I have a goal that has been giving me quite a headache: owning many goats on my compound. Goats are one of the most important domestic animals that can help us grow financially because they reproduce quickly, and the chances of increasing their numbers in a short period are high. To achieve this goal, my spouse and I plan to work together to save what we earn from our daily casual jobs, along with the monthly income we receive from GiveDirectly. By doing so, we will ensure we can reach our goal. Once we achieve it, I am confident that by the time my children are ready to join secondary school, we will have enough goats to support us. This will make it easier to pay their school fees and provide for their needs without much strain.

All I can say is that the money came at the perfect time when I needed help the most in my life. I was in a difficult situation and desperately needed assistance. I was expecting the time when I received the medicine, but along the way, I developed complications and required serious medical attention to save both my life and my baby’s. I used $34 for that purpose, and I am forever grateful because the timely access to the medication helped save our lives. With the other $34, I was able to cover the costs of essential items, including new clothes for the newborn and other necessities. I’m so relieved that everything was taken care of at once, and I know that without this support, it would have been very difficult for my husband, as he is only a casual labourer. After that, I paid $20 for the school fees of my four children, ensuring that when school closed, there would be no arrears. This will allow them to transition smoothly to the next grade level next year. Additionally, the $14 was a huge help in buying food for our family of seven. Now, my husband has an easier time providing for us, thanks to the relief we receive from the monthly cash transfers.

I burn charcoal and sell it to support my family, while my spouse relies on casual jobs to help us as well. I am very grateful that these transfers have significantly relieved us financially, allowing us to pay fees and provide for our children without much strain. In the coming year and beyond, I have three priorities to work on. First, I want to build my dream two-room house. Since my house collapsed, I have been living in a small structure, but I aspire to have a decent home. Second, I want to ensure that my children’s school fees are covered and that I can provide them with food. To achieve these goals, my spouse and I will work together to save what we earn from our daily hustles, along with the monthly income we receive from GiveDirectly.

My house collapsed due to heavy rains, so I am working extra hard to build a new one. In the meantime, I have built a small one-room shelter as I prepare to buy materials for a two-room iron-roofed house. When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $33 to buy two iron sheets and some nails for building preparation. Since I have school-going children, I spent $18 on their fees so they can access education. It is very unfortunate that my spouse and I did not go to school, and we do not want this to happen to our children. With the remaining amount, I spent $21 on food for the family to ensure that my children do not go hungry.

My desire has been building a 2-roomed house which I feel am on the way to achieving it since I have now been successfully able to buy 24 iron sheets as part of the main materials that I needed for the construction, with a few transfers to come I believe I will successfully achieve my goal.

Through the organization's transfer, I have been able to join a merry-go-round, that has made me achieve things within a shorter period than what I expected. I normally save $10 every month, luckily enough this quarter I was among those who received a good amount of money, which I used to buy 2 goats at once worth $60 knowing that it was my plan of investment. Additionally, with thoughts of my children settling into school and focusing on their studies, I used $30 off the quarterly transfer to clear their school fees debts, since I don't wish to see my children burning charcoal as I do in the future. "where I did not reach I would wish my children to get there and even go beyond" knowing that I will also be relieved when they succeed. Since my hustle could not provide adequately to my family I used the rest of the transfer to buy food for my family.

In the coming year and beyond, my goals include acquiring livestock and building a decent house for my family. After my main house collapsed, I erected a temporary one-room shelter where my six children and I currently reside. However, its conditions are far from ideal for accommodation. I aspire to build a new house with two rooms, featuring a tin roof and mud walls. Additionally, I plan to expand my livestock holdings. Currently, I have four goats, two of which I obtained through the cash transfers. The goal is for them to reproduce, grow the herd, and eventually exchange them for cows in the future. This strategy would provide funds for my children's education even after the cash transfers cease.

Over the past three months, my focus has been on obtaining birth certificates for my six children. The financial support from the cash transfers has been instrumental in covering the transportation costs to and from the registration office, amounting to $12. This assistance has allowed three of my children to acquire their birth certificates. Additionally, there were instances when our food supplies were depleted, leaving us without meals for nearly two days. To address this, I allocated $49 from the funds to purchase food, providing sustenance until my husband, working as a herdsman, could contribute. His income is sometimes unpredictable, making the cash transfers a valuable supplement. I also invested $20 in plowing one acre of land in preparation for the ongoing rains. Moreover, I settled a debt of $6 for two of my children who had faced challenges staying in school and used the remaining funds to buy books for them.

