In the coming year and beyond, my goal is to support the education of my children and grandchildren. I plan to use my subsequent transfers to pay their school fees, ensuring they receive the best education and secure a bright future. In addition to financing their education, I also intend to invest in livestock purchases. The livestock will provide a reliable source of income in the future, allowing me to raise money when needed. I am very appreciative of the financial support from the cash transfers, which are helping me live a better life.

To raise my children, I engaged in strenuous jobs such as selling charcoal, sisal, and palm wine. These demanding tasks drained my energy and negatively impacted my health. Currently, I am unable to perform labor-intensive work due to my deteriorating condition and fully rely on my son, who is a teacher, to support my needs. Thanks to the cash transfers, I can now take care of my immediate needs without heavily depending on him. Last month, my health worsened, and I had to borrow $10 from a friend for immediate medication. Upon receiving my transfers, I repaid the debt. Additionally, my three grandchildren were sent home due to unpaid school fees. I used $10 to settle their debt and ensure they continued their education. To improve the lighting in my house, I purchased a solar-powered bulb. I sold two of my hens for $7, added $34 from my transfers, and bought a goat as an investment for the future. This allows me to have an asset I can sell if needed. In May, I spent $34 to plow my one-acre land, hoping for a good maize crop. Unfortunately, the rains were insufficient, and all the crops wilted, resulting in losses. Due to this, I spent $9 on food for my family, ensuring we had enough to eat and never missed a meal. I am deeply appreciative of the financial support, which has enabled me to live a better life despite not having a job to provide for myself and my family.

Embarking on livestock farming, particularly raising goats, has been a lifelong aspiration of mine. Currently, I've taken the first steps by acquiring some goats and initiating a poultry venture with the chickens I purchased, in hopes that the chickens will multiply and I can trade them for goats. In my eyes, goats represent more than just livestock; they're akin to a form of financial security. Like a savings account, they offer a safety net for unforeseen expenses. Knowing that I can rely on them in times of need brings a sense of reassurance for my family's future.The upcoming transfers will be strategically allocated towards acquiring additional goats, further solidifying our position in livestock farming. This investment isn't just about accumulating assets; it's about safeguarding our family's well-being and ensuring a smooth journey for my grandchildren through their education.

Having accumulated some debt from preparing my farm, I found relief when GiveDirectly provided me with financial assistance. With $15, I managed to clear the looming debts, a weight off my shoulders. Then came Christmas, a time of joy and togetherness. With $34, I ensured my family had a hearty feast, watching the smiles on my grandchildren's faces as they enjoyed delicious meals was priceless. As the holiday season ended, the reality of school expenses emerged. I allocated $10 to ensure my grandchildren could start the term without hindrance. Education is vital, and seeing them off to school with the necessary support fills me with hope for their future. Dreams of expanding my livestock farming lingered, and with $10, I invested in chickens, envisioning a thriving poultry venture. My ultimate goal is to eventually trade up for goats, a longstanding aspiration of mine. However, amidst life's highs, there are inevitable lows. The passing of my sister-in-law brought sorrow and unexpected expenses. I therefore allocated $34 to honor her memory, covering transport and burial arrangements. Though a somber time, we found solace in giving her a dignified farewell.

In the coming year and beyond, my primary goal is to channel my financial transfers into acquiring livestock, specifically chickens and goats. Given my lack of a steady income source, owning livestock represents a crucial, life-saving investment for me. In the preceding years, such an endeavor was unattainable due to persistent drought, which rendered farming impossible and drove up the cost of providing food for my family. Fortunately, we have recently received ample rainfall, enabling me to fully utilize my land and produce enough food for my household. This newfound food security has paved the way for me to venture into livestock ownership. Presently, I own one goat, and my plans for the coming year and beyond involve acquiring more. These livestock will serve as a reliable resource to meet my financial needs when necessary.

My son had successfully completed his university education, but he faced a significant hurdle due to outstanding debts that were jeopardizing his graduation. The timely arrival of financial transfers brought immense relief, allowing me to allocate $35 to clear his fees and secure his graduation. Without these transfers, his graduation would have remained in jeopardy. Additionally, I am responsible for the educational expenses of my four grandsons, and to ensure their uninterrupted pursuit of education, I used $25 to settle their outstanding fees. I'm delighted that they are now continuing their studies without any interruptions. Additionally, I also allocated $40 to purchase essential foodstuffs such as maize flour, sugar, and beans, as well as cover toiletries and other household necessities. This allocation was crucial, particularly as we were still in the process of cultivating our farms. Furthermore, I received the most recent transfers while preparing my land for planting. To quicken the farming preparations and ensure timely cultivation, I invested $20 in hiring a pair of oxen to plow my acreage. This ensured that we enjoyed a bountiful harvest that significantly bolstered food security in our household. We no longer need to purchase foodstuffs, as we did in the past when our farming efforts were not as fruitful.

