Next year, my goal is to use future transfers to help pay school fees, buy more school supplies, and purchase food. I am determined to complete my studies and go on to study teaching in college. Teaching is something I am passionate about, and I am excited to pursue it as a career. This financial support has brought me closer to my dream of becoming a teacher. I am so thankful for the opportunity to continue my education with fewer financial worries.

I am a Form Three student at Mnazimumwenga Secondary School. As a student, I rely on my two older brothers to support my education. One works as a motorcycle taxi driver, and the other is a carpenter. Both of them are dedicated to helping me achieve my goals, but their income alone is not quite enough to cover all my needs and ensure that I can study comfortably. Thanks to the financial support from Give Directly, I have been able to manage some of my expenses myself, which has significantly improved my learning environment. With $45, I paid my school fees, which has allowed me to stay focused on my studies without worrying about being sent home for fees. I also spent $26 on food, which ensures that my family has enough to eat. Having food at home means that when I come back for lunch, there’s a meal waiting for me, which re-energizes and motivates me to return to school. Additionally, I bought two hens for $6, hoping they will multiply. If they do, I’ll be able to sell some in the future to help meet my needs. I also spent $15 on essential school supplies, including a scientific calculator, an important tool that supports my studies. I am incredibly grateful for this assistance, which has allowed me to get the essentials I need to continue my education smoothly. .

In the coming year and beyond, I focus on excelling in my studies as I continue my journey in form three of secondary school. I have a clear plan to ensure that my education and basic needs are met, thanks to the monthly transfers that cover my tuition and food. I focus on immersing myself in my studies, dedicating my time and energy to learning and growing academically. I understand the importance of this stage in my life, as it lays the foundation for my future ambitions.

As an orphan and a current Form Three student in secondary school, managing my finances is crucial for my education and survival. Since I am responsible for paying my school fees, I devised a strategic plan to allocate my transfers effectively. My annual school fees amount to $150, so I decided to pay $15 monthly. This arrangement ensures that I can also set aside $19 each month for food, which is essential for my well-being and ability to concentrate on my studies. With the recent three transfers, I allocated $45 to my school fees, ensuring continued enrollment without disruptions. The remaining $57 was spent on food, providing me with the necessary sustenance to stay healthy and focused. I am grateful that the school administration understands and accommodates my payment schedule, allowing me to stay in school consistently. This approach not only keeps me in school but also ensures that I have enough to eat, which is vital for my academic performance and overall health.

My current goal is to return to high school and improve my grades after performing poorly in 2019. This was due to my inability to afford the required fees, which resulted in me being sent home for entire terms, causing me to miss important lessons and classes. Since then, I have not had the opportunity to attend college and pursue a desirable course. However, with the monthly support, I am can now pay my fees on time, reducing the risk of being discontinued. My aim is to study for two years, repeating Form Three and improving my academic performance, in order to increase my chances of joining college upon completion.

I completed high school in 2019, but financial constraints led to frequent interruptions, causing me to miss classes and fall behind my peers. This affected my final exam results, and I scored poorly. Despite this setback, I remained determined to complete my high school education and pursue further studies in college. However, my grades did not meet the requirements for college admission, so I decided to repeat form three and improve my grades. I am motivated by the fact that I will be receiving monthly transfers that will enable me to pay for my tuition fees. I plan to use these transfers to cover my fees for the two years that I will be in school. I already used part of the funds to buy new uniforms, shoes, and stationery, as well as pay part of the fees. This has alleviated the risk of being sent home and ensures that I can stay in school without any interruptions. I am optimistic that my grades will improve and that I will achieve my goal of advancing my education. I also used some of the remaining funds to buy food for my family, which has enabled us to have enough to eat and enjoy three meals a day.

I am diligently saving a minimum of $20 each month with the aim of returning to high school in January of the coming year. My previous experience as a student was far from enjoyable, mainly due to frequent school suspensions resulting from unpaid fees. These interruptions significantly hindered my academic performance and motivation, yet I persevered through exams. My current objective is to rejoin school, commencing at Form 3 and 4, as I am confident in my ability to meet the financial requirements on time this time around. I am determined to excel in my studies with unwavering dedication, attain excellent grades, and eventually pursue my dream profession upon completion. This aspiration is my primary goal, and I aspire to achieve it through these savings.

