and be inspired to establish my own business, ultimately enabling me to achieve financial independence.

2019 marked the end of my secondary education, but because of the poverty in our home, I was unable to continue on to a university. My mother, who is the only parent I have, makes money by selling vegetables. She only makes a maximum of $2 per day, which is insufficient to support the needs of the family. She is the sole source of income for my two siblings, one of whom is in secondary school and the other in primary school. My mother occasionally feels overburdened by the enormous amount of bills she has to pay. So I spent $15 on food when I got my transfer in January. The fact that we had plenty to eat after making the purchase helped my mother feel less stressed. I used the remaining money to buy five hens. I want to raise and sell chickens. By doing so, I will have a source of income that I can use to support my family.

By June of this year, I intend to start college. I intend to save money from my subsequent transfers toward this goal, which will enable me to pay for college. My second objective is to keep funding the poultry venture I've started so that, by the time I'm prepared to enroll in college, I'll have a source of income that will enable me to support myself and my family.

My mother is a peasant farmer, due to unpredictable rain patterns, she has not been getting good crop yields. As a result, she is unable to meet all the family's basic needs such as the provision of food. Therefore, when I received the transfer, I prioritized supplementing the cost of food by giving her KES 1,000. Through this, we have been having meals for all the family members. I also saved KES 2,000 in a bid to raise fees for my college fee. I am planning to first enroll in a driving course, and afterward enroll in a mechanical course. With the right skills, getting a job opportunity will not be hard for me.

I am grateful to GiveDirectly because out of the direct cash transfer, I have been able to begin working on the previous goals that I could not follow through. I, therefore, hold an opinion that GiveDirectly does well in reviving the dreams of less fortunate people from the communities where it launches its program. It neither exercises favoritism nor nepotism, but it considers who deserves from the community where it works. In contrast, I have not yet observed what GiveDirectly does not do well.

When I completed primary school in 2019, my hopes of moving up the academic ladder were shattered due to a lack of funds. My mother, who runs a small vegetable-selling business, is unable to provide anything beyond the necessities, which are primarily food and seeing my two younger siblings through primary school. To make myself useful, I took on house construction tasks, which occasionally help put food on the table, relieving mum's burden. These tasks, however, do not come easily; it can take me three weeks to win a spot where I am paid KES 600 per day. Saving for school has thus been impossible for the last three years. So, when I received the transfer, my priority was to save. I set aside KES 1,900. The goal is to save KES 40,000 by January 2023 in order to pursue a mechanical training course. I also paid my brother's outstanding school fees balance of KES 1,100 because he had missed class for several days owing to unpaid arrears.

Due to my family's financial situation, I had lost hope of ever progressing in my education for the past three years. The chances of joining college were slim because I did not have a solid source of financing.   However, the cash transfers gave me a glimmer of hope. More than ever, I am confident that the cash transfers, along with some savings that my mother is making for me, will cover the cost of my mechanical training course early next year.

I received the mobile money alert on my phone at around 9.15 pm.  I was at home that night, getting ready to sleep. To say I was elated would be an understatement. To be honest, I cannot express how grateful I am to Give Directly for the money. It is a vivid proof that my long-held dream of attending college was not entirely dashed after all.