I wish to construct a decent house for my family. The current house we shelter under is damaged, with one of its walls collapsing, leaving a hole in the house. However, the income generated from my work as a charcoal burner and my husband's occupation as a herdsman is insufficient to cover the expenses of constructing a house, especially considering the high costs involved. To build the new house, I have already acquired some iron sheets and plan to set aside a portion of future cash transfers to purchase additional building materials required to complete the structure.

Upon receiving the cash transfers, I was facing various pressing needs within my family. My son in junior secondary school required additional books and a new set of uniforms, which my husband and I couldn't afford at the time. Thankfully, I was able to allocate $12 toward purchasing new uniforms and $3.5 to buy the necessary books for him. Furthermore, my other two children had been consistently sent home from school due to unpaid fees, accumulating debts over time. To resolve this, I used $10 from the transfers to settle the outstanding fees. Since then, they have not faced any more disruptions in their education, which brings me much relief. Additionally, I used $5 to have someone weed for my crops and used the remaining funds to buy more food. These cash transfers have truly been a lifeline for my family, enabling us to afford essential items and address challenges that would have otherwise been overwhelming. I am grateful that my children can continue their studies without major interruptions, thanks to the support provided by the cash aid.

I am living with my spouse and 6 children in a small and almost open-roof grass-thatched house that is about to collapse. The situation is worse in recent days because of the cold nights that experience. In the coming year and beyond, I intend to construct a decent, two-roomed, iron-roofed house for the family. Moreover, our 5 children are still in primary school and I am planning to support their education by making sure I pay their fees on time.

I spent $5 of the most recent transfer to buy my daughter a new outfit so that she would also appear presentable over the festive season like other kids. I spent $20 on a variety of food items for my household during the holiday season. We were able to celebrate Christmas with a lot of dignity, and we owe this to GiveDirectly. I'm glad that my kids were able to eat enough food to fulfill their lifelong desires. In addition, four of my sons had reached the age required for circumcision, which is a tradition. I so paid $20 for the surgery. Ever since I got enrolled in the program, I have been saving $4.5 a month, which makes me happy and proud. My goal is to build a business with my shares in order to increase the income I receive for my family. In order to invest my shares in the most profitable company, I am doing research on it so that I do not make any mistakes. Our primary source of income is the selling of charcoal, but the $6 we make from it each month is insufficient to support the seven of us in the family. If all goes according to plan and I invest in a business, our household income should increase.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly has not done anything that is not good because the organisation has generally uplifted our living standards. Currently, every household has livestock, our children are also in school whereby before then, a good number of them had dropped out.

I spent part of my recent on paying school fees of KES 1500 for my three children who are in grades six, four and three respectively. They have always been sent home because of the financial hardship that I was undergoing, I could hardly settle the arrears on time. It is my pleasure to see them studying without any difficulties. I am hopeful that their future shall be brighter. To add to that, I have two chickens at KES 600 which I trust will multiply within a short period. I feel relieved because I have assets to lean on in case of any emergency. With the remaining amount of money, I bought foodstuff and other household items like washing soap, and body oil.

We were having financial difficulties as a family the day before the transfer date. Our children were sent home, and we did not even have a single scent to pay their fees. That was so upsetting to me. However, I was so excited to learn that my transfer had been sent. It was late at night, and I had nothing important on my mind. That day is going to be memorable in my life because I had never received such help in my life.

With the help of my recent transfer, I was able to pay off part of my children's fees and they are currently learning comfortably. This has left a positive mark on my life since my children have not stayed longer at home like it used to happen before. As a result, I have been relieved from my financial stress. I am so happy and grateful to GiveDirectly for enrolling me in its program.

Immediately after I received my transfer, I spent 600 on paying fees for my three children. All of them are in primary school. Both my husband and I do not have a source of livelihood except that he looks after cattle for one of our community members at a small fee. Whatever wages he earns are too low to support our children's education. I also spent the rest of the transfer on buying food. As a result, we experienced some financial relief. Without that transfer, I cannot imagine how I would have raised school fees in the current hard economic times.