For now, my primary goal is to build a herd of goats on my compound and eventually establish a cow in the field. This will also help support the well-being of my children. Goats reproduce quickly, which ensures that I will have many of them in a short amount of time. I plan to use my upcoming transfers and savings from the Merry Go Round initiative to make this dream a reality. Once I achieve this goal, I will be able to meet my needs more easily, especially the education of my son, who is currently in junior secondary. These animals will also be a great help, especially now that I am jobless due to health issues. They will enable me to satisfy my needs more effectively.

The moment I received the cash transfers, I knew exactly where I would allocate the funds, as I had already planned for them even before receiving the money. I used $54 to buy three goats, which I now keep at home as my potential asset. These goats are something I can rely on whenever I face financial hardships in life. Since I have not had any source of income due to my chest health issues, my doctor advised me to stop working. Therefore, I believe these goats will be a great help, especially during this period when I feel helpless. I have been depending on my husband for all our needs, which has not been easy for him since he relies on casual jobs to support us. In addition, I saved $26 on the merry-go-round initiative. Once the money accumulates, I plan to buy more goats in large numbers and continue growing the herd. I am confident that by the time five years pass, I will have a stable source of income and be able to support my family without much struggle. With the remaining $22, I bought a mattress for my son, who had been sleeping on an old, worn-out one. He often complained about the discomfort, and it pained me to see him endure that. Now, it’s a relief for him, and his joy is evident in the smile on his face.

In the upcoming year, my focus is on investing in livestock, particularly goats, given their cost-effectiveness and quick reproduction. My primary aim is to build up a herd of goats, with the intention of eventually selling them to acquire a cow, which I view as a valuable investment. I will utilize my upcoming transfers to accomplish this goal. Owning a cow will provide additional income, especially if it reproduces and I can sell the offspring. The supplementary income will also enable me to meet the educational expenses of my son, who is in junior secondary school. I am deeply grateful to this organization for enhancing my living standards through their financial support.

I dig out tree stumps and sell charcoal to support our family of five. Getting food was a major problem, and we would go days without eating. The business was not doing well and barely made us any money. However, I am grateful that these transfers have changed our lives for the better. I have been able to comfortably pay school fees for my son in junior secondary school. Additionally, we have been able to buy food and save money for a rainy day. From the transfers, I saved $60 in our local savings club, intending to use the funds when my son joins secondary school and to invest in livestock. I used $30 to pay off my son's school fees debt, and the remaining amount was spent on buying food for my family, as we had none. I am happy that my life has changed, and my family will forever be indebted to you

In the upcoming months and beyond, my foremost objective is to secure funding for my son's education. My aim is to settle all outstanding school fees to ensure his uninterrupted learning journey. By eliminating these financial burdens, he can fully focus on his studies, paving the way for a brighter future. I am grateful for the financial support provided, as it has significantly contributed to meeting my family's needs, particularly in facilitating my son's education.

During a challenging phase in my son's education, he faced frequent dismissals from school due to outstanding fees. My husband manages a modest enterprise vending local toothbrushes, generating insufficient income to meet our family's needs, particularly concerning our son's schooling expenses. Unfortunately, my health prohibits me from pursuing labor-intensive employment due to severe chest pains. Consequently, I invested $60 in acquiring a goat and $20 in six hens, anticipating their reproduction to yield funds for future school fees. Allocating $10 for tilling a portion of my two-acre plot in preparation for the upcoming rains, I set aside $5 in a savings collective for potential emergencies. The remaining $41 was utilized to procure essential provisions and detergents for our household, ensuring we never go hungry. I am profoundly grateful for the financial assistance, which has enabled my son to sustain uninterrupted education.

Previously, I used to engage in charcoal making to assist my husband in providing for our two children. Unfortunately, due to the physical toll it took on me, resulting in chest complications, I had to discontinue this activity. Since then, my husband has borne the sole responsibility for supporting the family through his chewing stick business. I am happy the cash transfers have allowed me to actively contribute, especially towards school fees. I plan to use the funds to create wealth through goat and chicken rearing, providing a sustainable source of income even after the cash transfers conclude. Despite my inability to engage in physical work, keeping livestock will enable me to continue supporting the needs of my family through potential sales in the future.

As the primary provider for our family, my husband's income from selling chewing sticks has been insufficient to meet our daily needs. The cash transfers have been a tremendous blessing, supplementing his earnings and providing crucial support, especially in covering the school fees for our son. With our son now in junior high school, the fees have increased compared to his time in primary school. Over the past three months, I directed a portion of the cash transfers to settle a fee balance from the previous term, allocating $15 each month to the school. Additionally, I saved $15 through a savings group to contribute towards future school fees and materials such as uniforms and stationery. The remaining $4 was utilized to enhance my husband's earnings, ensuring we could afford household items like soap and food. I am genuinely grateful for this support.

