Initially, I had planned to start college in September this year, but unfortunately, it didn't work out due to lack of funds for admission. However, I am optimistic that I will be able to join in January. My main goal for the coming year and beyond is to pursue Mechanical Engineering in college. I am passionate about this course and draw motivation from my distant brother, who also studied the same course. Currently, I am working on saving money from my monthly transfers from GiveDirectly and the little income I earn from my work. When the time comes for me to join, I will seek support from my parents and siblings as well. I believe that studying Mechanical Engineering will equip me with the skills needed to establish my own mechanic shop. Additionally, this course is marketable as it is not as crowded as education courses. I am confident that my passion and determination for this field will enable me to graduate with a good grade, allowing me to support my family and myself.

I am looking forward to starting college next year, so I have been setting aside a portion of my GiveDirectly transfers for that purpose. Upon receiving my most recent transfers, I designated $85 to our savings group for my college expenses. I am hopeful about starting college soon, as I have managed to save a significant amount, and a little help from my parents will get me started. In addition, I purchased a pair of shoes for $9 to look presentable. I used $2 of the remaining amount to buy flour since I did not have any. Finally, I allocated the remaining $2 to buy airtime to communicate with my friends. I am grateful for the financial support from GiveDirectly.

Come September, my aim is to join college to pursue Mechanical Engineering.I am working towards gathering $150 for the deposit from my work and savings, and I will also seek support from my siblings to ensure my continued education for the year. Opting for Mechanical Engineering, I believe it will equip me with the skills needed to establish my own mechanic shop, ultimately supporting my family in the future. I strongly believe I will graduate with a good point because of my passion and determination for this field.

After completing form four last year, I began selling vegetables to my villagers with the aim of raising enough money for college. I invested $27 to enhance my business, driven by the belief that higher sales will yield greater profits. My ultimate dream is to pursue Mechanical Engineering in college. Each month, I diligently set aside $25, steadily progressing towards my goal. I started saving in March and I have so far saved $75, towards my school fees. This disciplined saving approach will undoubtedly help me achieve my dream of joining college.

I am aiming for the starts thanks to Givedirectly. I am now fully attending school thanks to Givedirectly funds. As I earlier said it made a big difference to be enrolled in the program and being able to receive funds as I was bale to reduce the load on my parents back. I would want to be the first to ever go to college, I am yet to decide what in particular I would pursue but I am excited since this prospect is there as I am in my last year of high school. I hope to do much more in terms of school beyond high school.

My opportunity to pursue an education has been made possible by Givedirectly. My four siblings and I are all in school. My parents had been struggling to get all of us through school. My fathers meagre earnings from his infrequent construction jobs as well as my mothers earnings from selling sisal was not sufficient to feed us and educate us. I spent a lot of time at home as I had not paid school fees until I got enrolled last year. I have used my transfers to make school fees payments for myself. In the last three months I have spent $75 to clear fees arrears and pay running school fee requirements. This has ensured I am always in school. I also got a hen at $4 and some clothes during the holidays at $10.

As I'm in my final year of secondary school and preparing for the final exams next month, my goal is to pursue higher education after graduating to acquire skills that will make me more employable. I would be happy if I could afford the expenses that come with higher education. That's why after I'm done with my exams next month, I plan to start using the cash transfers to buy livestock, like goats. This has been challenging for me to achieve because I've been primarily using the cash transfers for my school fees. I hope that even after the cash transfers stop, the livestock I'll have raised will help generate funds to support my education.

As a secondary school student in my final year, I can say that the cash transfers have played a significant role in covering my tuition fees. My father works in casual house construction jobs and is the main provider for our family, which includes my four younger siblings, my mother, and me. The challenging part is that these jobs are not always available, and even when they are, the income he earns can hardly fully support the education of my younger siblings. That's why I decided to use the cash transfers to pay for my tuition fees and relieve the burden on my father's shoulders. I'm delighted because since the cash transfers started, I haven't missed a single day of school, and I've had more time to study, which has significantly improved my academic grades.

