In the forthcoming year and beyond, my aim is to concentrate on the education of my grandchildren. I want to guide them every step of the way so that they can become responsible and independent individuals. I aim to be their source of encouragement, showing them that with hard work and determination, they can achieve anything they set their minds to. I will create a nurturing environment where they feel supported, whether they are struggling with schoolwork or celebrating their accomplishments. I want them to grow up knowing that education is a powerful tool that will open countless doors for them, and I am committed to being their biggest cheerleader on this journey.

I am a widow taking care of my four grandchildren, who are all orphans. Life has been challenging since I lost my husband, and the responsibility of raising my grandchildren has fallen solely on me. I used to rely on my son for support, but he is now struggling to make ends meet, working casual jobs and dealing with chest problems that make it difficult for him to provide for his own family. That’s why the transfers I receive have become my lifeline. With the most recent transfer, I prioritized my grandchildren's education, using $30 to pay their school fees. Their education means everything to me, as it gives them a chance at a better future. Ensuring that they stay in school is my priority. With the remaining $38 from the transfer, I purchased food for the family. Feeding four growing children is not easy, and every little bit helps to put something on the table. It was a relief to see their smiles as we shared our meals, knowing that we would not have to worry about where the next one was coming from, at least for a while. Though times are tough, I am grateful for the support the transfers provide, as they allow me to fulfill my duty as a grandmother and caretaker. My heart feels lighter knowing my grandchildren are not only fed but also continuing their education, which gives me hope for their future.

As I lay down to sleep in my humble kitchen, a wave of gratitude washes over me, not for what I have, but for what I've been able to provide. You see, I gave up my own house to shelter my five grandchildren, left orphaned and homeless by their father's illness. Their innocent faces haunt my dreams, driving me to action each day. And now, as I near completion of the small one-room house I've been constructing for myself, I feel a sense of accomplishment mingled with anticipation. My hope for the coming year and beyond is first, to finish this house, a shelter where I can find comfort and rest after days of toil. But beyond that, my heart brims with the desire to embark on another project, to find new ways to provide for my family, and to nurture dreams and possibilities.

With the last three transfers, I put $30 towards ensuring my five grandchildren could remain in school by paying their fees. Education is a treasure I want to secure for them, as it opens doors to a brighter future. Though I am a widow, I'm determined to provide them with every opportunity possible, especially considering their father's illness. Keeping them in school ensures their academic growth. After securing their education, I allocated $42 towards purchasing food. Seeing my grandchildren happy and well-fed fills my heart with joy. Knowing they don't have to sleep with hunger gnawing at their bellies brings me immense relief. It's a small price to pay for their well-being, and their smiles are worth every penny spent. As their caregiver, ensuring their basic needs are met is my top priority. With the remaining $30, I continued with my project of building a one-room mud wall house. This house will soon provide a comfortable shelter for me since I gave them my house and I shifted to the kitchen because they did not have a proper shelter and I wanted them to be comfortable.

I want to own livestock, specifically goats as they are resilient in challenging weather conditions, such as drought, making them a suitable choice compared to other livestock. Given that I am the sole provider for my nine grandchildren, with their father limited by Tuberculosis complications, I see building wealth through goat farming as a viable way to contribute to household expenses. While financial constraints had previously hindered my dream of owning goats, I'm delighted that our recent successful crop harvest has provided the opportunity to turn this dream into reality. I believe that by investing in goats, I can not only secure a source of income for the family but also support my grandchildren's education in the future. This endeavor aligns with my goal to ensure their well-being and a brighter future despite the challenges we face.

My son used to be the main provider for our family. However, he fell ill with Tuberculosis-like complications, leading to him losing his job. Taking on the responsibility, I engage in charcoal burning to provide for my nine grandchildren. Recently, I had to pause this activity to focus on farming, making cash transfers my primary source of funds. Whenever I receive the money, I allocate $15 for paying school fees to my grandchildren. Managing this financial responsibility alone is challenging, and I'm grateful for the cash transfers as they have lightened the burden. Also, the children’s studies have rarely been interrupted due to unpaid school fees. Since we now harvested, I spend the remaining $19 towards posho mill charges and other household needs like toiletries and also medication when the need arises. I am grateful for the cash transfers because they’ve been a lifeline to my family.

In the coming years, my goal is to own livestock, particularly goats. I'm interested in goat rearing because of their resilience in harsh weather conditions, like drought, which makes them a suitable choice compared to other livestock. I believe that building wealth through livestock farming is the most viable way for me to contribute to household expenses since I'm the sole provider for my eight grandchildren. Their father's chest complications limit his ability to provide for the family, leaving me as the breadwinner. I always wanted to own goats, but financial constraints held me back. I'm pleased that we recently had a successful crop harvest, allowing me to buy goats that can help support my grandchildren's education in the future.

