As I mentioned before, my current home is too small to comfortably accommodate my family, so I am still working toward my dream of building a new, larger, two-roomed house. With the ongoing support from GiveDirectly, my plan this year and beyond is to keep gradually purchasing building materials. I intend to use income from my side hustles, such as cooking and selling food, to bring this dream closer to reality. Also, with my children in school, I am committed to using part of my transfers to cover their school fees, ensuring they can continue their education without disruption. Additionally, I plan to save a portion of each transfer to eventually buy more goats, hoping they will multiply over time and become a valuable resource for us that we can rely on especially when this program ends. I am truly grateful for the support and opportunities GiveDirectly has provided for my family and me.

With five children in school, supporting their education is my highest priority. Two of my school-going children joined Junior Secondary School this year but lacked the required uniforms. I therefore used $25 of my recent transfers to buy the uniforms, allowing them to attend school confidently, just like their peers. I then spent another $24 to pay school fees for all of my children, ensuring they could continue their education without interruption. Also, given the severe drought and hunger affecting our region, I used another $38 of the transfers to buy food for my family so we would not go hungry. Finally, I saved the remaining $15 toward purchasing a goat, adding to the small livestock I already have. I hope that, over time, they will multiply and become a valuable resource for us when this program eventually comes to an end. I am incredibly grateful for this support from GiveDirectly especially during these difficult times as it has eased my burdens and helped me focus on my family’s needs and future.

I have a new goal: to build a new house for my family. The current one we are sheltering in is no longer accommodating, and we have been squeezing together with four kids while the others sleep in a separate house. I am currently surviving by taking on menial jobs such as burning and selling charcoal and sometimes selling snacks to make ends meet. It has been hard for me to build the house using my cash alone. Therefore, I plan to use the transfer and my little savings to buy materials bit by bit to come up with a structure. Once I achieve this, I will be a happy mother, finally seeing that my children no longer have to seek shelter elsewhere.

Five years ago, my husband passed away, leaving me with the responsibility of caring for our seven children. Of these, five are in school, and paying their fees has been a significant challenge since I rely on selling snacks and charcoal to make a living. Recently, with the cash I received, I managed to pay $29 in school fees and purchase a new uniform for one of my children. I'm relieved that this semester they won’t be sent home for unpaid fees, which is motivating them to do their best in their studies. Additionally, I bought a goat and two chickens for $44, which I am keeping at home. These animals will be very beneficial as they breed and increase in number, making it easier to cover school fees in the future by selling some of them. Since we didn't harvest anything from our farms this year due to the drought, I used $29 to buy a large supply of food to last us until the next transfers arrived. This will help us stay well-fed while we wait for better times.

I am currently surviving by taking on menial jobs such as burning and selling charcoal and sometimes selling snacks to make ends meet. However, despite engaging in these income-generating activities, I have always found it difficult to provide for my family. Due to the many household needs, even paying the school fees for my five children has been a challenge. I am, however, at peace because receiving my monthly transfers has ensured my children stay in school. This is because I have been able to pay for their education on time whenever I receive the transfer. My main objective currently is to ensure that my children's education is not interrupted due to financial constraints. I plan to continue using the transfers to pay their fees on time, allowing them to achieve their educational goals despite my financial struggles.

I have found the monthly transfers I receive to be incredibly helpful in ensuring my children receive a proper education. I am a widow, and I rely on menial jobs such as selling charcoal to make ends meet. I have also been selling snacks, but even with these efforts, I still find myself struggling to provide for my family. Currently, I have five children enrolled in school, and they all depend on me for their upkeep. However, with my recent transfers, I was able to spend $30 on buying them new school uniforms and pay their fees on time. This has been a great relief for me because it has given me an ample time to plan for next term's fees. Over the past few months, I have also purchased three goats, which cost me $85. Now that I own six goats, I am hopeful that as they multiply, I will be able to sell some in order to generate some income in case of a financial need. These goats also serve as a security for my children's future education. Since I do not have a stable source of income, I can readily sell them to raise money for their fees and educate them. This has given me a sense of empowerment, even when GiveDirectly phases out. Lastly, I used the remaining amount to buy foodstuffs, ensuring that my family had enough to eat. I am happy that, despite my financial challenges, my family can eat three meals a day without struggle.

