Yes, I do have them. I would like to pay school fees for my children who are currently in the senior classes of form three and form four. Paying their school fees is going to help them continue with their education without any interruptions. I have always wanted to own livestock of my own and I am planning to buy goats and also cows so that I can rear them and help me in the future once their numbers have increased.

I like that GiveDirectly gives funds directly to the recipient without having any intermediaries. With this concept, many people can get a huge sum of money to be able to help themselves out. When lots of intermediaries are involved then the money reaching the beneficiary is very little and won’t help that much.

I spent the money on paying school fees for my children who are currently in school. I am happy that my children will be able to continue with their education well. I previously wanted to buy livestock, but due to the drought condition, I thought it wise not to buy any at the moment and instead use the money in improving my saloon business. With the profit I get from the business I will later buy the livestock once the weather climate is good and convenient.

I can still remember very well it was exactly 9 AM when I was preparing for my daily hustle then I heard my phone ringing. I asked my spouse to check who it could be since he was seated next to the phone. Upon checking he realized that, It was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy and I remember, leaving whatever I was doing that morning and started celebrating with all my family members since they were all around. I will live to remember this day.

I had acquired a piece of land for farming through the little savings from my saloon business. However, my business was not doing well, and was not able to clear the outstanding amount on time. My spouse lost his job at a time I was in dire need to complete the payment. I was not at peace from the frustrations and threats of being dispossessed since it had taken longer than expected. The fact that I managed to clear the debt of KES 35000 makes the biggest difference in my daily life. I am at peace now since this debt, threats and the frustrations I suffered are now over. I am now happy to own this land which I am planning to practice and expand my farming. The initial farm was only one acre and I could harvest just a handful of bags of maize which was relatively little as compared to my family of six. Currently, I am glad that I can even harvest more than 10 bags since the farm is very productive and large. This will ensure food security in my household. I am grateful to GiveDirectly because it would have taken a long time to pay back If I was to pay with my own finances.

I spent part of my first transfer in repaying a debt of KES 35000 for a piece of land in the neighboring village. I opted to prioritize this because the current one is no longer productive and very small ( one acre) . As a result, I have been harvesting low yields which led to a prolonged famine in my household. Later on, I paid school fees (KES 10000)for my son who is in his second year and bought stationeries as well as clearing fees for those in primary school at a total of KES 2000. Also with the remaining amount, I bought foodstuff like bags of maize, beans, vegetables, utensils, and other household items that I was lacking.