My aim for this year is to settle my son's substantial school fee debt, allowing him to return to school and continue his studies uninterrupted. I understand the significance of education and am committed to providing my son with the best possible opportunities, with the assistance of the transfers. This investment in his education will enable him to pursue his chosen career path and achieve success. I am deeply grateful for the financial support provided by the transfers, which is instrumental in realizing this goal.

Last year, my youngest son began secondary school, and he is currently in Form Two. Over the past three transfers, totaling $98, I've allocated all funds towards paying his school fees. Unfortunately, at the close of last year, my son still had an outstanding school fee debt amounting to $620. Consequently, he was sent back home earlier this month due to the accumulating debt. As of now, he has not yet returned to resume his studies. Meeting his school fee obligations has been challenging for me, given my employment as a casual laborer primarily involved in charcoal sales, which yield meager earnings. Despite these difficulties, I am profoundly grateful for the financial support provided, which has enabled me to continue investing in my son's education, ensuring a brighter future for him.

Ensuring my son's uninterrupted education is my utmost priority and a significant goal. I deeply felt a sense of sadness when he returned home one month, visibly upset and shedding tears as he witnessed his peers attending school while he remained absent. It was a poignant moment that motivated me to take firm action. Consequently, my plan is to diligently address the substantial debt accumulated from my son's schooling expenses. By paying off this debt, I am determined to ensure that he never experiences the disappointment of being sent home again and can continue his education without any interruptions. This commitment reflects my unwavering dedication to providing my son with the educational opportunities he deserves.

As a casual laborer, my income primarily comes from burning tree stumps to produce charcoal. Unfortunately, the earnings from this job are meager, making it difficult for me to meet my family's needs. Recently, I encountered a significant obstacle when my youngest son, who is currently in Form 1 at Dr. Aggrey Secondary School, accumulated a school fee balance of $460. Consequently, he was sent home, and I had to utilize $58 of my transfers to partially settle the debt, ensuring his return to school and the continuation of his education. To further support my son's education, I made the tough decision to sell the two goats that I had purchased with a previous transfer. This allowed me to contribute towards his educational expenses. While I am grateful that he is back in school, there remains a lingering concern that this financial support may not be sufficient in the long run, and he may require additional funds. Nonetheless, I am immensely thankful for the ongoing financial assistance that is enabling me to prioritize my son's education and provide him with the opportunities he deserves.

This year and beyond, my biggest accomplishment is investing my monthly stipend in buying livestock, such as goats. I plan to rear them and ensure they reproduce, multiplying the herd in large numbers. As the herd grows, I will sell some of the livestock to cater to my basic needs and handle any issues that may arise. I have previously earned a living as a motorcycle taxi rider, but the high cost of fuel has deterred me from continuing with the same. However, I am optimistic that engaging in the livestock business will help me earn more income and make me financially stable.

My son's outstanding performance in his primary national exams filled me with immense happiness and pride. He passed with flying colors and secured a spot in a national secondary school located far from home. Despite this achievement, I was worried that his dreams of advancing to secondary school would be hampered due to our abject poverty. The school required a large upfront payment for admission, which was daunting. Fortunately, I had purchased two goats earlier with my previous transfers, and with additional contributions from relatives, we were able to sell them and pay the admission fee. However, this was not the end of our financial struggles as in April, the school required all students to clear their fee arrears to sit for end-of-term exams. To ensure that my son could sit for the exams, I had to spend my entire April transfer of $34 to clear off the debt. I am grateful for the monthly stipend that has provided me with the financial support I need to ensure my son receives an education and pursues his dream career.

I aspire to educate my son through high school. This is the immediate need that I have for now since he's required to join form one. Therefore, I plan on using the cash transfer on his school fees. I was involved in a motorcycle accident a few months ago that left me with injuries. Soon as I recover, I can boost my business and my income as I plan to start rearing goats. This will help me go a long way in paying my son's school fees.

I received my transfer at the same time that my motorcycle broke down. We rely heavily on it for money, therefore I spent $15 to fix it. Additionally, I spent $19 on food for the members of my family. In addition, I spent $34 on a goat for breeding. They are an excellent investment because they produce young ones every year, which means I will have more goats each year. Unfortunately, I was recently engaged in a road accident while on duty that has left me with damaged limbs. I ride a motorcycle for taxi service, which has been our sole source of income. On the other side, my spouse ran a small business that involved buying and selling coconuts from our area, but there aren't any anymore because of the drought. She consequently ceased running the business. I might not fully recuperate to be able to continue my work of operating the motorcycle and the goats will be very helpful in the future since I will sell them in case of an emergency.

What GiveDirectly is doing well is giving out cash to community members who had been struggling to make ends meet due to harsh weather conditions. The community's livelihood increased after receiving the transfer. Most of us opted for food, some businesses, and others for school fees. The level of conflicts was reduced as a result. Our trust in GiveDirectly also increased since you proved to be transparent and faithful in your promises. However, GiveDirectly should consider sending out the transfers at the same to avoid unnecessary misconceptions, those who receive their transfer late after others sometimes feel that they have been withdrawn from the program which is why they were delayed.

am a father of 6 and I sell charcoal to support my family of 8. In a day, I can sell only $ 5 which is too little to support the entire family's basic demands such as food, school fees, and medical expenses. Therefore, my greatest challenge as a father is providing sufficient food for the family on daily basis due to the lack of a sustainable source of income as a result of the low market. The lack of food for the family has also been elevated by extreme drought conditions which caused vegetation to dry up. I was very elated to receive the recent transfer as  I was able to buy 1 goat worth $ 25 which has been my greatest desire and achievement. The remaining $ 5 I spent on maize flour. I added 1 more goat because goats can easily multiply within a very short time hence making more profits which will assist with other family's demands such as food and school fees for my two children who are currently in primary school. The transfer has not only brought peace and harmony among us but also improved health as a result of good eating habits, which include a well-balanced diet, unlike before when having maize flour to prepare even sugarless porridge was just a dream.

My family was forced to miss a meal the evening before the transfer day because I never had enough money to buy food. However, I felt great as soon as I realized I had received my transfer. My heart was overjoyed as I considered how I would support my family. I had volunteered for this assistance, despite the fact that it had been postponed until that day. I am glad that the transfer provided me with a lot of relief and a positive change in my life. However, before I could spend the transfer, I needed to talk with my wife about how we should spend it.

From the day I confirmed my transfer receipt, I have witnessed a positive change in my life. At first, I had a lot of struggles to raise money for the purchase of food. Painfully, my family could miss basic meals due to my ability to provide for them. However, with the transfer, I bought maize flour that can take my family for the next month. I consider this as the biggest difference in my life. It has given me ample time and an opportunity to focus on a charcoal-making venture.

When I received my first transfer, we did not have food as a family. I always depend on subsistence farming which has not been doing well as a result of unpredictable weather patterns. Unfortunately, the previous season never yielded any crop for us. In addition, the charcoal-making business has also not been supportive because the earnings from it are too low. Therefore upon receiving the transfer, I spent KES 3,050 on buying maize flour whose prices had hiked. It has given me ample time to put more effort into the charcoal-making business. Thanks to GiveDirectly for the financial aid.