I completed my secondary school education in 2021. Since my parents are casual laborers, they cannot afford my college fees, which is why I haven’t joined college yet. However, I am optimistic that with the transfers from GiveDirectly, I will save enough money to pursue my dream of studying hospitality. I had hoped to start college this year, but the money I saved wasn’t enough. Therefore, I plan to continue saving and investing in poultry and goat rearing projects. I am confident that if these projects succeed, I will raise the funds needed to begin my college education. I aspire to study ICT, inspired by my uncle, who has been successful in this field. With my savings and income from my goat investment, I believe I can afford my school fees and fully focus on my studies. My goal is to excel academically, earn good grades, and eventually start my own business after graduation to secure a better future.

I have started saving part of my transfer by investing in livestock farming. This is because our transfers are nearing their end, and I want to have an investment that can support me in the future, especially with paying my college fees. With my most recent transfer, I used $40 to buy two goats as a future investment. I also spent $36 on food for my family, as we were running out of supplies. Additionally, I bought one chicken for $20 to boost my poultry project, which is part of my long-term financial plan. Finally, I saved $20 towards paying my college fees. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for their financial support.

I am looking forward to starting college in September to study ICT. My uncle, who has been successful in the field, inspired me to pursue this path. With my savings and the income from my goats investment, I will be able to afford my school fees and focus on my studies. My focus is to concentrate on my studies and make sure I get a good grade and eventually, I dream of starting my own business after I graduate in order to improve my future.

I currently own five goats, and I have big plans for them. Goats multiply easily, so I am investing in them with the goal of eventually trading up for a cow. Just the other day, I bought a goat for $20, and it put a big smile on my face. In addition to my goats, I have got twelve chickens. I started with five of them, spending just $10, and I'm eagerly waiting for them to start laying eggs and multiplying so I can sell some chickens too. I am also part of a merry-go-round savings group where we each save $10 every month. I joined last year to secure a better future for myself, and I have already saved up $40. I have six younger brothers who are all in school right now. One of them recently got sent home because we couldn't afford his school fees. It broke my heart to see him sitting at home while his classmates were at school, so I used $20 of my transfers to pay his fees. With the remaining $22, I bought enough food to last my family for the week.

My focus is to enroll in college to study mixology within the next six months. Lack of finances has been a barrier since I graduated in 2021, but thanks to the cash transfers, I now have the opportunity to pursue my dreams. The short course will equip me with essential skills for immediate employment. Alongside this, I plan to open a shop in my village in the coming years. Not only will it meet the community's demand for everyday items, but it will also boost my income. I am confident that this will enable me to support my seven siblings' education and ease the burden on my father's shoulders.

After finishing high school in 2021, I dreamed of attending college to study mixology. Unfortunately, my family's financial situation didn't allow for it. We relied on my father, who worked various odd jobs like charcoal making to support our large family of seven school-going children. I didn't want to add to his burden, so I had to put my dreams on hold. Then came the cash transfers, like a ray of hope in our lives. With the initial transfer, I started a small vegetable-selling business in the village, which I still manage today. The profits from this venture not only sustain me but also help me contribute to my siblings' school fees when needed. From the recent three transfers, I managed to save $50. I plan to save a significant amount by September to finally enroll in the college I've been dreaming of. When two of my siblings were sent home for school fees, and my father couldn't cover the costs immediately, I stepped in with $20. I also invested $20 in buying a goat, aiming to grow my assets. The remaining amount went towards essential household expenses like toiletries and food.

My primary focus now is on enrolling in an Information and Communication Technology college in the upcoming year. Throughout the past year, I diligently saved $20 from each cash transfer to fund my college education. Given the unreliability of my parents' casual labor jobs and the financial responsibility of supporting my younger siblings, the cash transfers have become a lifeline for my educational aspirations. During the two years of my college program, I plan to utilize the cash transfers to cover tuition fees, and I also hope for additional support from my parents when needed.

