Education being the key to a better life, I have had the desire to ensure my children are getting the best despite the financial crisis. This has forced me to engage in charcoal work to support them. My elder daughter who did her KCSE in 2021 is yet to collect her results due to the huge balance of $300. This situation has forced her to do house help work as a way of raising money but is yet to materialize. The arrival of GiveDirectly to us is a blessing and with this money, I intend to clear the school fee balance for my daughter. This will guarantee her a chance at a better job to support her siblings. Part of the transfer ($300) will help me to buy 10 goats to act as a long-term project for our future. In addition, this project will ensure I spare myself from the hard tasks but concentrate on livestock keeping. A portion of this money will help me to buy a new bed and a mattress at $150 to replace the old ones. The remaining amount will cater for other basic needs like school fees for my 2 kids in primary school and also to buy food.

Despite the financial crisis that I am currently facing in my household, I am so grateful for the tremendous efforts my children have in school. The fee challenges have taught them the need to work hard and put a smile on me. Although their performances have not been excellent, I am happy as a mother to see my children at average despite the hardships. This encourages me a lot to continue looking for means of keeping them in school. Hence, I consider this as what brings joy to my life.

Subsistence farming, being my major source of livelihood has greatly been affected by the prolonged drought. This means I have to engage in alternative ventures, especially charcoal work to make ends meet. Since I have 2 children still in primary school, I find it so hard to sustain our needs at home. My job does not earn me much, say, $30 per month, an income that I get in beats. This has greatly affected my children's studies since they often miss classes. This situation has robbed away my joy because it pains me most to find myself not in a position to support my family of 4.