In the upcoming year, my main focus is on providing my children with quality education, as I believe it is crucial for unlocking their future potential. I am committed to giving them the best chance to succeed and become independent individuals. In addition, I will be saving $10 every month, setting it aside carefully bit by bit. Once the amount accumulates, I plan to buy a goat, which will serve as an investment. My goal is to gradually build a small herd over time, which will help support my children's education and our family's needs. By the end of the year, I hope to see my children thriving in school and to have taken the first step towards a better future by acquiring the first of many goats.

I am a mother of eight children, and my husband and I work hard, burning charcoal to sustain our family and educate our seven school-going children. With the last three transfers amounting to $102, I decided to invest $45 in buying a goat, bringing the total number of goats I own to four. These goats are more than just livestock; they are my family's safety net. If we ever face hard times or need to pay school fees, I can sell one to ensure my children continue their education without interruption. After securing this investment, I saved $20 for future needs, knowing that unexpected expenses can arise at any moment. The remaining $37 was spent on food for my family, ensuring that my children have enough to eat and grow strong. Every decision I made with this money was guided by the need to build a more secure future for my children, and I am grateful for the support that has allowed me to do so.

My intention is to continue purchasing goats with the hope that they will breed and multiply, ultimately providing financial support for my children's education in the future. This plan represents an investment in my children's future and their access to education. It's a journey fueled by hope and determination, with the ultimate goal of securing a brighter tomorrow for my family.

My commitment to livestock farming remains the same, so I invested $68 from my transfers to purchase two more goats. It's my hope that these additions will contribute to the growth of my herd, providing a potential source of income for my children's education in the future. Witnessing my children attend school in worn-out clothes weighed heavily on my heart. Therefore, I allocated $20 to ensure they had new school uniforms for the new school term. Seeing them dressed neatly fills me with joy and pride. Their happiness is my greatest reward, and I'm grateful to GiveDirectly for making this possible. Lastly, I allocated $12 to purchase food and other essential items for my family. It's a small gesture, but one that ensures we have our basic needs met and saved the $2 to help during any unforeseen emergencies, providing a sense of security in uncertain times.

My primary aspiration for the upcoming year is to ensure uninterrupted education for my children. To accomplish this, a significant portion of my transfers will be allocated towards covering their school fees. Furthermore, I intend to make substantial investments in acquiring livestock, foreseeing the potential to sell some of the livestock in the future to secure additional financial stability for myself. The support received from Give Directly has been instrumental in enhancing the quality of life for both myself and my family, for which I am sincerely grateful.

In preparation for the return to school after a two-month break, I procured new school uniforms for my five children. This decision was prompted by the worn-out and aged condition of their previous uniforms. The investment totaled $25, and it brings me great satisfaction to see them looking smart and presentable in their new attire. Additionally, I allocated $18 towards securing an ample food supply for my family, ensuring that we never went without. Looking to the future, I made a strategic investment of $44 in acquiring a goat and two hens, viewing this as a potential source of income through breeding and sales. To replenish our clothing supplies, I also spent $15 on new garments, replacing the worn-out attire. The invaluable financial support I have received has significantly enhanced the quality of life for my family, a fact that fills me with contentment.

My main objective is to acquire additional livestock, which will prove invaluable for supporting my family's education in the future. At present, I have six children who are attending primary school. By investing in livestock at this stage, I can allow them ample time to multiply, ensuring a sustainable source of income down the line. The proceeds from selling some of these animals can then be utilized to cover my children's school fees. I am pleased to note that there have been noticeable improvements in my children's education, as they are no longer faced with the frequent disruptions that previously resulted in them being sent home. This positive development brings me a great deal of happiness and reinforces my determination to continue working towards securing a brighter future for my family through educational opportunities.

I made a strategic decision to invest in two goats, valued at $38. This choice was guided by the bountiful harvest we received, which ensured an abundance of food for our family. As a result, our expenditure on food purchases has significantly decreased, thanks to the ample food reserves we now possess. The goats represent a prudent investment for the future, as I plan to sell some of them and utilize the proceeds to support my children's education when their numbers multiply. Recognizing the importance of providing for my children's needs, I used a portion of the transfers to purchase a fresh set of uniforms for all six of them, replacing their old and worn-out attire. Witnessing the joy and excitement on their faces as they donned their new uniforms was truly heartwarming. Additionally, I utilized my previous savings from the transfers to establish a small business. This venture allowed me to purchase sufficient stock, including items like sugar, tea leaves, and stationery, among others. I am delighted to have embarked on this entrepreneurial journey, with my primary objective being to achieve financial stability beyond the five-year period of financial aid. This milestone brings me a sense of contentment and optimism for the future, knowing that I am taking proactive steps towards securing a stable and prosperous future for my family.