Since completing high school last year, I have faced challenges pursuing further education due to financial constraints within my family. My parents, engaged in various casual jobs like house construction, struggle to meet daily expenses, particularly for my six younger siblings. The cash transfers have emerged as a beacon of hope, enabling me to save $20 each month towards enrolling in an Information and Communication Technology college starting January next year. In addition to saving, I allocated $15 from the recent cash transfers to purchase 11 chicks, intending to rear them. As these chicks mature and reproduce, I plan to sell them to contribute to household needs and further build my education fund. Another essential purchase was a solar lamp, which I acquired for $20, eliminating the need for expensive daily kerosene expenses as I previously used a paraffin-powered lantern. The remaining $17 was used to support my parents in covering household expenses such as food and toiletries.

I am not employed full time but from time to time I do casual construction work or farm hand work. My earnings would mostly help around my needs but I save a portion to my account. I also save from my Givedirectly transfers into this account. The goal for all this is to allow me access an education from an institution of higher learning. I would like to join Kinango Training college to study ICT which I believe will allow me to seek for jobs in the industry and allow me take care of my siblings and parents.

I have been saving to my mobile money locked savings account whenever I can or have some money to spare but also more intentionally from the transfers I receive. I saved $20 in April and the same amount in May in this account. I have also bought a couple of chicken using part of the transfers. In may and June I spent $4 to get three chicken. Since I still live with my family I have been contributing $10 monthly to the family food amount to ensure access to sufficient food by everyone. In The month of June my brother had been sent away from school and I gave him $20 to reduce his school fee balance.

My future plan is to further my education. I completed my high school education my I haven't joined college or enrolled in any other course due to the lack of money. My goal is join college and pursue a course of my choice in September, to achieve this, I had started saving and will continue to save part of my transfers on a monthly basis to help me cater for my school fees in the future.

I received the transfers at a time when my family was starving. Therefore with the transfers that I received of KES.3470, I gave my parents KES.2000 to help in the purchase of food since we had no any other source of income. I also saved KES. 1000 in my account and spent the remaining amount of KES. 470 to buy a pair of shoes for myself. I was so grateful to GiveDirectly for the support

I applaud the group for their passionate efforts to assist the less fortunate members of society. Personally, the money will enable me to fulfill my ambition of going to school for an information and communications technology degree. This will present me with the chance to find a lucrative job and generate a good income to support my family. Since they have access to more information than we do, I implore the organization to regularly advise us on how we should invest the funds.

April of this year marked the end of my secondary education. I haven't started college yet because I don't have enough money for the tuition. Because of the current level of poverty in our home, my reliance on my parents for financial support is limited. My parents are poor farmers who support themselves by tilling land. They are unable to financially support me as I continue my education because of the drought's lingering effects on their income. My four siblings attend Mnazimwenga's primary schools; one attends secondary school. They are all financially dependent on my parents, which makes it difficult for them to provide for all of us. I spent $10 to help my parents, who are overburdened by the many demands of the family, by purchasing food. The previous mattress was damaged and cut into several pieces, so I spent $6 on a new one. I finally decided to save the remaining $18 in the hopes that I would have enough money the following year to cover my tuition and enroll in college.

I can vividly recall the moment that I received my initial transfer. I was in the fields herding. Then suddenly, I heard my phone ringing. Upon checking, I saw a message notification showing that I had received money from GiveDirectly. When we least expected it, the support came. I then told my equally grateful parents. This will allow me to accomplish my goals. I then embarked on planning.

The biggest difference in my daily life today is that I can comfortably able to pay for my transport to and from work. This was not possible before, because of financial constraints. I am happy and grateful for the support that brought so much happiness into my life and also uplifted my living standards and that of my family.

Receiving money from GiveDirectly has been of great assistance in my life. This is because it gave me hope for a better tomorrow. Upon receiving my transfer, I used $3 to buy a hen to start poultry keeping and saved $700 for other needs that would arise. My dream is to be able to enrol on college where I would wish to pursue an ICT course. I am optimistic that the monthly aid from GiveDirectly would be possible. Achieving this before was not possible because of financial constraints, since I depend on casual jobs which are not stable. I am happy and grateful to have been chosen to be among the GiveDirectly recipient.