After the passing of my husband, the weighty task of caring for my six school-age children falls entirely on my shoulders. Despite the immense burden, the financial assistance from the transfers has alleviated some of these essential needs, particularly in providing for my children's education. My objective is to accumulate sufficient funds from future transfers to guarantee that all my children can attend school in the upcoming year. I am profoundly grateful for the ongoing financial aid provided by Give Directly.

As the festive season approached, I allocated $30 to acquire an additional goat, supplementing the five I already possessed. The enrollment in the cash program has resulted in my ownership of six goats, a development that brings me considerable satisfaction. These goats represent a strategic long-term investment, as their numbers are expected to grow, thereby amplifying my initial investment. The potential to sell some of the goats presents an opportunity to address my various needs. Furthermore, I utilized $10 to procure new clothing for my two young children in celebration of the holiday period. Additionally, I allocated $5 towards purchasing food. The forthcoming enrollment of two of my children in junior high school necessitated a saving of $57, earmarked for their school fees and essential stationery items. I am deeply appreciative of the financial assistance that has empowered me to meet the needs of my family.

I have a plan to make strategic investments with my upcoming transfers, focusing primarily on purchasing livestock. This investment holds long-term value for me, as the animals have the ability to reproduce and multiply over time. This means that my initial investment will continue to grow and provide a sustainable source of income. By expanding my livestock holdings, I can harness the potential of their reproduction to increase their numbers. As the animals multiply, I will have more opportunities to generate income. This will not only ensure the continuity of my investment but also create a foundation for future financial stability. One of the key benefits of this investment strategy is the flexibility it offers. In the future, when the financial support from transfers comes to an end, I can rely on the income generated from selling the livestock to support various expenses, particularly the education of my children. This reliable source of income will enable me to continue providing for their educational needs, even without ongoing financial assistance.

I utilized my August transfers to settle various bills and expenses. Firstly, I allocated $5 to clear a remaining debt for the farming and tilling services I received, ensuring that all obligations were met. Currently, I am delighted to be in the process of harvesting the maize from my three-acre plot. The abundance of food obtained will sustain us for several months ahead. Furthermore, I allocated $9 to repay a debt owed to a shopkeeper. This debt arose from purchasing food on credit during the month of July when I lacked the funds to buy flour. By settling this debt, I am able to maintain a good relationship with the shopkeeper and ensure future access to credit if needed. With the commencement of the third term at Ikanga primary school, I allocated $10 to cover the school fees of my four children. This payment guarantees their uninterrupted education and prevents them from being sent home due to outstanding fees. Prioritizing their access to education brings me great satisfaction. To provide for my family's immediate needs, I allocated a portion of the transfers to purchase essential food items such as sugar, tea leaves, and cooking oil. This ensures that we have an ample supply of these necessities. Lastly, I set aside $5 from the transfers as savings, with the intention of utilizing it to invest in livestock in the future. This decision aligns with my long-term investment goals and will contribute to the growth and stability of my household.

