My primary goal in the coming year and beyond is to ensure that my children remain in school and continue their education without any interruptions. To achieve this, I plan to allocate a portion of my monthly transfers towards school fees. By making regular payments, I will clear any outstanding balances and prevent the accumulation of large debts. This approach will ensure that my children consistently attend school and receive the best education possible. Additionally, I plan to purchase iron sheets and other building materials to start constructing a new house. Our current home is in a dilapidated condition, and before it becomes unsafe, I want to begin building a new house. The profits from my charcoal business, along with the monthly transfers, will be instrumental in helping me achieve this goal in the coming months. I am incredibly grateful for the financial support, which is making these important steps toward a better future possible. It has provided me with the opportunity to focus on my children's education and improve our living conditions.

Running a small charcoal business has been essential in helping me care for my family, especially as a widow with four younger children. My elder son, who works as a motorcycle taxi rider, also steps in to assist when things get tough. Though my business helps cover the basics like food and clothing, financing my children’s education has been a challenge. Before being enrolled in the Give Directly Cash program, my children were frequently sent home due to unpaid school fees, interrupting their education. Now, I am glad that my children are consistently attending school without being sent home. To ensure they remain in school and continue learning, I paid $56 towards their school fees. I also bought a new pair of school uniforms for my son, replacing his old, worn-out pair. It makes me happy knowing he can go to school feeling comfortable and confident. In addition to that, I saved $28 to purchase iron sheets for building a new house. The current house we live in is in a dilapidated state, and before it becomes unsafe, I want to gather enough materials to begin construction. I also spent $10 on two hens to restart my poultry venture, as my previous hens sadly died due to disease. I’m hopeful that these new hens will multiply and provide me with an opportunity to sell them for profit. I am incredibly grateful for the financial support, which has allowed me to secure my children’s education, plan for a new house, and restart my small poultry business. It has truly improved my life and given me hope for a better future.

For now, I have two main goals that I'm really focused on. First off, I'm determined to renovate my house, particularly by replacing the old, leaky roof. Dealing with those leaks during rainy seasons has been incredibly stressful, and I just want to put an end to that worry once and for all. It's about making my home a safe and comfortable place for me and my family. Secondly, my deepest desire is to see all my children attend university. I strongly believe that education is the key to their future success and happiness. Achieving these goals won't be easy, but I'm optimistic. With the monthly transfers I receive and the income I earn from my charcoal business, I'm saving diligently. I'm confident that, with perseverance and hard work, I'll be able to accomplish both of these dreams in the coming year and beyond.

As a widow managing a household through the challenges of relying on charcoal sales, every day was a test of resilience. With the unconditional cash transfer, I seized the opportunity to secure a better future for my children. First and foremost, I prioritized their education, allocating $60 towards school fees. This ensured that all four of my children could attend primary school without any financial hindrances. Additionally, I purchased new uniforms for two of them, replacing their worn-out ones. Seeing them dressed for school with pride filled me with immense satisfaction, knowing that education is their pathway to a brighter tomorrow. Another $30 went into merry-go-round savings, earmarked for renovating our old, leaky house. The leaking roof has been a persistent source of stress during rainy seasons, and I dream of sleeping peacefully once it's repaired. With a forward-thinking mindset, I invested $10 in purchasing two chickens for our homestead. I plan to breed them so that, in times of financial emergencies, I can sell some and secure the necessary funds. This investment not only offers a potential safety net but also represents a step towards greater financial stability for my family. Each decision I've made with this cash transfer aims to provide a better future for my children and alleviate the hardships we face daily.

I want to expand my goat herd; right now, I have four goats. Because I don't have a steady income, other than the monthly transfers, I believe that raising goats is the best way to build wealth to pay for my children's future school fees. I dream of all four of them going to university someday. As a widow, they rely on me, and I never want to let them down. I truly believe that growing wealth through raising livestock is the key to achieving this goal.

I usually use the cash I receive to pay for my children's school fees, buy clothes for them, and save some for emergencies. Last December, I spent $34 on clothes for all four of my children so they could have outfits for Christmas. This is a tradition I usually want to continue every festive season because it brings them joy. After the holidays, my daughter joined junior high school, so I spent $34 on her school supplies like uniforms, bags, shoes, and books. I am glad that she is now well settled with no risk of missing school. I also saved $30 to buy iron sheets to repair the roof of our house. The current roof leaks whenever it rains because it's corroded over time. The cash transfers have been a lifesaver, especially for keeping my children in school. Since we started receiving the transfers, they haven't missed a day of school due to lack of fees. If it weren't for the cash transfers, my children wouldn't be able to go to school. This is because as a widow, the little money I make from making charcoal, cannot sustain the needs of everyone in the family.

The state of my roof is a constant worry, as it's in a severely dilapidated condition and on the verge of collapsing. To address this pressing issue while also shouldering the responsibility of covering my four children's school fees, I've taken it upon myself to purchase iron sheets each month. So far, I've managed to acquire eight of them, but my ultimate goal is to accumulate a total of forty iron sheets. This investment will ensure that my house becomes stable enough to withstand heavy rainfall. Being a single mother, the entire financial burden rests on my shoulders, and I have no external support to rely on. My primary source of income is from selling and producing charcoal, but unfortunately, it doesn't yield substantial earnings.

