Since I do not have a stable job or business to rely on, my primary focus as a parent is investing in my six children's education. My plan for this coming year and beyond is to unconditionally channel my resources, which include a portion of my future transfers that I receive from GiveDirectly and the little money that I earn from my unstable and unpredictable hustles, toward securing a brighter future for them through paying school fees, giving them all the school essentials, and letting them have a better education. My children's academic journey is not just a priority for me; it is the backbone of my aspirations for their success and fulfillment in life. I believe that by prioritizing their education, I am laying the foundation for a better future for them, which will enable them to have lives that we will all be proud of. I am giving a lot of thanks to GiveDirectly for allowing me to give my children the best that I can afford.

I have six school-going children where two are in secondary school and four in primary school. Their education is very important to me, and almost all of my transfers go towards providing them with the necessary school materials and paying for their school fees. Recently, I spent $50 of my transfers that I received from GiveDirectly to pay for their school fees, ensuring that they would not be sent back home to collect unpaid fees but instead stay in school and focus on their studies. Additionally, I sent the two children in secondary school $24 for transportation to and from school, as well as pocket money, so they would be comfortable and able to buy necessary items when needed. Lastly, I used the remaining $28 of my transfers to buy food for my family, ensuring that we would not go hungry, especially since we did not have good harvests this year. I am grateful for the support that GiveDirectly is giving us and my hopes is that I will keep on doing my best to support my family especially during this challenging time.

With six children enrolled in school, my primary focus as a parent revolves around investing in their education. It's my unwavering commitment to channeling my resources, both from transfers and whatever I earn, towards securing a brighter future for them through education. Their academic journey is not just a priority; it's the cornerstone of my aspirations for their success and fulfillment in life.

My children had accrued school fees overdue, and with the school reopening imminent, I found myself in a tight spot. I had to prioritize settling the debt to ensure they could return to school without any hindrances. Thus, I used $48 from our transfers to clear this debt, feeling relieved that my children could continue their education without interruption. For a while, I struggled with restless nights on a worn-out mattress, impacting my daily energy levels. Recognizing the importance of quality sleep, I decided to invest $3400 in a new mattress. Now, I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face the day, grateful for the comfort it provides. With just $20 left from the transfers, I made sure to stock up on food for my family, knowing that having enough to eat at home brings a sense of security and comfort to us all.

It is my fervent desire to provide the finest education possible for my children, recognizing that a quality education is key to securing a brighter future for them compared to my current circumstances. To actualize this aspiration, I intend to utilize the received transfers to cover the school fees for my children. The assistance from these transfers has been invaluable, and I am profoundly grateful for the support they have provided in enabling me to afford the best education for my children.

Allocating $10, I purchased a variety of educational supplies, including 20 books, pens, and pencils, for my six children who were returning to school. Additionally, I disbursed $9 to cover the school fees of my three children enrolled in primary school. Witnessing all my children actively pursuing their education brings me great joy. For their school-related expenses, I provided my two sons with $15 each as pocket money. Over the past year, I invested $68 in on-farm activities, such as plowing and weeding. This investment, coupled with the assistance from the transfers, resulted in a bountiful harvest. Despite facing health challenges over the last five months, the support from the transfers has been crucial in ensuring that my children's education is well taken care of. I express deep gratitude for the positive impact of these transfers on my family's well-being.

I am engaged in livestock farming, primarily raising goats and sheep with a total herd of around 20 animals. Given our recent successful harvest that will provide food for my family in the coming months, my primary goal is to continue providing essential care to my livestock and growing the herd. Ensuring they receive proper medical attention, regular deworming, and maintaining a clean environment is crucial to their well-being. Losing my animals due to a lack of veterinary care would be devastating. Furthermore, I aim to expand my herd as a means of wealth creation to support my wife, seven children, and myself with household needs such as food and tuition for our children. My long-term vision is to create a stable and sustainable source of income through livestock farming to provide for my family's needs and secure a better future for my children.

I primarily used the cash transfers to support planting activities during the ongoing planting season. From the recent three transfers, I dedicated $34 to land preparation and the purchase of maize seeds. I'm pleased that I have recently harvested maize from my three-acre plot, which will sustain my family for the next few months. Additionally, I sent $10 as pocket money to my two children who are in high school because they had depleted their allowances, and I had not yet earned the money to send to them. Relying on casual labor, such as making charcoal, to generate income to support my six children's education does not fully cover their needs which is why I count on the cash transfers. Furthermore, I have been in the process of purchasing a new mattress, as my old one had deteriorated and was causing discomfort. I had to dispose of it and began using boxes as makeshift bedding. After allocating $30 from the transfers to pay a deposit fee for the mattress, I have $33 remaining to fully secure the new mattress. Additionally, I allocated $14 to pay a veterinary doctor to administer shots to my herd of 20 goats and sheep, although I had to top up the amount with my savings. The rest of the funds were used to purchase food to sustain us until the harvest.

