My primary goal for the upcoming year and beyond is to expand my goat rearing project. I'm happy to share that I have recently purchased four goats using my monthly transfers. I am passionate about raising goats because they multiply quickly and adapt well to our climate, making the project highly promising. Their fast multiplication leads to increased profits within a short period. Once I have a sufficient number of goats, I plan to sell some and eventually invest in buying a cow, which is my secondary priority. Owning a cow will provide several benefits, such as selling milk to support my children's school fees and utilizing cow dung as organic fertilizer, thereby reducing the cost of purchasing fertilizers. As my children are progressing to higher classes, and with my current lack of a reliable income source, I aim to maximize these two projects so that I can continue to sustain myself when my current financial support ends. Moreover, when I have a good number of goats, I can sell some to generate funds for my children's education. This is my primary goal for the near future and beyond.

Life was incredibly tough before GiveDirectly stepped in to help. I used to rely on burning and selling charcoal to provide for my children's basic needs. It was a constant struggle, as finding customers for the charcoal was unreliable, and there were times when we went without food. My children would often be sent home from school due to unpaid fees, as I couldn't afford to pay on time. However, everything changed when GiveDirectly started supporting us. Now, I no longer have to worry about my children being sent home for fee balances, as I can pay their fees on time and provide food for the family. The income from GiveDirectly has allowed me to supplement my charcoal business, easing my financial stress. When I received my most recent transfer, I used $82 to pay my children's fees to prevent them from being sent home. With the remaining $20, I bought food for the family since we had none at home.

My main goal for the coming year and beyond is to start a goat business. I chose this because goats multiply quickly and adapt well to our region, so I'm sure the project will be successful. My main intention is to buy a cow. Once I have enough goats, I will sell some and then eventually buy a cow. Having a cow will give me many benefits, like selling milk to get money to support my children's school fees. I can also sell some goats if I face any financial problems.

When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $34 to buy a goat. I know our transfers will end soon, so I thought of investing in something that will have a long-term impact on my life. Goats multiply quickly and adapt well to our environment, which is why I chose to start this initiative. With the remaining transfer, I paid $60 towards my children's school fees to reduce the debt and prevent them from being sent home. I used the last $8 to buy food for my family because we didn't have any.

My objective is to launch a goat-rearing business, which shows significant potential, particularly if the goats multiply successfully. This venture is perfectly suited to our region, and if it prospers, I intend to exchange some goats for a cow. I will utilize the saved transfers to start this business. Having an extra source of income will guarantee the well-being of my family and allow me to provide a comfortable education for my children. I am deeply grateful for the chance to participate in this program as it has changed my life for the better.

Four years ago, my husband passed away, leaving me with the responsibility of taking care of our five children. It was challenging to support them through digging out tree stumps and selling charcoal, whose income was often insufficient. Fortunately, this project came at just the right time. With its assistance, I have been able to educate my children and ensure that my family has enough food. From the transfers received, I allocated $60 to pay off my children's school fees, as they had an outstanding debt that needed to be cleared before schools reopened. Additionally, I spent $42 on purchasing food since our supplies were depleted, ensuring that we had enough to sustain us. I am pleased with the progress we've made and I am very grateful for the financial support.

In the upcoming year and beyond, my primary objective is clear: I want to raise more cash to ensure the education of my children. They are not just my pride; they are my sole hope for a brighter future. Education is the key that unlocks opportunities, and I am determined to provide my children with the best chances in life. Every extra penny I can raise will go towards securing their education and investing in their potential and dreams. As I embark on this journey to accumulate the resources needed for their schooling, my motivation is unwavering. In their success lies the fulfillment of my deepest aspirations, and I am committed to doing whatever it takes to see them thrive.

The recent unconditional cash transfer came as a timely blessing for me and my family of six. Ever since my spouse passed away a few years ago, I've been navigating the challenging journey of single parenthood without much support from my in-laws. With the entire cash transfer, I chose to prioritize the immediate needs of my family and invested it entirely in purchasing sufficient foodstuffs. As a widow managing a charcoal business where I earn around $13 a week, it's been a constant struggle to meet the basic needs of my children. This injection of funds allowed me to provide not only sustenance but also a sense of security for my family, alleviating the burden of wondering where the next meal would come from. The weight lifted by this financial support is immeasurable. My children can now enjoy regular, nutritious meals, and I can focus on nurturing them without the constant worry about making ends meet. While the grief of losing my spouse remains, the unconditional cash transfer has offered a glimmer of hope and stability in our daily lives.

My ultimate goal is to provide a quality education for my five children. I have been facing financial challenges and getting money t pay for their school fees had been quite a challenge, though I wan to ensure that their learning journey remains uninterrupted. To achieve this, I am committed to utilizing every part of my monthly transfers to settle any outstanding school fees.

