My entire life, I have always wanted to become a livestock farmer, but I did not know where to start because of a lack of funds until GiveDirectly came and started giving me hope. As time goes by, my dream is becoming even more steadfast, and I am determined to pull it through to fruition. I have always believed that livestock farming will provide a reliable source of livelihood for me and my family in the future, and to achieve this dream, my plan is to continue using a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly to buy more sheep and add on to the five that I already have, which I bought using my previous transfers. I am hopeful that these sheep will multiply and increase in both number and value, allowing me to eventually trade some of them in the future for a female cow, which will further enhance my wealth as it too will breed and multiply in number. I am confident that both the cows and sheep will become valuable assets, acting as a dependable source of income, ao that when this program comes to an end I will have something sustenable to rely on. Additionally, as the female cow breeds, I will also benefit from its milk, which will provide nutritional value for my family and improve our diet. I am very grateful for this opportunity that GiveDirectly has given us, and I am hopeful that my life will change for the better.

The transfers from GiveDirectly came at a crucial time when my son was about to take his exams. I have a son in college pursuing a driving course who had an outstanding college fee balance that needed to be cleared for him to sit for his exams. I therefore had to spend $30 of my recent transfers to pay his school fees so that he could take his exams. I also have two other children in primary school, and I had to pay $20 for their school fees to ensure they could continue with their studies. Additionally, I had to spend another $22 to buy food for my family so that they would not go hungry but instead be well-nourished. Lastly, I have always aspired to become a livestock farmer to create future wealth. I therefore spent the remaining $30 to buy a sheep, adding to the two I already have, in hopes that they would multiply and increase in number and value. In the future, I plan to trade some of the sheep for cows, which will serve as a reliable source of income, especially when this program comes to an end because I may be able to sell them and take care of my family when faced with challenges that require a lot of money as well as paying school fees for my children. As the female cow breed, I will also be able to use their milk for my family, adding nutritional benefits to our diet.

In the years ahead, after my son graduates from college, my plan is to become a goat owner. Having goats will be a crucial step for me to sustain prosperity even after the GiveDirectly program concludes. It's about securing a future where I'm not solely dependent on external aid. With a herd of goats, I'll have a reliable source of income and sustenance. No longer will I worry about how to provide for my family when I have a flock of goats to rely on. It's a simple yet powerful idea: investing in something tangible that can offer security and stability for years to come. So, as I look forward, my focus is on building this foundation, ensuring that my family's well-being is safeguarded long into the future.

For over a decade, the weight of responsibility has rested heavily on my shoulders since the passing of my beloved partner. Left to care for our six children alone, I turned to my charcoal business to make ends meet, but the financial strain was unyielding. With the arrival of the cash transfer, a glimmer of hope emerged. Prioritizing my children's education, I allocated nearly $70 towards their school fees, investing in their futures with the belief that education is the key to breaking the cycle of hardship. From the youngest in lower grades to the eldest pursuing a driving course in college, each payment symbolized a step towards a brighter tomorrow, where they would emerge as responsible and self-reliant individuals. In addition to securing their educational paths, I ensured the immediate needs of my family were met by purchasing food with the remaining funds. The relief of knowing we no longer faced the anguish of going to bed hungry lifted a weight off my heart. Though the journey ahead may still be challenging, the support provided by the cash transfer has infused our lives with newfound hope and resilience. With each meal shared and each tuition payment made, I am reminded that even in the face of adversity, there is always the possibility of a brighter tomorrow.

My objective is to expand my livestock business, focusing particularly on cows, with the aim of selling milk to support the education of my remaining children. I will be using the upcoming transfers to acquire more sheep, which I plan to sell at a profit, ultimately enabling me to purchase cows. Establishing an additional source of income will contribute significantly towards meeting the needs of my family. I am sincerely grateful for all the support I have received thus far.

Life has presented numerous challenges for me since the passing of my husband, leaving me with six children in need of care and support. The income from my charcoal-selling job proved insufficient to meet their needs, prompting me to turn to farming at times to ensure there was enough food for them. I am grateful that my circumstances have genuinely improved. Thanks to these transfers, I have purchased five sheep, ensuring a stable source of sustenance and allowing me to comfortably afford food. Additionally, I am financing my son's technical college education following his completion of primary school. Recognizing the importance of education, I allocated $80 to my children to settle outstanding school fees and purchase essential items such as books. The remaining $32 was dedicated to purchasing food for our Christmas festivities. I extend my sincere gratitude to the organization for its unwavering support throughout this journey.

My main goal currently is to continue supporting my son, Baraka, through his college education. The cash transfers played a pivotal role in making his admission to the school a reality. As a widow, the income generated from charcoal production, which amounts to $15 per month, can barely cover the basic needs of my family, let alone cover Baraka's school fees. As he will be in college for the next two years, and the tuition cost is projected to be $1000. I hope that with the combined income from the cash transfers and the wealth I intend to accumulate through goat rearing, I will be able to secure the funds required for his education. Ultimately, upon completing his training, am confident that he will obtain employment and be able to contribute to support his three younger siblings, which will alleviate some of the financial burdens I face.