I'm thrilled that I was able to purchase a new mattress, finally retiring the old one I'd used for years. The worn-out mattress no longer offered a comfortable night's sleep, so I'd been diligently saving for this moment. It's a dream come true, and I can now look forward to restful nights on my fresh bedding. Furthermore, my house's rooftop has seen better days and has been leaking for quite some time. To prevent any further damage or, worse, a collapse, I've started a gradual renovation process. Each month, I budget for the purchase of two iron sheets and labor costs. Currently, I've acquired eight iron sheets and the necessary nails. This step-by-step roof renovation will ensure its stability, leaving me free from worrying about rain. I have set a target of 40 iron sheets for the complete renovation. Additionally, I've been setting aside some funds to fulfill my dream of purchasing a goat for $40. Once I add this new goat to my existing goat shed, which already houses four goats, I'll be on my way to expanding my herd. As they multiply, I can rely on them to meet my financial needs and support my four children, who are currently attending school.

My new goal is to continue to use my transfer to pay school fees for my children. I am a widow, and I have to struggle to support my children. In addition, I am planning to buy more goats to add to the two I had I had previously bought. I value goats because they grow faster and have a ready market. They will be of help to my family in terms of raising money for emergency way after the program comes to an end.

Whenever I receive my transfer, I always use a portion of it to pay school fees for my children. I am a widow and a mother of four; Ramathan, Tatu, Rashid, and Karimi. They are doing well in their studies courtesy of the monthly transfers. Without GiveDirectly's financial aid, I guess they would have dropped out of school because I do not have a regular income. I also save a portion in a merry-go-round. At the beginning of June 2023, I used $60 of my savings to buy six iron sheets. I added them to some I had bought to improve the condition of my house. I am glad I recently managed to build a house. I have witnessed positive change in my way of life, and I am grateful to GiveDirectly.

We do not have most home furniture, particularly beds and chairs. I could not afford them because my business doesn't generate good profits, but now that I receive the monthly transfers, I want to buy a mattress and chairs this year. We presently sit on a mat because we lack seats. I also have a mat and some old clothes stretched out on my bed, but it is not comfortable, and every morning when I get up, I do experience aches throughout my body. I'm hoping to save enough money this year and upgrade my sleeping arrangements so that I can have good health and restful sleep in the future. Once I have done that, I will start setting aside money to buy the supplies I'll need to upgrade my roof. The current one is worn out and full of holes, making it uncomfortable to sleep in, particularly during the rainy season when we get rained on. Whenever there is a moon at night, the moonlight that illuminates the house prevents us from getting a good night's sleep. I am aware that I cannot accomplish all of these at once, but I will in two years.

After my husband passed away in December of last year, I am currently the family's only source of income. I get charcoal from the village and sell it in a nearby town, but my earnings are insufficient to meet all of our needs. My four primary school-aged children owed $15 in unpaid tuition at the time I recently received the transfer, which I fully paid for. Aside from that, two of them had ripped uniforms from school. I therefore spent $12 to replace the old ones with new ones. The regular payments have made it possible for me to easily meet my household's needs, and I am grateful to the organization for its assistance. I spent $35 for a goat and two hens in order to enhance my income with the intention of selling some of them later on once they have given birth in order to get money for our needs, should there ever be any. Unfortunately, my spouse passed away immediately after I received my December transfer, so I had to spend the entire $34 on his burial. The final $6 I used to buy groceries.

Givedirectly visiting us at our homes is a good thing, we love it. Also, the field officers are humble whenever they talk to us.

I own a charcoal business, where I buy 50kg at $5 and resell it in small quantities. I sell the charcoal in the market twice a week where I get a profit of $3 each day whenever I sell the whole sack. The money I get from my business helps to buy school items such as books and pencils. My husband works as a masonry, he is paid $6 a day, and the money is used to buy food for the family. When I received this month's transfer I spent $10 to pay for my child's school fees, Bought two chickens at $4, a school uniform for my last-born son for $6, and lastly bought food for $10.

My family was struggling financially at the time I received my transfer. I wasn't sure how I was going to get some money to buy food that day because my charcoal selling business wasn't doing well. I experienced unusual happiness after receiving confirmation of my transfer. I knew it would happen soon because some of us had begun to question whether GiveDirectly's program was genuine. This transfer has had a significant impact on my life. So far, I've noticed a gradual shift in my life.

Although my struggles to support members of my household were real and unbearable, I have felt some financial relief since receiving my transfer. I was able to obtain food courtesy of the transfer. This has enabled me to focus more on my business. As a result, the last two weeks have surpassed the first two weeks of August. I am also relieved to have paid off my children's outstanding fees. I appreciate GiveDirectly.

I spent KES 700 on food for my household consumption immediately after receiving my recent transfer. I chose to buy food because my family of six did not have enough at the time. I had been attempting to raise funds for their assistance, but my efforts had been futile. Even on the day the transfer was sent, I went to sell charcoal in a nearby market, but I was unable to raise any funds. In addition, I had KES 400 in school fee arrears that were starting to bother me. I am relieved that my children are now making good academic progress in comparison to how things were previously.