My son used to be the main provider for my family until June of last year when he fell ill with Tuberculosis-like complications, which led to him losing his job. I then took on the responsibility of providing for my eight grandchildren by engaging in charcoal burning. However, I had to temporarily pause this activity to focus on farming, making the cash transfers our primary source of income. Each month, I allocate $15 to reduce the tuition debts for my grandchildren, which can include fees for exams, sports, or remedial classes. Carrying this financial burden alone is challenging, and I'm grateful for the cash transfers as they have lightened the load. Before our recent crop harvest, I used the $19 every month to buy food to ensure my family didn't go hungry while waiting for the crops to mature. After the harvest, I spent $8 from the remaining monthly amount to purchase two chickens for raising, and the rest went towards posho mill charges. This was my first opportunity to buy chickens since the cash transfers started, and I'm excited to finally own livestock. In the future, I can sell them to generate funds for my grandchildren's school fees.

Despite facing financial constraints, I have several accomplishments that I hope to achieve in the future. One of my main goals is to build a two-room house with mud walls and an iron sheet roof. This would provide better living conditions for both myself and my grandchildren, as our current one-room house is cramped and insufficient. Additionally, I desire to upgrade my sleeping arrangements by purchasing a wooden bed and a comfortable mattress to replace the sisal-twined bed that impairs my sleep quality. However, I understand that these endeavors require a significant amount of money, estimated to be around $500. Although it may seem challenging to gather such funds, I remain hopeful that opportunities and resources will arise to help me achieve these goals.

I am extremely thankful and pray that God blesses whoever facilitated Give Directly's assistance to our village. For years, drought deprived us of the opportunity to grow crops and access water, which led to severe hunger in my household. The situation worsened after my son, who was the sole breadwinner, was diagnosed with Tuberculosis last year, leaving me in charge of providing for his eight children. Thankfully, the monthly cash transfers have eased the hardships faced by my family. When I receive the money, I typically budget it to secure food and pay school fees for my grandchildren. From the recent cash transfer, I spent $15 to clear school fees for the children as they were constantly being pulled out of class. Am happy that they remained in school longer until they closed for the holidays. Also, I used the $19 to buy food, which served my family for at least five days. Though I cannot entirely depend on the cash aid to support my needs throughout the month, am happy that they help lift a weight off my shoulders for some days. 

Since I have to take care of my grandkids this year, I intend to use the majority of the funds to cover the cost of tuition. They will be able to continue their education as a result because it happens frequently that students are expelled for not paying fees. Also, since my unwell son and my grandchildren depend on me, I aim to focus on food with the remaining funds.

Since one of my sons passed away a few years ago and my other son, who supported me, is pretty unwell, I am responsible for caring for their six grandchildren. Because they were on the verge of being expelled, I promptly paid their tuition with KES 2,000 from the donation. I had KES 1,400 left over, which I used to purchase two kilograms of beans and five packets of maize flour because my family and I needed to eat.

My son had been my family’s breadwinner until June of last year when he started suffering from acute Tuberculosis chest pains, which cost him his housekeeping job. With my advanced age, I took on the mantle of providing for the family of eleven ( my son, my niece, and eight grandchildren) through charcoal burning. Due to the physical demands of the practice, my body cannot support the production of much charcoal, which leaves me earning at most $7 per week. Given the high commodity prices and the household size, this amount barely provides enough food for the week. We mostly get by on a cup of porridge and sometimes miss meals. By the time I received the cash transfer, my family was starving because the household had run out of food the previous afternoon, forcing us to go to bed hungry. I was so relieved to receive the money that I spent every penny on food and water. I only set aside $0.5 to save through a self-help group in the community. At least, my family enjoyed regular meals for a week as I sought to make and sell another sack of charcoal. 

Although I did not manage to use my funds as I wanted this time round due to the snake bite, I am still very much grateful with what I received because were it not for the funds I have no idea how I would have paid my bill in the hospital and I do not whether I would have even gone to hospital in thr first help do the transfers were a huge help to me. I have no complaints in regard to the organisation but rather lots of praise.

I was met with quite an unfortunate fate after the receiving the funds from GiveDirectly which was quite tragic. I decided to go withdraw the transfers the a day later after I had received them and luckily I did but unfortunately on my way back I was bitten by a venomous snake and I was rushed immediately to the hospital. I ended getting hospitalised for close to a week and the doctors kept me on close scrutiny to ensure I was out of danger. Unluckily I ended using my entire funds in the hospital and my sons had to chip in as well because the bill was quite huge and the transfers could not have completely cleared everything.

I had just arrived home from the field where I spent the whole day cutting down woods to make charcoal. My son broke the good news that I had received my first transfer. Wow! I felt thrilled as my heart melted with joy inside me. I started singing and ululating as I celebrated the good news.

Paying off the school debt so that my grandchildren can return to school is the biggest difference in my daily life since receiving the transfer. For a while, they have lacked the motivation to continue with their education due to often being at home while other children are in school. I am happy this will change and propel them into performing well in school.

I work as a casual laborer selling charcoal. I live with my son and 4 grandchildren. The sole earner of the family is me. My son can no longer work because of his health condition (chest pains). The little I earn (350 per bag) from selling the charcoal is only enough to buy food and nothing to save. When I received my first transfer of KES 3000, I spent half of it on buying food for the family to prevent them from starving. Besides buying food, I spent the other half on paying off school debt for my four grandchildren so they would allow them back to school. In the previous term, often they were at home due to school fees and arrears affecting their performance negatively.