Having five children, paying their school fees has been a great burden for me, especially since I've been unemployed for the past two years and have been relying on small casual jobs that pay very little. My two eldest children are now in secondary school, and the total cost of their school fees is $800 for the entire year, which is a huge amount that requires a stable source of income to pay. Additionally, there are exercise books and textbooks that need to be purchased to support their learning in school. My three other children are in primary school and still owe a debt of $25 that I have not yet paid. My goal for this year is to use the money from my transfer to pay at least part of the debt my children have at school, creating a good environment for them where they won't be sent home because of fee arrears. This will motivate them to learn, work, and go to school, ensuring they have a good future.

The last two years of financial hardship, I struggled to support my family of nine and became overwhelmed with sadness and worry. Thankfully, the monthly stipends I received directly from Give Directly provided crucial assistance during a time when I was unable to secure employment. Recently, I was offered a job as a chef in a local hotel, where I prepare meals for guests. Unfortunately, when I received my April transfer, my family was in a dire situation and did not have enough to eat. To ensure that they had food, I spent $30 on 12 packets of maize flour, which would last for about two weeks. Additionally, I needed to provide transportation fare for my two sons who were returning home from secondary school, which cost $4. I cannot express enough how much I appreciate the support provided by the monthly stipends. It has been a lifeline for my family during these challenging times.

So far, the cash transfers have been my only stable and reliable source of income, considering I do not have a job or business. They have helped put food on the table and keep my children in school, and I could never be more grateful. Having two children in high school, I prioritize funding their education until they are done with the basic levels of education. This will also apply to those in elementary school. In fact, as we speak, my second last born is set to join kindergarten in a few months' time and I intend to start saving towards his admission expenses. 

A while back, I used to operate a business of buying and selling livestock like poultry and goats at the marketplace. Though the burden of providing for my seven children was overwhelming, at least they would hardly suffer from hunger. Things started becoming tough when two of them joined high school and I started digging into my capital to pay their fees. This is because secondary school tuition is more expensive compared to primary school costs. Eventually, my business ran out of stock and I have been jobless since. Now, affording food is a challenge. My household constantly runs out of maize flour and am always in debt at the shop as I take food on credit. That is why I spent $22 from the previous transfer on food. I used the remaining $12 to pay school fees for my children for the ongoing academic term so that they would study without interruptions to collect balances. Similarly, I spent the entire December and November transfers on food. 

I used to buy livestock from the village members and sell them in different markets two years ago. It was doing well and the little I earned from it could sustain my family's needs. When my son joined secondary school I spent all the profits I had saved including the capital to enroll him in school and since then, I have not managed to revive it. We have been surviving on the income I earn from various casual works that I come across, but they are not well paying and unreliable too and thus a challenge to provide for my family. With the past three months' transfers, I spent KES 4000 on both food and water since they are currently the most scarce and expensive commodities. KES 5000 I paid in school for my four children who are both in primary and secondary school. It was a timely thought by GiveDirectly to provide us with the support.

I am honestly happy from the financial assistance I receive from GiveDirectly especially since I needed it due to the fact that my business went under. I was a broker when it came to purchasing and selling livestock but drought became quite severe back in the village and the market deteriorated leaving me jobless and consequently it became quite a predicament taking care of the needs of my family. But luckily GiveDirectly came in and offered financial aid.

It has just been a couple of days since I received the funds from GiveDirectly and that I why I have not used the funds yet but I do know how I would love to spend the money. I happen to have give children who are still in school, four being in elementary school while the last one is in high-school. Luckily I managed to pay for the most of the tuition fee for the one on high-school but I have yet to pay a penny when it comes to the school fee of the other four. I owe the school about KES 3,200 for the four of them in total so I plan on using the KES 3,000 I received to settle a bigger part of my debt.

I had already gone to bed when these funds were sent. My wife was still awake and with my phone. She was the one who woke me up to inform me that the funds from give directly had been sent. This really elevated my mood. I had so many things in my mind including purchasing some food for my family, but I did not know where I would get the funds from. The cash I had, I used it all on my son's shopping as he is set to join form one in May. I went back to sleep, but this time, I was less worried. The following day, I woke up very early to go and buy some sustenance for my family.

There has been a great difference in my life ever since I started receiving these funds from give directly. Even with my tussle of shopping for my son's school essentials for his transition to high school, I was happy that the money boosted my finances. I also got to provide food for my family. The worries I had regarding my children's school fees have now been lifted as I will dedicate these funds towards their fee payment

I work as a middleman for the pastoral farmers who sell their livestock. My monthly income is KES 10,000. However, this is not consistent. Even so, this is what I use to fend for my wife and 7 children. At the time when I was receiving these funds, we had just run out of food in the house but I had no money to buy more. I used the cash I had to buy for my firstborn who is about to join form one and some school essentials. I, therefore, decided to use my transfer to restock my house with some nourishments.