I was happy when I finally bought my first goat through the recent cash transfer, and my dream is to expand the herd. My ultimate goal is to acquire more goats and utilize them as a means to finance the education of all eight of my children. I am fully dedicated to supporting their education until they reach college. I firmly believe that livestock rearing presents the best opportunity for me to achieve this goal and provide a brighter future for my children.

From the cash transfers I received, I utilized the funds to purchase a goat worth $28. Previously, I had been unable to afford to buy a goat due to outstanding tuition debts for my five children and the constant struggle with hunger. Thankfully, by the time I received last month’s cash, I had been able to settle the school debts for that month, which opened up an opportunity for me to allocate some funds towards acquiring a goat. I am optimistic that the goat will reproduce in the future, enabling me to generate funds to support my children's education. I am grateful for the ability to invest in goats, as they hold the potential to support the education of my children. Besides, providing for our family has been a challenge for my husband and me, as our charcoal-burning activity barely yields enough income for daily meals. The weekly earnings of $6 from this endeavor can only sustain us for three days. This is why it is important that I also secure every time I receive cash transfers. This is how I allocated the remaining $6 after buying the goat, ensuring that our family had enough to sustain us for the following two days.

We have seen an increase in our household income as a result of the monthly payments, and we are currently able to meet the majority of my family's demands, which makes me happy and appreciative. Even though the majority of the monthly transfers will go toward meeting our basic requirements, I plan to buy at least two goats this year to raise. They are profitable since I will have extra goats after they give birth that I may sell later to raise money for our requirements. I will set aside a percentage of the money each month in order to accomplish this.

Drought brought on by climatic change has made food and water scarce, and those that are accessible are exceedingly expensive. Additionally, we burn charcoal for sale as our primary source of money, but due to the drought, there are currently no trees in the area. The business is now unproductive as a result. The amount We currently make from it is $12 per month, but this is insufficient to meet all of our eight children's needs, including their academic demands. I spent $78 of the last three months' worth of transfers on food for the family, mostly enough flour, beans, and rice to last them for a while. In addition, the school clothes for four of my children had become too small for them. I thus spent $20 to replace the old ones with new ones. With the $4 I had left over, I bought a chicken to raise in the hopes of selling some of the young ones once they hatch.

I spent part of my recent cash transfer on paying fees of $20 for my five children who are in primary school They have been staying home for almost two weeks because of the arrears. This has been stressing me a lot since I had no idea when and where I would acquire the needed amount of cash. I am now having peace of mind after seeing them studying without any hiccups courtesy of GiveDirectly. With the remaining amount, I have been buying food for my family which is composed of nine members.

GiveDirectly is giving us an opportunity to progress and elevate our standards of living which is more than we could have asked for. Through the finances I keep my children in school and also ensure they never lack a meal like they have in the past.

Unfortunately two days before I received the transfers, my children had been kicked out of school due to my failure on settling the debt their had in school fees. Since I had no money either, they had to stay home. Luckily a couple of days later the cash transfers were sent by the organisation and as soon as they arrived, I proceeded to withdraw the money and paid KES 2,300 on school. The following day my children were happily on their way back to school. I was left with KES 700 which I decided to purchase with five packets of maize flour and a kilogram of beans since there was hardly any food in the house left and did not want us to go hungry as we have before.

I received the money at around ten in the night when I was just done bathing my kids. I was so happy when I received the money because the previous day, before GiveDirectly sent the money, I had gone hungry the entire day together with my kids. So getting the transfers made me genuinely excited.

In my opinion it is mostly nutrition because I make charcoal as a way of earning money and providing for the needs of my family. The money I make is barely ever enough and most times my kids and I end up going going hungry for days. But that has definitely changed since knowing GiveDirectly.

After receiving the money, my most important priority was to ensure that my family and I had a meal because there was barely enough food left in the house and I did not want my kids to go hungry. Therefore as soon as I received the funds I went ahead and bought seven packets of maize flour for KES 840, accompanied with a kilogram of sugar for KES 120 with salt and sardines worth KES 50.