I completed high school in 2019, but it's disheartening that I couldn't excel in my studies due to frequent disruptions caused by financial constraints. My academic performance fell short of my expectations. My brothers, who had been supporting me, could no longer do so as they had their own families to care for. Currently, I'm in the process of planning my return to high school, aiming to start in Form 3 to enhance my academic performance. To make this goal a reality, I've been diligently saving $20 each month for the upcoming year. I've already managed to purchase new school uniforms, which will facilitate my reentry into the educational system. My aspiration is to improve my performance and ultimately achieve my dream profession. In addition to this, I also acquired a goat at a cost of $30, which I added to my goatshed. I now own four goats, which I consider valuable assets that can serve my financial needs. The remaining funds were allocated to buying foodstuffs to ensure that my family remained well fed.

Three years ago, I completed my high school education, a significant accomplishment that instilled in me a strong desire to pursue further studies. Despite this aspiration, I encountered a barrier in the form of financial limitations, preventing me from enrolling in college as I had hoped. In order to work towards realizing my dream, I began selling vegetables within my village as a means to generate funds for my college fees. To bolster my efforts, I have also established a monthly savings routine for the transfers I receive. I am setting aside money with the purpose of accumulating sufficient tuition fees to initiate my college education in the upcoming year. The pursuit of this goal holds paramount importance to me, especially considering that I lack external financial support. My dedication is singularly focused on attaining the means to begin college. I firmly believe that these transfers will play a pivotal role in propelling my educational and career advancement. By achieving my educational objectives, I aspire to open doors to future job opportunities and secure a promising career path.

Completing my high school education three years ago marked a significant achievement. However, the pursuit of higher education has been hindered by financial constraints. Unfortunately, the support from my parents, which sustained me through high school, cannot extend to covering the costs of college. My aspiration remains centred on furthering my education, prompting me to devise a plan of saving $10 every month. This financial discipline aims to accumulate funds for my college education, slated to begin next year. In addition to my savings goal, I set aside $40 to purchase a goat and two chickens, which I am currently caring for. My intention is to nurture these animals, allowing their numbers to multiply over time. Ultimately, this livestock has the potential to serve as an invaluable resource, helping to offset the expenses associated with my college education. Moreover, I took steps to ensure that my family's dietary needs were met. By purchasing maize flour and various cereals, I guaranteed a sufficient and consistent food supply for our household. The satisfaction of having an ample food stock and the assurance of not facing shortages is truly gratifying.

I completed my high school education in the year 2019, and due to the lack of money, I could not further my education. My wish and hope had always therefore been to join college a study a course of my choice. With the transfers that would continue to receive, I plan to be setting aside part of it so that by the end of this year, I would have enough money to start me of in terms of school fees payment.

From the place where we fetch water to home is quite a distance and it had always been a challenge considering the effects of the scorching sun and I had always wanted to make it easier for me to get to the water point. With the transfers that I received of KES. 3470, I managed to buy a second bicycle worth KES.300 and so far, my job had been made easier because I currently make several trips within a very short time. I also bought food for my family with the remaining amount of KES. 470

In my own opinion I really commend the organization for the great work that it is doing in our lives especially with the donations. Through the finances it had offered us a form of sustainability and personal growth since we can now even think of investing in growing our farms and businesses as well. The funds have also enabled us to focus on nutrition as well especially considering the severity of the ongoing drought.

This time around when I received the transfers I had already had plans that in mind that I wanted to invest more into growing my farm by purchasing farm animals. That is why after I went ahead to withdraw the money I decided to buy a goat worth KES 2,000. I then went to ahead to use KES 400 and acquired two hens because I also wanted to invest in poultry farming as well. Eventually I ended up spending the balance I had remained with which was 1,200 on purposes concerned with nourishment so I bought half a dozen packets of maize flour.

It was 5 pm and had gone to fetch water. I was ten minutes away from home when I had a message beep on my phone. I stopped for a minute to check the message and was pleased to see that I received the $10.6. I immediately knew that these funds came from GiveDirectly. I walked hastily back at home excited to break the news to my family. My whole family was happy to hear the news, and that’s when I told my mother not to worry about the food for the next two days. I had noticed the whole day she was worried about where to get food for the family. The news was such a relief for her.

The biggest difference in my daily life is having received the cash transfer on the day that our food had run out. If I never received the funds on that day, the next day my family would have slept hungry. I have also seen a difference in my life through the phone that I received, which enables me to communicate with my brothers whom we depend on, and receive cash as well.

I am born into a family of seven children. Our father passed away last year, and he was the breadwinner of the family. My mother is unemployed, and we have been depending on my two brothers. One of them works as a motorcycle rider. It has been a struggle because they have their families, which are their main responsibilities. When I got enrolled in the program, I was excited and couldn’t wait to receive my first transfer. As soon as I received the funds, I used all the $10.6 on food because the previous night we had finished the last packet of maize flour. I was excited to inform my brothers that I took care of the next two days’ meals.