GiveDirectly support enabled me to enroll at Mnazi Mwenga Secondary School, a long-held dream of mine. The school fees are manageable, and the teachers are exceptionally understanding. I discussed my situation with our school bazaar and informed him that I would be paying in installments. He agreed, which has allowed me to continue my education. Although life has been challenging at times and I’ve felt hopeless, GiveDirectly has restored my optimism. My aim in the coming year and beyond is to complete my studies and become the first person in my family to finish Secondary school. I pray to God for the chance to advance to college, graduate, secure a good job, and improve my family's living conditions, while also dreaming of building a spacious house for us all, despite currently living in a two small roomed house with my eight siblings.

I support my younger siblings’ school fees because our parents are currently unemployed, which makes it difficult to cover all our educational costs. When I got my latest transfer, I set aside $55 to pay my own fees because I wanted to avoid being sent home for not settling the balance. Additionally, I spent $14 to cover the fees for two of my younger siblings, as they had already been sent home due to their outstanding balances, and my parents couldn't afford to help them return to school. With the remaining funds, I purchased a set book required for our studies. I also allocated $3 for food, as our pantry was empty. Finally, I spent $10 on a new school uniform for myself, since my old one was worn out and starting to tear.

In my family, no one has ever completed secondary school. After finishing eighth grade, I was unable to continue with my studies due to financial challenges. I feared that my fate would mirror that of my family. Despite achieving a good score of 321 out of 500, I had to stay behind to earn money and support my four siblings, who are currently in school. When GiveDirectly came into our lives, I was overjoyed. With their support, I was able to enroll at Mnazi Mwenga Secondary School, something I had always dreamed of. The school fees are affordable, and the teachers are very understanding. I spoke to our school bazaar about my situation and informed him that I would be paying in installments, and he agreed, which has allowed me to continue with my studies. Although life has been very difficult and at times I had lost hope, GiveDirectly’s assistance renewed my optimism. My goal now is to complete my studies and become the first in my family to finish school. I pray to God to help me advance to college, graduate, secure a good job, and improve my family's living standards.

After completing eighth grade, I was unable to continue my studies due to financial challenges my family was facing. Despite achieving a good score of 321 out of 500, I had to stay behind to work and support my four siblings, who are currently in school. When GiveDirectly offered assistance, I was thrilled and immediately enrolled at Mnazi Mwenga Secondary School. I am now in Form Two, using the transfers to cover my school fees. I spent $75 to pay my fees and ensure my education continues without interruption. Given that my siblings are also in school and my parents are still struggling, I use part of the transfers to help cover their school fees as well. With the remaining $27, I was able to contribute towards my siblings' educational expenses.

My main goal is to obtain the best education possible with the monthly stipend from Give Directly. Driven by a strong desire to succeed, I am focused on transcending the educational barriers that have held back previous generations in my family—none of whom had the chance to attend secondary school. Achieving this would not only be a personal victory but also a historic milestone for my family. I am deeply thankful for the transfers I receive, as they are instrumental in helping me pursue and realize this dream.

. Since Form One, I've been using my transfer to pay for both my and my siblings' school fees. Despite these challenges, I remain motivated by my academic success and refuse to accept a life of hardship. My dream is to build a better future for myself and my family, inspired by the tragic experience of my father, who was attacked while working as a watchman. Thus when I received my recent transfer I spent a total of $69 on paying my fees as well as my younger siblings fees. With the remaining amount I allocated $9 on buying my clothes,$12 on food and finally $12 on buying one chicken I'm currently in Form Two, having scored 321 points in my Class Eight exams. Despite facing challenges, such as my father's disability due to an attack by thugs as he was a watchman and my mother's for rearing. I am really grateful for this support from Give Directly

I am home while my classmates are in school and this is due to a lack of finances. My parents do not make much and this means we all need to find ways of helping out. I am home helping my mother collect sticks and stamps for charcoal making. This however is not my dream. my goal is to support my family when I have gotten a job after college and I ma working. I want to be a doctor. My goal is to ensure I finish school so that I am able to get a fighting chance and join college where I can make enough finances for my family.

I am the second of 7 children. I am now a student in secondary school form 2.I do not have a source of income. My mother prepares and sells charcoal while my father is in the city where he is employed to sell water using a hand cart. My parents do not make much which means they struggle covering school fees for us. I have spent my transfers over the years helping them cover my school fees payments. In October I spent $20 on my own school fees and also paid school fees for my sibling using $10, In November I paid school fees for myself, and Sibling a similar amount to October while in December I paid the same amount I did in the previous months for myself and used the rest for my sibling who did not have the school fees. I also got some chicken in November at $4 while in October I spent the $4 buying food.

My primary objective is to pursue and finance my education using the monthly stipend provided by Give Directly. The strong desire to succeed propels me towards achieving this goal. I am determined to overcome the limitations that previous members of my family have faced, as no one in our family has ever had the opportunity to enroll in secondary school. Attaining this milestone would be a significant accomplishment for me, and I am grateful that the transfers I receive are playing a crucial role in helping me realize this ambition.

With the financial support I receive, I allocate a portion of my transfers to cover my own school fees. Additionally, I use a portion to contribute towards the school fees of my three younger siblings. The remainder is utilized to purchase food and pay for my accommodation near the school. My mother works as a peasant farmer, while my father earns a living as a casual laborer, selling water on the streets of Mombasa. Unfortunately, he was recently attacked by individuals and is currently at home recovering. After completing my primary education in 2020, I faced the harsh reality of poverty at home, which prevented me from joining secondary school. However, I made the decision to return to school and rejoined class seven, hoping that by the time I finished my primary education, there would be a ray of hope that I could join secondary school. In 2022, I completed primary school for the second time, but the financial situation remained challenging. To generate income, I began raising livestock for others. Thankfully, I was enrolled in the Give Directly program, and I seized the opportunity to finance my own secondary education while also sponsoring my younger siblings' schooling. The support I have received has brought me immense happiness and gratitude. It has not only enabled me to continue my education but has also instilled hope within me to strive towards achieving my goals in the future.

Coming from a family where no one has ever had the opportunity to attend high school due to financial hardships, I am determined to break that cycle. My elder brother had to drop out of primary school to seek casual jobs and contribute to our family's needs. Without the cash transfers, I would have faced a similar fate. I am eternally grateful for the assistance provided by Give Directly, as it has given me the opportunity to pursue my high school education. Currently, in Form One, my goal is to excel in my studies and graduate from high school, paving the way for me to attend university. My ultimate aspiration is to become a doctor and uplift my family from poverty. I sincerely hope that the cash transfers continue to support me on this journey and help turn my dreams into reality.

The financial situation at home is extremely challenging, as my father, who is the sole provider for our family, relies on hawking water in town to make ends meet. His income from this business is meager, making it difficult for him to meet our basic needs, including food and education expenses for my five siblings and me. Unfortunately, two of my younger brothers had to drop out of kindergarten because of unpaid fees, and my father hasn't been able to bring them back to school. Moreover, after I completed grade eight last year, my father advised me to find a job in town since there was no money to support my high school education. However, with the help of cash transfers, I took a leap of faith and enrolled myself in high school three months ago. Since then, I have been utilizing every penny from the transfers to cover my tuition costs. I am grateful to say that I have been progressing well in my studies and have not missed a single class. I firmly believe that education is the key to transforming my family's circumstances for the better, and I attribute my current progress to the support provided by Give Directly.