By the end of the year, my biggest accomplishment will be owning a dairy cow. This is because having the cow will provide me with an alternative source of income through selling its milk in the market. To make this happen, I plan to cash in my goats and use the money to purchase a cow. Over the next few months, I will strive to save enough money to buy more goats, which I can eventually sell to raise the funds needed to buy the cow

As a widow with six children who fully depend on my financial support, life has not been easy since my husband passed away five years ago. The little I earn from my job has made it difficult to provide for my family's needs. Due to the tedious nature of my former job, which was seriously affecting my health, I had to quit a few weeks ago. Now, I run a small business selling silver cyprinid and vegetables. Unfortunately, my low income has the most impact on my children. They are frequently sent away from school because of the huge fee balances. However, I was able to partly pay off $20 of the school fee debts for my six children with the March transfers I received. This was a huge relief as they were allowed back in school and continued with their education. With the remaining funds, I bought two goats worth $60. I was able to add $10 to my previous savings of $50, which enabled me to buy the goats. I am excited that the herd of goats I have is continuously increasing as I now have a total of five goats. Finally, I spent the remaining $4 to buy two packets of maize flour which was enough to feed my family for two days.

My plans for the future mostly revolve around my kids and their education. Therefore, each time I receive the transfers I will ensure to settle the tuition fees for six of my kids who still happen to be in school. Apart from that I also intend to invest in buying a couple of poultry and goats as I have been doing with the past transfers. The reason being when I am struggling with finances they can in handy since I can offer them up for sale and cater for what is urgent and needed at the time.

For a while now I have been saving up a part of the transfer I've been receiving because I wanted to invest in growing my farm by buying a couple of animals. Therefore, this time around I proceeded to use KES 2,000 plus the savings that I already had to acquire two goats. Afterwards I proceeded to spend the remaining KES 1,400 by purchasing five packets of maize flour and a kilogram of sugar.

My spouse died some years back and at the time of his death, we had five children who are currently all in primary school. I have since then been fully providing for them both emotionally and financially and I must admit that it has not been easy. I burn charcoal for sale which is the main economic activity practiced by nearly everyone in our region. The money from it can not adequately sustain my family's needs, especially the school fees for my children and hence, the huge school fee arrears they owe the school. Therefore, I used the past three months' transfers to pay for a tuition fee of KES 2000, bought two goats and two chickens for business worth KES 6000, and used KES 1000 to purchase some of the foodstuffs for my family. The money has been of great help, especially in paying for school fees, and through it, the school fee arrears have been greatly reduced.

I am yet to see quite a huge difference from the funds that I receive but there has definitely been some change. For instance I am sure I will be able to keep my kids in a school because in the past, after the holidays were over and school was about to resume was quite a stressful moment because ones occasions I lacked the funds. This is now possible because of GiveDirectly so I would definitely say it is doing a great job and I have zero complaints.

As soon as I received the money I opted to look into matters of nourishment because having a meal on most occasions was quite challenging due to the ongoing drought. I took some portion of the money and bought five packets of maize flour which was KES 675 and half a kilogram of sugar for KES 75. I also have always wanted to venture into poultry farming for the purpose of financial benefit, so I bought two hens for KES 400. I still have KES 1,850 in my possession which I plan on using to pay for school fees for my children and also hopefully buy then stationery as well because schools were closed but will be resuming soon and I want to be prepared.

I had just got back that early morning from fetching water when I noticed a message on my phone. Since I ma not knowledgeable I gave my son the phone so that they could read and relay the information on the text. That is when he informed me that I had just received funds from GiveDirectly which left me over the moon because this meant that my kids could have a meal .

The funds I receive had made me feel some for of independence because I took take part on paying and catering for some of the bills in my family. I feel more supportive financially because now I too provide for the family and do not leave the entire burden to my husband. I am glad and grateful for the opportunity because this has even made our family more connected. I intend in ensuring the kids stay in school and there is always food on the table.

Drought has really taken a toll on us back in the village over the years but the past two years it has been extreme. It barely ever rains and when it does decide to rain, it barely pours enough to help the plants grow fully. So the plants grow but end up dying due to lack of moisture and too much heat. That is the reason why I looked into issues concerning nourishment for my family and I after receiving the money. I bought seven packets of maize flour which cost KES 840, half of kilogram of sugar which cost KES 70 and the rest of the money I was left with was KES 260 which I used in buying tea leaves, body oil, cooking oil and bread.