I'm looking forward to accumulating more money this year and in the years to come so that I can start a cattle and poultry business. In particular, I want to breed goats and sell them to get money. This will give me the financial resources I need to take care of my family's food needs and the education of my grandchildren.

I rely on my adult children for financial help because I am becoming older and can no longer do menial job to meet my daily necessities. There was a prolonged drought in my neighborhood, but I am thankful to Give Directly for the monthly transfers since I was able to buy food worth $30 to feed myself. In addition, I was able to pay $30 for my grandchildren's school fees, who had been sent home owing to arrears. The remainder was spent on seed purchases and land preparation. I'm thankful for the rains this season, and I'm looking forward to a bountiful harvest.

I would be relieved if I settled my daughter’s $113 tuition fee debt that has been outstanding since she graduated from high school two years ago. Her father, who is our breadwinner, is burdened with clearing the balances of three other children who completed school as well. I hope to lift the weight off his shoulders by supporting him with my daughter’s balance. To accomplish this, I was motivated to start raising poultry that I could sell and generate the required amount. Although 30 of the chicks perished from a pox disease, I hope that the remaining flock will survive through the challenges. I want my child to finally get her secondary school academic certificate. 

My grandson had been sent out of school to collect pending tuition balances the day I received the transfer. Since his father did not have ready money at that time, I helped him settle the $4 fee deficit and my grandchild happily resumed classes. Next, I spent $23 on starter and grower feeds for the flock of 40 chickens I grew through previous transfers. Despite the fact that the feeds did not last a month as I had anticipated, am glad that the chickens had enough for the fast few weeks. I hope they continue to grow even amidst hardships to help me accumulate wealth that will support my needs in the future. I spent the rest of the cash to buy food for my four grandchildren and I, as the household had run out of maize flour. 

We receive unconditional transfers from GiveDirectly, which I am grateful for because they enable us to escape the grip of poverty and improve our lives. Due to the drought and the exorbitant prices of essential commodities, we are forced to purchase our food from the shops because we are in a desperate situation. I urge the organization to carry on doing good by providing assistance to those in need in the community.

I used a large portion of $20 from the transfer I received to pay my daughter's outstanding school fees for her four-year-old secondary education. She works on manual labor jobs to save money for debt repayment and obtaining her academic credentials. My husband works as a watchman and makes just enough money to support our two secondary school-aged children while I am currently unemployed. Due to my deteriorating health and the adverse climatic conditions that have impacted the sisal's production, I quit my job as a sisal salesperson. Along with paying off the debt from the school fees, I also paid $4 in school fees for my two grandchildren so they could return to class after more than three days at home. Last but not least, I used the remaining funds to purchase food for my family in order to keep them from going hungry.

That evening, my phone was charging in my son’s house where my grandchildren were chatting while I was in the kitchen. Some of the youngest ones ran to inform me that someone they did not know had sent money to my phone. At that same time, my eldest granddaughter, who is my helper, rushed to the mobile money agent, withdrew the money, and brought it to me. I was delighted and relieved when she confirmed to me that it had been sent from Give Directly.

Over the last two years, my son had lost hope of clearing the outstanding fee balance that barred him from collecting his academic certificate. Had he earned this certificate earlier, he would have secured a more decent job than the casual house construction tasks he does. Gladly, the cash transfer from Give Directly revived the lost hope. I am confident that he will settle the remaining balance of KES 9,000 within the next few months, with the support of Give Directly’s transfers.

When my son completed his high school studies two years ago, the institution denied him access to his academic certificate unless he cleared an outstanding tuition fee balance of at least KES 11,000. Over the years, settling this amount has been challenging due to financial constraints and a lack of a stable income stream. The little he and his brother make from casual jobs in house construction cannot fulfill any need beyond food. This is why I used KES 2,000 from the transfer to help cut off the tuition deficit. I also spent KES 400 to pay examination school fees for my four grandchildren who had been sent home to collect the amounts. I spent the remaining funds on food because my family had been starving for a day due to a lack of money.