I was finally able to access a loan of $300 and purchased a motorcycle that I am now using to support my family through ferrying people. Right now, my immediate plan is to gradually clear the debt using a portion of the transfers I will be receiving from GiveDirectly and money i will be making from my hustles. Once I'm done with the loan, I intend to take another loan to buy a sewing machine for my wife, who is now in college doing tailoring, so that she too can start her own business once she is through with her college. Upon the stability of her business and she is able to help me support our family, I too intend to take a different direction with my life. I studied mechanical engineering and I plan to join a garage to sharpen my skills. In the near future, I aim to use my skills to get employment, earn a living, and support my family. With my wife's income and my income, we will both be able to provide a better life for our family. This plan gives me hope and motivation every day, knowing that our combined efforts will lead to a more stable and prosperous future for our family. My determination is unwavering because I know the positive impact this will have on our lives.

My goal for this year was to buy a motorcycle that I could use to ferry people and earn a living. To acquire this asset, I needed to take a loan from our savings group, which required me to contribute some money to access the loan. I invested $30 from my recent transfers into the group, allowing me to secure a loan of $300. I am thrilled to now own a motorcycle, which enables me to work and provide for my family. In the following months, I needed to start paying off the loan, so I used another $40 of the transfers to reduce my debt. Additionally, my younger sister had completed her secondary school education but was unable to receive her results due to an outstanding debt. I gave her $10 to help clear that debt, and I’m glad she was able to access her results. Finally, I spent the remaining $22 on food for my family to ensure we wouldn’t go hungry. Overall, I feel grateful for the progress I’ve made and i am happy that I can support and provide for my family.

For now, the only goal that I am focused on is to see my wife graduate from her tailoring course in September. I believe once she graduates, she will be in a position to have her own workshop and achieve self-employment, which will allow her to offer me great support since I have been the family breadwinner. Additionally, I plan to buy her a sewing machine as soon as she graduates so that she can start working immediately. I am going to achieve all these through my monthly cash transfers and my daily hustle as a motorcycle rider. This plan gives me hope and motivation every day, knowing that our combined efforts will lead to a more stable and prosperous future for our family. My determination is unwavering because I know the positive impact this will have on our lives.

Several months ago, I took a significant step to improve our family's future by enrolling my wife in a tailoring course at a local college, thanks to the monthly transfers we received. With the latest cash transfers, I paid almost $50 for her tuition and examination fees, just in time for the approaching deadline. It's heartening to know she will graduate at the end of this year, equipped with the skills and knowledge to establish her own workshop. This achievement will not only empower her but also ease the financial burden on me, as I have been the sole breadwinner for our family of three. Additionally, I cleared the $4 arrears for my son's preschool fees, ensuring his education continues without any interruptions. The peace of mind that comes from knowing he's stable in school is invaluable. I also allocated $34 to my savings with a plan to purchase a motorcycle. My goal is to buy a new one on credit and pay off the remaining balance in installments. Currently, I rely on my sister's motorbike, earning only a commission, which is insufficient to meet our needs. Owning my own motorbike will significantly increase my income, allowing me to provide better for my family. The support from these cash transfers has not only enabled immediate relief but also paved the way for a brighter future, filled with opportunities for growth and self-reliance.

In the approaching months, my primary objective is to provide financial support to my wife by covering her school fees. The culmination of her two-year course holds the promise of substantial benefits for our family. I eagerly anticipate witnessing her undertake her examinations and acquire the essential certifications to enhance her employment prospects. I express profound gratitude for the invaluable assistance provided by the transfers, which not only facilitated my college completion but also enabled me to procure sustenance for my young family and invest in the acquisition of two cows.

Allocating a significant sum of $64, I covered the school fees for both my wife and son. My wife's pursuit of a tailoring course is aimed at acquiring skills to generate supplementary income, complementing my earnings as a motorcycle taxi driver. Her anticipated completion of the two-year course in December brings me great satisfaction, as her newfound skills will significantly benefit our family. Furthermore, I settled my son's school fee arrears and made a partial payment for the current term, ensuring his uninterrupted education. During the festive season, I allocated $20 to purchase new clothes for my son, enhancing his appearance and confidence. With the remaining $14, I procured food provisions to partake in joyful celebrations with my family. The invaluable financial support we've received has notably enhanced the quality of life for my family.

My goal is to realize my long-standing dream of becoming a successful livestock farmer. I've taken the initial step by acquiring two cows, but my ultimate aim is to expand my livestock portfolio by steadily increasing the number of animals in my care. To achieve this, I've made a strategic plan where I'll purchase a goat every month whenever I receive my transfers. Over time, I intend to sell some of these goats to reinvest in acquiring more cows, steadily growing my livestock business and ultimately establishing a thriving venture in livestock keeping

The GiveDirectly money I received came as a timely and much-needed relief. Managing the education expenses for both my wife and children had been a constant challenge. At the moment the transfers arrived, my wife and child were facing pressure to settle their outstanding school fees balances. I was genuinely relieved as the transfers eased my financial burden. I allocated $15 to cover my wife's educational expenses, another $15 for my son, which also went towards purchasing him a new school uniform as he had outgrown his old one. The remaining $4 was utilized to ensure there was enough food on the table for my family. The support I received from GiveDirectly not only lightened my financial load but also brought a sense of relief and security to our lives.