After my son, Baraka, completed high school four years ago, I faced the challenge of not having the financial means to send him to continue his education, either in high school or college. It is truly heartbreaking to know that if I had the necessary financial resources, my son would be almost completing high school by now. As a widow with four children to care for, my main income source is producing charcoal, which brings in approximately $15 per month. This amount is far from sufficient to meet the needs of my family, especially food and school fees. Recently, there was a positive change in my circumstances. Thanks to the cash transfers, I managed to save $30 from the previous month's transfer and combined it with $30 from this month's transfer. With this sum, I was able to enroll Baraka, in an electrical training college. This opportunity brought joy to me, as for the past four years, I had lost hope of affording higher education for my son. The remaining amount, $4, from the transfer was used to purchase more food for the family.

My passion for education is unwavering, and I am committed to doing everything within my power to ensure that my children have access to the best possible education. I firmly believe that education is the key to a successful future, and I am convinced that providing my children with an education will offer them greater opportunities than what I am able to provide them with presently. To achieve this goal, I have set my sights on clearing all outstanding school fee balances for my children by the end of this year. I believe that by doing so, my children will be able to study and focus on their education in a stress-free and conducive environment, and as a result, excel in their academic pursuits.

As a single mother of seven children, I am solely responsible for providing for their basic needs since my husband passed away. This has not been an easy task as I have had to struggle to make ends meet by purchasing food, paying school fees, and buying clothing for my children. Recently, one of my youngest daughters was involved in an accident at school and required urgent medical attention. I only had a bag of charcoal left, which I could sell for $3, but this wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of transportation and medical expenses. Despite my efforts to borrow money from friends and relatives, I was unable to secure the necessary funds. Fortunately, just as I was about to give up, I received my April transfers, which was a huge relief for me. I immediately spent $14 to take my daughter to the hospital, where she received the necessary medical treatment, and I'm happy to report that she is now doing well. I also used $10 to pay off some school fee balances for my six school-going children, ensuring that they could continue attending school. Lastly, I bought five packets of maize flour, which cost $10, to help us through our tough financial situation. I am extremely grateful that the transfer came at just the right time to help solve most of my pressing issues.

I started sheep rearing activity as a reliable source of livelihood with the transfer I received from GiveDirectly. At the moment, I am proud to own 2 sheep and one has already reproduced. I plan to boost it in the coming year by purchasing 2 more. Additionally, I intend to support the education of my 4 children who are still in primary school. Lastly, we have been experiencing drought and famine for over 2 years in our area, and ensuring that I have enough food for the family is another goal that I have.

I am a widow and have been parenting our children by myself since my husband passed away. Most of the time, I burn charcoal for sale and not for profit. To excavate wood logs and prepare them for creating charcoal takes three weeks. After three weeks, the most charcoal I can produce is a bag that costs $5. Since all four of our children are in school and require timely payment of school fees, this can not meet the demands of the five of us. I must admit that before GiveDirectly came to my aid, I had a hard time raising them. Since then, I've been setting aside $10 each month to utilize towards my kids' school expenses. From the transfers over the past three months, $30 was used to pay for meals for our family and another $30 for the four kids' school expenses. I credit the help for the fact that I have not had as many financial difficulties as I once did.

Being a widow, I have been our family's primary provider. I have five primary school children who rely on me to feed them and support their education. Because I am unemployed, I make and sell charcoal to generate income, earning at best KES 1,500 in a good week. When I am not successful, we often end up going hungry for the entire day. Actually, family had run out of food the night before the transfer. So, I spent KES 1,000 to secure food that has lasted us this long. Since the children were frequently being pulled out of class to collect these school fees balances, I utilized the remaining funds to settle the amounts.

In my opinion, giving people cash and not restricting them on how to spend it was a great idea from Give Directly. There are already some improvements in our village since we started receiving the transfers. We hail from poverty striven areas such that a whole day's meal was not in anyone's budget. Of late we are more healthy and lively because everyone in the village can afford food and this is because we were allowed to make spending decisions. I have no complaints about the organization but encourage them to support more people.

With the prolonged drought we have experienced for two years, food has become scarce and expensive more so, cornflour. There are times when we have to walk for about 30 kilometers in search of it. When I received my second transfer, I had to prioritize it. I, therefore, bought a bundle of cornflour at KES 1500 while the remaining KES 1500 I spent on 5 chickens for rearing. I am a widow with children who depend on me the KES 200 I make daily from the charcoal sale is not enough to meet our needs. My projection is to sell the chickens in the future to raise money for purchasing goats. They are great investments and if goes well then I will sell some of them in the future to help me pay for my household bills, especially my children's school fees. Later on, I will also sell some and later use the money to purchase cows.

Going about my daily business of packing charcoal in order to sell, I received an alert on my phone. On checking, it was an MPESA message from GiveDirectly. I surely could not contain my joy as the previous day we had slept hungry and now I knew we would have something to eat now. I withdrew the funds and straight away bought food supplements for the family.

The major impact from receiving the transfers is that I was able to clear school fees arrears for my son and more to that buy food products to last us a couple of days.

After my husband passed on and left me a widow with six children, life has been in some way tough to get by. Being the breadwinner and with no stable income except for menial jobs like selling charcoal, I really have struggled to keep up. Food has also been an issue as we have had to sleep hungry some days thus receiving the KES 1200 was a welcome relief for me and my family. I bought food worth KES 700 ensuring we have adequate supply and we do not sleep hungry. The remaining KES 500, I cleared the school fees arrears for my son who had been sent home the previous term due to the balance he had. This now ensured he can remain in class and not miss any lesson.