I have a goal to save a significant amount of money to assist me in the future, in paying for my college fees as I have a vision of attending an engineering school. I am truly passionate about physics, and my ultimate aim is to establish my own venture and contribute positively to society. To accomplish this, I recognize the importance of saving diligently. As I approach the completion of high school, I am determined to pursue my dreams and enroll in an engineering program. I understand that this journey will require financial planning, and I am prepared to seek scholarships and financial aid opportunities. I will remain dedicated to my studies, striving for academic excellence. Along the way, I will seek guidance from mentors and professionals in the field of engineering to gain valuable insights. My focus is unwavering, driven by my love for physics and my desire to make a meaningful impact in the society.

As a high school student at Mnazi Mwenga, I find myself in a challenging situation where my father, due to his old age he is still doing construction work, because we are facing financial difficulties. It weighs heavily on my heart to even consider asking him for money. Upon receiving some transfers, I made careful decisions, allocating $25 towards my school fees, $5 for nourishing meals, because we all know that it is even difficult to study with an empty stomach. The remaining amount of $4 I used it for essential clothing. Yet, the worry lingers in my mind regarding my financial stability and how to effectively navigate these circumstances. It is clear that open communication with my parents is crucial, alongside prioritizing my education and basic needs. Thanks to GiveDirectly for always coming through for me. I sincerely do appreciate it.

The successful completion of my secondary education with no outstanding school fee balances will be my greatest achievement this year and moving forward. This will encourage me to increase my savings the following year so that I can guarantee my enrollment in college. I have a strong desire to pursue a career in mechanical engineering. Once I reach this goal, I will be happy and grateful.

I'm in my last year of secondary school right now. I frequently rely on my older brother, who supports my education by covering my school expenses as the family's primary provider of income. He constructs homes in the village as a mason. Despite my brother helping to pay for my education, I still have a lot of obstacles to overcome, such as frequently being sent home because I owe enormous amounts in school fees and not having the necessary supplies. Therefore, I spent $20 to settle a portion of my school fee debt when I received my February transfers. I'm glad it made sure I continued my education. I spent $5 on a T-shirt. I only had one pair of clothes to wear because my other ones were stained. I eventually used the remaining money to pay $4 for two packets of maize flour and kept the rest as pocket money to get me through school.

Givedirectly is doing a great job helping us. The poverty level in the village is alarming and with this transfer, we can buy food and open business to benefit us.

sell it at the nearby market. I get $7 a month and I use it for food for the family. My husband is seventy-five years, he does not work due to his old age. I have two daughters, both were once married but separated from their husbands and come back home, they leave their children with me as their go to the city for greener pastures. The most challenging thing is paying school fees for my grandchildren because most of the money is used for food and water. Receiving this transfer has enabled me to pay $5 for food, and $10 for food, and bought a goat at $15.

I received a message shortly after returning home from school informing me that my first transfer had been received. I was so overjoyed that I could not help but share my joy with my siblings, who were home and had received the same messages on their phones. I already knew what I was going to spend it on and had to withdraw it immediately at a nearby shopping center because I needed to pay a portion of my school fees the next day. I also knew the Mpesa shops would be crowded because everyone in the village had heard the same thing, but I was fortunate enough to withdraw the entire amount at one point.

The hope that I will be able to consistently attend all of my classes after making the first payment with the first transfer from GiveDirectly is the most significant difference in my life. With the guarantee of receiving $30 each month, I am confident that I will clear the $90 arrears in school and even pay forward to increase ample study time. I am grateful for the help that has given my family new hope and relieved my parents of the burden of paying all of the household bills.

I was very excited to collect the first $12 from GiveDirectly from the shopping center on the same day because I had a lot to do. I am currently a third-year student at a nearby secondary school. Whenever I had a break from school, I would do casual labor to help pay for my school fees. My father, on the other hand, has been looking for casual jobs at construction sites, and even though they take longer to pay, he has relied on them as the only source of income for our family of seven. It was a relief to learn that five of my household members had received transfers. This has alleviated my father's burden because we can all contribute to the payment of various bills. I spent $10 of the $12 I received on school fees and the remaining $2 on personal expenses. Even though I still owe a lot of money to school, I am glad I was allowed to join the rest of the students in class because I will be paying in installments.