I firmly hold the belief that acquiring essential skills and education is crucial for individuals to endure challenging economic circumstances. That's why I intend to support my wife's education by promptly covering her tuition fees and ensuring that she takes exams and performs well by the end of the year. Accomplishing this objective will bring me a sense of fulfillment and immense joy.

Since enrolling in the cash program through Give Directly, my life has undergone a significant transformation. This milestone has enabled me to pursue higher education and acquire valuable skills in mechanical engineering, which I now utilize to earn income and provide for my young family. Moreover, I recently took the initiative to enroll my wife in a tailoring college to equip her with the necessary expertise for establishing her own tailoring business in the future. To support her education, I allocated $10 from my May transfers towards her college tuition fees, which brings me immense happiness, knowing that her newfound skills will benefit our family in the long run. Additionally, I allocated $9 to purchase food for my family. To supplement my income I recently returned to our village and started engaging in farming, especially considering the current abundance of rainfall. This decision will not only provide us with a stable source of food but will also allow me to allocate the funds received from the transfers towards more meaningful endeavors, such as investing in income-generating ventures. I allocated $10 towards a savings group comprised of seven members, all of whom are beneficiaries of the cash program. Each month, one member receives a total of $70 from the collective contributions. This money plays a vital role in supporting us in undertaking substantial projects that necessitate significant investments.

I enrolled my wife into a college to persue a tailoring course so that she can gain some useful skills and also engage herself. She is required to pay a sum of Ksh.15,500 and I have so far paid ksh. 2000 only. My objective is now to use the monthly transfer to clear this fee so as to allow her complete her course.

After I got the chance to withdraw the transfers I took it upon myself to save KES 1,000 out of the money that I had received. The reason behind this was because I was planning for my son to begin kindergarten the beginning of this year and finally next week he's going to join school and I will use that money to pay for his tuition. Apart from that, since it was also around the festive season I also spent KES 1,500 out of the money and bought three packets of wheat flour, five litres of cooking oil and five kilograms of rice. I spent the remaining balance of KES 900 on purchasing an outfit for my son to celebrate for Christmas celebrations. As for the month of November I used the entire donatio to pay for my tuition and my examination fee for my college where I studied mechanics.

In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well by giving aid in form of cash. Previously, I have seen some organisations give aid in form of other material things like food yet some people may not really be in need of food. Thinking about cash as a form of support was the best thing that happened to us from GiveDirectly. Different people are able to make different decisions and all of them be happy about the investments that they make. To his is so fulfilling. Giving to be cash in small amounts rather than lumpsum was also very important. People are able to manage little cash without getting confused. On the other hand, it is a general observation and request by various people that the organisation should be committed to release everyone's transfers at the end of every month so that those people who have plans together can actualize their plans without fail. In my family for example, a couple of us did not receive a transfer recently and this ruined our plans as a family since we normally decide on a thing after receiving the cash.

I am currently pursuing a course in mechanics at a nearby town. I have been receiving support from my sister in as far as payment of school fees for this course is concerned. Recently, my sister has had to strain paying my school fees since she has other personal needs and goals that she has to meet. I could not depend on my parents since they are jobless- they depend on livestock keeping to earn a living. We also have other young siblings who look up to them to meet their needs like payment of school fees and food. When. I started receiving the money from GiveDirectly, I thought it wise to give relief to my sister who has selflessly helped me through this course. I am at my final stages and I will be graduating at the end of this year. I received the most recent transfer when I had school fees arears amounting to $60. I used $15 to clear part of this balance and used another $10 to pay for my rent. I then used the amount that remained of $5 to buy food and other personal needs for my family. My wife too is a beneficiary in this program and the fact that she gets her own money, has given me an opportunity to not only support myself with the amount that I receive but also support my siblings who are still in primary school. I am so grateful for the support that I receive from GiveDirectly. It renewed my hopes of finishing up on my mechanic course and it gave me an opportunity to think about the future of my family.

I was out with my friends until late in the evening on the day transfers were sent. I learned about my transfer while going through my messages at 9:00 p.m. I was so excited that some friends sitting next to me were shocked. One of them inquired about the good news I had received. I could not lie, so I just told him that I had been in a difficult situation and could not raise even a portion of my tuition fees, but that I had received some money. I purposefully chose not to reveal the source. Because I expected to be sent home soon, I decided to prioritize paying off a portion of my school fees. I am extremely grateful for the financial assistance provided to me by GiveDirectly.

Because my main concern was paying my tuition fees, I am grateful that the transfer allowed me to continue my education. Without the transfer, I would be at home with my family right now. This would have set me back rather than moving forward in my studies. As a result, I consider my ability to advance in my studies, regardless of the small amount of money I paid, to be the most significant difference in my life.

As soon as GiveDirectly enrolled me in its program, I sought admission for a certificate in mechanical engineering. I believe this is a move that will positively impact my life career-wise. However, I always struggled to raise my fee. Therefore when I received my transfer, I opted to spend KES 1,000 on paying part of the tuition fees and KES 200 on acquiring food. Sadly, I received notice of my tuition fee arrears. That worried me a lot. Fortunately, the support came before the college administration acted hence I could pay the fee and have extra days for learning. Were it not for the transfers, I would be at home at the moment.