Finally, a glimmer of hope emerges as we anticipate a bountiful harvest by the month's end. This long-awaited abundance promises to alleviate many of our challenges, particularly the hefty expenses incurred on purchasing costly food from stores. With this burden lifted, my intention is to save the surplus from the harvest and utilize it to provide a better education for my son. Moreover, I have plans to invest a portion of the funds in acquiring livestock, thus venturing into a path that leads to wealth creation.

In my family, my husband is the sole breadwinner, earning a living by selling locally made toothbrushes crafted from tree branches. Unfortunately, his income is not enough to cover all our expenses. In an effort to lighten the financial burden on him, I decided to use a significant portion of my July transfers to purchase twelve packets of maize flour, which provided us with enough food to last close to two weeks. I feel relieved that we didn't have to go hungry during these challenging economic times, as we were able to enjoy all our meals without any shortages. In addition to buying food, I also used some of the funds to pay for my youngest son's primary school fees. This ensured that he could continue with his education without interruptions. The financial support from these transfers has greatly improved our lives, as my son is no longer facing the possibility of being sent home due to school fee arrears, which used to happen in the past. I am truly grateful for the empowerment these transfers have provided, as they have made a significant positive impact on our family's well-being.

As my health continues to decline and prevents me from working on physically demanding jobs, I plan to invest my monthly stipend in starting a livestock business to generate income. This will help reduce the burden on my husband as the sole breadwinner. Additionally, I intend to use a portion of the transfer to provide my son with the best education possible, allowing him to have a better future than our current situation.

My family's livelihood is solely dependent on my husband's income from selling locally-made toothbrushes. Unfortunately, my deteriorating health has prevented me from contributing to the family income. I suffer from chest pains that make it challenging to perform any labor-intensive jobs. I was ecstatic when I received my March transfers. I immediately spent $2 on medicine to alleviate the chest pains. I also paid $10 towards my son's school fees, allowing him to sit for his end-of-term exams. In addition, I invested $12 in buying three hens, with the hope of increasing my initial investment as they multiply over the next three months. I plan to sell them for a considerable profit once they mature. Finally, I saved $10 in a savings group to cater for any unforeseen emergencies. With these investments, I hope to be able to supplement my husband's income and contribute towards our family's needs.

Personally I am quite grateful with the assistance I received from the organization so far because it has enabled me to take care of the most important things in my house hold. For instance my son does not get kicked out of school anymore because every chance I get the funds I make sure to settle all the pending debts. The money has been quite a huge relief for me.

I was at my utmost happiest when I received the funds especially because at the time I had debt in school fees that I had not yet settled. Therefore I went ahead to spend KES 1,500 to pay a part of the debt. Afterwards I proceeded to spend the same amount of money on purchasing three hens because I planned on investing in poultry farming. I ended up remaining with a balance of KES 400 and I decided to use that amount to purchase two packets of maize flour because there was hardly any food in the house at the time.

I was at home putting the charcoal chunks into the bags I was going to sell them in. My phone loudly rang while I was working to let me know that I had a text message. My son read the message and informed me that I had received my transfer for the first time. I stopped what I was doing and leaped to my feet in joy. I yelled at the top of my lungs in jubilation because I could not believe I had received the cash. Later that evening, I told my husband the wonderful news, and he was overjoyed.

The biggest impact the transfer has had on my life is allowing my son to return to school after a week at home. I was extremely saddened to see my son returning home because neither my husband nor I had the resources to cover his overdue school fee arrears. When I finally received my transfer, I was thrilled to see my son attending class after using the money from the transfer to partially pay the school fee arrears.

My husband supports our family primarily through the sale of locally made tooth brushes crafted from tree twigs. I sell charcoal to help my husband pay the astronomical household expenses. Since there are fewer customers due to the bad economy, we are both having trouble making ends meet. Due to a lack of resources to purchase food, we are frequently forced to go to bed on an empty stomach. We ran out of food two days before I got my first transfer, so we had to get by on sugar-free tea for the subsequent two days. When I got my transfer, I spent $7 on food to make sure my family would never go hungry. Along with purchasing food, I used the last $5 to cover my son's overdue school fees after he was expelled. After missing lessons for a full week, I can rest easy knowing that he is back in school.