I used KES 1000 to settle my firstborn's school fees arrears as he had just finished class 8 and I never wanted to leave behind any debts. For the remaining amount, I invested it in my business, where I buy brooms made from sun-dried palm tree leaves and then resell them at a profit, each broom earning me KES 20. When I started this business using the funds that I received from give directly, the business was at its peak as I used to sell 10 brooms in a day. Now, with the droughts, the materials can be easily found and more people are manufacturing them. This has reduced my sales as there is more competition. I will be patient and keep pressing on. I believe soon the situation will improve and I will get the market for my products and have the means to fend for my 6 children and wife.

GiveDirectly has helped a great deal especially through the financial assistance. My job is mostly farming and at times I work in peoples farms for pay but unfortunately we experienced a lot of drought last year and I barely worked on my farm or someone else's which made it very hard taking care of my family. I am hoping this year it will be different but I am glad that i could cater for some of the debts I had and provide a meal for my family.

My family is made up of eight people and that includes my six children and wife. Out of the six kids only five get to go to school and during that time I was supposed to pay for examination fee, so I took KES 1,000 and split it among the five of them equally so that they would not miss out on doing their exams just like the rest of their colleagues. After dealing with that situation I decided to take care of nutrition for the family because we barely had enough food in the house and the kids needed a meal after school. Therefore I went ahead and bought a bag of maize flour which contained a dozen packets that cost me KES 1,440 and two kilograms of sugar which was KES 240. I also had a debt that I kept paying in installments because I bought a solar panel for my house to help the kids read and finish their homework when they came back from school unlike before where they strained from using the lamp. I was required to pay KES 345 every week until I finished the debt but since I had KES 320 left I added to it and paid what I owed that week so that I would a step closer to clearing the debt.

I was out in the field grazing my cows. I had just gotten past our house when I came across one of my close friends. He told me that we had received the money. This came in as a surprise as I had been going over my head wondering where I would get some money. I turned back home and asked my wife who was at the door if she had received hers? I then took one of my sons, who had gone to school, phone. I put my sim card in and I also confirmed I had gotten the money. I was very happy.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that even though I struggle to get a job, I have a stable source of income that can help meet our basic needs. I have reached a point where I would borrow from one which left me hopeless. This program has lifted a huge boulder from my life. I now no longer have to depend on favors and debts to survive.

I did not have money during that time and I was very worried as my children were sent home and the teachers were complaining about not being able to pay the fees in time. The children had a most stayed two weeks at home. With this money both my wife and I decided to pool our resources together and pay the bills from school fees which I was only able to contribute KES.200 to the debt, I owed of KES.1000. This is all thanks to Give directly.