Our family mostly depends on my husband, a motorcyclist, for the provision of household needs. However, sometimes his earnings barely satisfy the essentials; food and school fees. So, the cash aid brings a significant lift to our finances and specifically guarantees the consumption of at least one meal per day. I spent 2,750 KES from the three recent transfers to procure food and 2800 KES to acquire festive clothes for my four children on Christmas. When schools resumed, I paid 3,000 KES tuition fees and the children proceeded with their studies without interferences. Lastly, I bought a hen worth 250 KES to breed and multiply for income purposes.

The 3rd transfer of KES 3000 from GiveDirectly acted as a great source of encouragement to atleast put a smile to my kids by gifting them with a Christmas present as I split the amount of KES 1200 to purchase cloth materials. A further KES 1000 to cater for the labour of tailoring their clothes and last but not least, KES 800 to get them beautiful four pairs of shoes.

GiveDirectly has helped me to at least see myself in achieving my dreams of being a tailor because I had the skill but never could afford my own machine but hopefully soon in enough I will and through the funds my husband who is a motorcycle taxi driver does not have to feel strained financially because now I too can help.

I went for a tailoring course some years back but since I could not afford my own tailoring machine I had yet to start my own business, so when the money came I made a choice that I would save a little of it in every time so that eventually I could have enough money to buy my own tailoring and put my skill to practise. Therefore I saved KES 2,000 and as for the remaining KES 1,000 I decided to buy eight packets of maize flour which cost me KES 800 since my job was in subsistence farming during the rainy season and most bills were taken care of by my husband I opted for the meal and the would take whatever my husband managed to send to us and save up for the tuition fee of the children instead. I also bought laundry detergent worth KES 150 and tea leaves worth KES 50.

I was over the moon because it was the perfect timing because my children could finally go back to school because seeing them home was very much stressful for my husband and I. My husband provides for our family by working as motorcycle taxi driver in another town and he most times sends money but also sometimes he has rough days and plus the money is barely enough to take care of himself and include us which is me and my four kids back in the village.

Through the transfers I am feeling more empowered because I can assist in catering for the family bills without putting too much strain on my partner. It has given me the ability to take care of my children and even get them things they gave wanted for the longest time like new bags, socks and even watches so that they do not feel left out at school. I even informed my husband that this Christmas I would take care of the kids and at least buy them outfits for that day, so this money has indeed helped in bringing joy in my family and apart from that I also feel very useful.

Genuinely speaking before I received the money my husband and I were experiencing financial woes because our children had been sent back home due to their pending fee balance that they had accrued throughout the term. The first thing I did was pay for them the balances that were remaining even for their exams which cost me a total of five hundred kenyan shillings. Also I took care of the nourishment by purchasing three bags of flour which cost me three hundred kenyan shilling, a kilogram of sugar which was one hundred kenyan shillings, laundry detergent which was also one hundred kenyan shillings and I added to the list greens and a loaf of bread which both cost me fifty shillings.