After facing financial difficulties and being a single mother with no reliable source of income, I found it challenging to provide for my large family of 8. The situation worsened when 4 of my children had to stay home from school due to unpaid fees. However, my worries were alleviated when GiveDirectly stepped in to help. With the recent transfers I received, I was able to pay $20 for my children's school fees, ensuring they could continue their education. The remaining amount of $14.70 was spent on purchasing food for my family. This support brought me immense happiness and relief, knowing that my children could pursue their studies and that we had enough food to take us some days.

Education is a matter that is deeply important to me, and I am of the opinion that ensuring my children receive an education is the most significant investment I can make in their future. It is my desire that they acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue their careers successfully. To that end, my goal is to invest a substantial portion of my monthly stipend towards paying their school fees. By doing so, I believe they will be equipped to attract gainful employment, which will guarantee a bright future for themselves, as well as the ability to support me in my old age. This year and beyond, I will prioritize their education by investing in it.

The death of my husband during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant setback for me. As the sole breadwinner for my four children, it has been a challenging struggle to make ends meet. My income from doing casual labor jobs is meager, making it impossible to cater to all my family's needs. My children are the hardest hit, as they are often sent home from school due to outstanding fees that I am unable to pay on time. Therefore, when I received my March stipend, I immediately allocated $20 towards clearing school fee arrears to enable my children to resume their studies. Witnessing my children attend school, like their peers, brought me immense relief and joy. With the remaining $14, I purchased food and water, which have become exorbitantly priced, making it a challenge to provide daily meals for my family. I am deeply grateful for the monthly stipends I receive as they provide the financial boost I need to ensure a comfortable life for my children and me.

I have four children. Two of my children are going into grade 1, one is in grade 4 and another is headed to grade 9. I am a single mother as I lost my husband during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was the sole breadwinner working as a houseboy in an copmound owned by an Asian. She lost her husband during Covid period. He was working as a gardener in someone's home. She hopes to be able to educate her children courtesy of the Givedirectly tansfers that she has recieved and will be receiving from Givedirectly.

I lost my husband two years ago. We had nine kids by the time of his passing. Four children are still in elementary school, two did not continue their education after finishing primary school, and the other three are still very young. The $4 I make each week from selling charcoal, which is what I do for a living, is insufficient to support us. Since we started receiving it, I have been able to pay for my children's tuition and buy them food, so I am grateful for the support I have been getting from Give Directly. I used $15 of the last three months' payout to pay the tuition arrears they owed the school, and I used $79 to buy enough food to keep us nourished. Every parent wants the best for their kids, and seeing my kids regularly attend school inspires me to work more. They no longer skip lessons because they can't afford the tuition, and I owe Give Directly credit for that. I have faith that the help will enable them to finish their secondary studies.

As soon as I received the transfers, my first thought was to ensure that I used the money to pay tuition fee for my five children especially since they had been put of school for almost over two days since I has failed to settle the debt in school fees. I paid KES 2,500 in school fees so that they could finally resume school just like other children. Then after that I was left with about KES 500 with me and I ended up using it by purchasing three packets of maize flour since they was barely any food left in the house for my children and I.

I think everything was perfectly done and I want to comment you for work well done and your dedication towards helping the less fortunate in the society.

When my husband passed away two years ago, I knew it won't be easy to raise our nine children alone but I never thought it would be this tough. Then, I was a housewife but I had to engage myself into charcoal burning and selling business for me to be able to provide for my family. Within my locality, trees have been depleted and for me to get some wood to burn charcoal, I have to dig deep the tree roots which were left out after the tree were cut. It hasn't been easy digging up the tree roots in such a dry land with temperatures as high as 39 degrees centigrade but what keeps me going is my children. In a good week I can sell charcoal worth KES 1000 but this is very little to cater for all the family responsibilities. I have been thriving in debts and my wish was to have alternative source of income such as having livestock which I can sell. Since I was unable to buy livestock on my own, being enrolled in the program was such a good opportunity for me to start investing in livestock. I spend KES 1000 to buy two chicken which are capable of laying eggs, KES 1400 to buy maize floor and 600 to buy other food stuffs. I'm looking forward to buy some more livestock which I'll be able to sell and pay bills in future.

I was at home fetching water when I received the funds from give directly, this made me feel so happy so I started planning on how to use them. My first thought was to reduce my children's school fees. So, the following day I went to school to reduce the arrears by KES500.

I have not noted any difference in my life ever since I started receiving these funds. since this is my first transfer. I also missed out on my second transfer and currently I'm behind on my bills. Even so, I believe with my coming transfers, there will be some difference that I will be able to point out.

In April 2019 I lost my husband. At that time, the Coronavirus pandemic was at its peak. Life became very hard for me because I was left alone to fend for my 9 children. I then started working as a shepherd where my daily pay was KES150. When I received the funds, I had school fee arrears of KES3000 so I used KES500 to reduce the bill. The remaining KES700, I used to purchase food with.