This year, I want to start farming beans. Recently, I wasn't able to plant maize with the Kenya Seed Company because I couldn't get a space. However, I have 1.25 acres of land that I want to use for beans farming. My plan is to use my last transfer of $450 from GiveDirectly to make this dream come true. I hope to get a good harvest and use the produce to pay the school fees for two of my kids. I want to see my children succeed and finish school, and this is possible when they stay in school without any fee balance. The thought of accomplishing this fills me with gratitude and happiness.

GiveDirectly has done amazingly well. Their officers are so kind and respectful, which really stood out to me. What I want GiveDirectly to do now is to go to other villages and enroll more people so that they can also experience the same benefits we have in my village. We have GiveDirectly at heart and wish them the very best in achieving whatever they set out to do.

Recently, I received $450 from GiveDirectly, which came at a crucial time. My house was old, torn, and falling apart, posing a serious security concern for my family of eight children. With the funds, I spent $90 on iron sheets, frames, and other building materials. I demolished the old house and used both the reusable materials and the new ones to construct a new home. We are now happy and grateful to God and GiveDirectly for this support. Before receiving the funds, I didn't have a mattress or bed and used old clothing as bedding. Now, I can't wait for the night to enjoy my sleep because I invested $94 in buying a comfortable mattress and bed. Living close to a river in a forest, it was risky and we were afraid of harmful snakes. Therefore, I used $15 to pay a deposit for a solar light. Now, we don't have to fear anything at night. I also spent $100 on school fees for two of my children. Previously, I had to rely on casual jobs, which were not guaranteed, to keep my kids in school. Additionally, my children had worn-out clothes and nothing to change into, so I used $60 to buy new clothes for them. As a family, we are now happy and extremely thankful to GiveDirectly for their support.

While my two sons and I were slashing our farm, my two sons. My elder son, who was holding my phone, saw a text message come in at around 3 pm. confirming the receipt of $18.24 from GiveDirectly. We were overjoyed and thanked God for this timely support, especially since we had nothing planned for dinner that evening. I quickly asked my elder son to withdraw $10 to cover our meal for the night. We decided to budget the rest the following morning. A big thank you to GiveDirectly for fulfilling their promise.

Seeing my land ready for farming after it was bare for two years makes me feel hopeful about the future. It's a change that means we can grow our food and earn income by selling the surplus produce. At the same time, my son, who had to stay home for two weeks because I couldn't afford school fees, is now back in class. This help from GiveDirectly has made a difference for us. I'm very thankful for their support. It has given us a chance to improve our lives and restored our hope for tomorrow.

I've been relying on casual jobs, with support from my elder son who had to drop out of university in his second year because we couldn't afford the fees. Life has been challenging, especially as the sole provider for my eight children since my husband passed away nearly nine years ago. Despite these hardships, I prioritize my children's education, hoping to secure them a better future, though it's tough without a stable income. I dropped out of school at the elementary level, a decision I regret because I believe education could have made life better. I'm determined to prevent my children from experiencing similar regrets, particularly seeing my daughter and son unable to continue their university studies for the past two years due to lack of funds pains me. Though, I remain hopeful. Farming, which could have been an alternative, was not an option for us since my 1.25-acre piece of land lay fallow for two years due to lack of capital. However, when I received support from GiveDirectly, I invested $30 in preparing the land, hoping to plant maize with the coming rains to help sustain us. Two weeks before the GiveDirectly transfer, my son in high school was sent home due to a fee arrears of $178. I paid $70 of his arrears so he could return to school. My daughter and another son in elementary school needed desks, a requirement from their school, so I spent $30 on that. The remaining $40 went towards buying food, which has been a serious challenge for us. Thank you GiveDirectly.