I am truly thankful to GiveDirectly for their incredible financial support, which enabled me to pay my eldest son's school fees until he graduated. Before these transfers, my children were often sent home due to unpaid fees. Today, my four children still in school can focus on their studies without such worries. Personally, I now feel more at peace because I no longer have to work extremely long hours as I used to. When I received my most recent transfer, I had two priority items that I managed to accomplish. I spent $20 on food to ensure my children have enough to eat. With the remaining $90, I paid school fees, dividing the amount equally among my four school-going children. It is always a significant relief when the transfer arrives, and I just want to express my deep appreciation for the support.

In the coming year and beyond, my sole focus is saving for my son's college fees. I run a charcoal business to support my children's basic needs. I plan to save part of my income from the charcoal business and combine it with a portion of my monthly transfers and savings account. I believe education is the key to success, and by ensuring my son receives the best education, he will be able to support himself and his younger siblings in the future. I am optimistic about achieving this goal, as I have already saved up to $320. I am truly grateful to GiveDirectly for their financial support, as these transfers have significantly relieved my financial burden.

My youngest, now three years old, has faced challenges since birth due to a ventricular septal defect. This condition necessitates frequent health check-ups, leading to numerous trips to the hospital and the purchase of prescribed medications. In November of the previous year, while my son was undergoing treatment, I incurred expenses totaling $34. Fortunately, his health improved during the festive period, prompting a celebration marked by the allocation of these funds towards the purchase of food and new clothing for all my children. Entering the new year, I invested $20 to replenish the stock for my charcoal-selling business, allowing me to resume entrepreneurial activities now that my son's health has significantly improved. Additionally, I allocated $14 for the school fees of my eldest son, currently attending primary school. The financial support I've received has been invaluable, particularly in managing the medical needs of my son with the congenital condition, which demands considerable financial resources. I am grateful for the assistance in navigating these challenges and fostering a better future for my family.

My aspiration is to acquire a piece of land on which I can construct a home, providing a peaceful dwelling for myself and my three children. Having separated from my husband a considerable time ago, my driving force is to secure a permanent residence for my children, ensuring they have a stable and comforting home. The financial support from the transfers has been instrumental in not only caring for my ailing son but also in procuring food and enhancing the prospects of my business. I find great satisfaction in the progress made towards my goal and the positive impact on my family's well-being.

As a mother of four children, two of whom are in school, I promptly directed $10 of my transfers towards covering their school fees. With the remaining $24, I contributed a bit more from my pocket and purchased a goat, increasing my total number of goats to four. This newfound asset security fills me with joy that my future is well secured and will be bright.

I have a child who recently finished eighth grade, and I am determined to support her education journey. My goal is to see all my children educated and thriving. To make this happen, I plan to sell two of my goats to fund her college education. She excelled in her studies, and I want to ensure she gains valuable tailoring skills to apply in her future.

After separating from my husband, I became the sole provider for my three children. For years, our livelihood had relied on farming, but the persistent drought conditions made it increasingly challenging to support my small family. To make ends meet, I resorted to selling charcoal on credit, but the business faced significant difficulties in a tough market environment, which affected my morale. However, my life took a turn for the better when I enrolled in the program. Through the program's support, I managed to establish my business more firmly and now enjoy substantial savings, no longer burdened by the amount owed to my creditors. This newfound stability enables me to fully meet the needs of my children, including school fees, healthcare, and food expenses. Upon receiving my May transfers, I allocated a significant portion of $20 towards preparing one acre of our family land for planting. The abundant rainfall we are currently experiencing gives us hope for a bountiful harvest. Having an ample food supply also allows me the flexibility to invest the money in other income-generating projects. Furthermore, I purchased five packets of 2kg maize flour and other essential food items to ensure our family had enough to eat, as we were running low on supplies. I am grateful that through the monthly stipends, I have regained my stability and can provide a better life for my family.

As my business thrives, I have set ambitious aspirations of purchasing a piece of land. My intention is to construct a comfortable home that can accommodate all members of my family. While I am currently residing on my father's land, the prospect of owning our own property brings me immense satisfaction and pride. It ensures a future inheritance for my children and provides a sense of security as I envision a peaceful life with my beloved family.

My four children rely entirely on me to provide for their daily needs. Since I have nobody to support me in raising cash, I buy and sell charcoal to fend for my family. I'm grateful for the cash transfers because they have allowed me to expand my business over the years. With every transfer, I have made sure to use  part to boost my business and increase profits. From the recent cash, I channeled $21 toward increasing the charcoal stock. Also that day I got a call from my mother in the village saying that my children had slept hungry the night before and there was no food. So I sent her $10 to buy maize flour.  I spent the remaining amount to clear school fees for the children.  From the transfer I received in December, I used $14 to boost my stock and bought new dresses for my two daughters $11 which they were on Christmas Day. The rest went towards food.  In November I also bought more charcoal for $14 and I spent $8 to pay  examination fees for my children who were set to sit for their end-of-year test that month. I'm immensely grateful to Give Directly because the cash transfers have grown my source of income. From my profits, I saved enough funds to take my son Moddy to secondary school next week. 

Right now, supporting the education of my four children is my priority.  I wish to continue growing my charcoal business and hopefully obtain other sources of income that will enable me to raise more school fees. In the short run, I intend to start by admitting my son Moddy to high school first. After he is settled, I will continue expanding my business and buy goats to increase my income streams. 

I am a single parent of 4 children after divorcing with my spouse 3 years ago. Raising the family single-handedly has been a tough experience for me. I spent $12 to boost the charcoal business that I was depending at the nearby town by purchasing 2 sacks of charcoal. This business earns me a profit of $3 to $4 on average per sack sold. In addition, I used $8 to pay for the school fees of my 2 children who are in primary school. Finally, I used the remaining amount to acquire sufficient food for the family. I am happy that my business is thriving well and I am making more profit from the 5 sacks that are in the shop. Nowadays, I can comfortably meet basic needs like food and education for the children.

Coming up with the cash transfer program in our village is what the organization did well. Furthermore, visiting and enrolling every individual that qualified in a household with discrimination was a good decision. In my opinion, I feel Givedirectly did their operations well, and there is nothing they did not do well.

I am a single mother of four kids doing a small-scale business and other casual jobs like washing clothes for people. Three of my children are school-going while one is still very young. I live in a rented house where I pay KES 500 per month. Life has not been easy for me as my income is too little to cater to all our basic needs. Being a single mother with no financial support from anyone complicates it further. I thank GiveDirectly for remembering me in their unconditional cash transfer program. The money was a great boost since it enabled me to pay KES 300 school fees and buy food and other household items worth KES 900.

The biggest difference is the reduced financial burdens and the ease with which I accessed food. I had no food in the house and thus chose to buy some enabling us to enjoy balanced diets that we had missed for a long time. I also settled my kids’ fee balance at school making them report back to school feeling excited. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the financial support.

It was around 4.00 p.m. while I was in my house attending to my business when I heard a message notification on my phone. I checked instantly and found it was an M-PESA message. I then called my mum to confirm and found that she had also received a similar message. I felt so happy when I learned that the money was from GiveDirectly.