My overarching goal is to accumulate and wisely invest the profits generated from my charcoal business. Having missed the opportunity for formal education myself, I'm acutely aware of the impact it has had on my family's economic situation. Poverty has lingered, casting a shadow over our household. However, with an unwavering determination, I am channeling the proceeds from my business toward ensuring that my children don't face the same limitations. Education, I believe, is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. By facilitating my children's educational journey, I aspire to empower them to become valuable contributors to society. I envision a future where their knowledge and skills elevate not just their own lives but also uplift our family from the grips of poverty, creating a positive ripple effect in our community.

With the installments, I prioritized education, allocating $24 to pay school fees for my two children,one in secondary school and the other in primary school. It brought me immense relief to secure their academic future. Recognizing the persistent challenge of providing for my six family members with temporary income sources, I dedicated $10.7 to ensuring we had enough food on the table. The struggle to make ends meet was further eased as I spent $30 to plough a one-acre field. Previously, relying on manual labor yielded minimal farm products, but now I am hopeful that this investment will yield an abundant harvest, putting an end to the threat of famine. By allocating $25 for my children's impending return to school, I ensured they had the necessary supplies and support. Acknowledging the importance of diversifying income sources, I invested $6 in purchasing a chicken, viewing it as a valuable asset for potential emergencies. The remaining 470 went towards securing additional food supplies for my family. As someone who relies on sporadic income from selling charcoal and traditional herbs, often earning around $3 a day, the monthly support from the organization has been a game-changer. I am profoundly grateful for the assistance, as it has not only transformed our immediate circumstances but has also instilled hope for a more stable and secure future.

I currently have two sons enrolled in high school, and it has been quite a challenge to meet their tuition fees. In the past, I struggled to pay their fees on time, which put them at risk of being discontinued from school. Unfortunately, I do not have any additional income that could have made it easier for me to cover their educational expenses. While my other children would have liked to assist, they also have their own families to support. My primary objective is to ensure that my children can continue their education despite my financial constraints. The monthly transfers I receive provide me with the assurance that I need to pay for my sons' education on time. This support is crucial for them to complete their high school education and ultimately achieve their educational goals. I depend on these transfers to make sure they can stay in school and have the opportunity for a brighter future.

Covering the high school fees for my two children has been quite a challenge, especially considering my lack of additional support or alternative sources of income. I am now feeling a great sense of relief because, thanks to the recent transfers, I was able to clear the outstanding fees for both of my sons, allowing them to continue attending school. I allocated $30 towards settling their fees, which has provided me with some breathing room as I prepare for the next payment. Furthermore, I also invested $78 in acquiring livestock, including two goats and two chickens, which I am currently raising. These animals represent a source of hope for me whenever I face financial needs, as I can depend on them to help settle those needs. Additionally, I used the remaining funds to cover my grandson's medical expenses when he fell ill. Fortunately, I was able to provide him with proper medical care because I had the means to pay for his treatment. Without the financial support I received, I would have been compelled to borrow money and accumulate debts to cover his medical bills.

I hope and pray for the rains to persist, resulting in a bountiful harvest. This would enable me to utilize my monthly stipends for purchasing building materials to construct a new house. Currently, my two-roomed house is insufficient in size to accommodate all the members of my family. Alongside my husband, I live with two children and five grandchildren. The limited space is inadequate for accommodating all of us, as well as our utensils and other household belongings. Constructing a new house will provide us with more room and space, allowing our large family to live comfortably and freely together.

The persistent drought forced me to find alternative means of livelihood, leading me to rely on the sale of charcoal. However, with the arrival of the long-awaited rains, I am back on the farm, filled with hope for a bountiful harvest. Unfortunately, my husband underwent a surgery a few years ago, rendering him unable to work, which leaves me as the sole provider for our family. To prepare my one-acre land for planting, I invested $20 in farming activities. Currently, I have begun planting various crops such as maize, green grams, and beans. The prospect of having an abundance of food for both sustenance and surplus income fills me with great joy. Furthermore, I managed to cover my son's school fees with a payment of $5, ensuring he can continue his education without the risk of being sent home. With regards to our daily sustenance, I recently purchased essential food items. This included four packets of 2kg maize flour, a quarter kilogram of sugar, and 50 grams of tea leaves all worth $9. The escalating prices of food over the past few months have been a significant burden for us, but we are thankful for the monthly stipend, which serves as a lifeline during these challenging times.

I would like to build a kitchen structure that will provide ample space for cooking and storing cooking pots. All along, I have been doubling one of the rooms in my house as a kitchen, something that has deprived me of sleeping spaces especially when I receive guests. I plan on consulting a builder about the estimated costs of the construction project and then start buying the building materials like poles and iron sheets. I believe that obtaining this kitchen space will eradicate the shame I feel when my visitors see me cook at the same spot they expect to lay their heads at night.   

Over the last few months, my husband has been sick and has not been in a position to actively contribute to the family’s needs like food and school fees for our two children. To raise money for these needs, I have been making and selling charcoal, an activity that hardly puts food on the table given the low returns. Sometimes, my eldest son, who works as a tuk-tuk driver in Mombasa supports us back at home but he can barely do much as his wife and four children also depend on him. Am happy because the monthly cash transfers have allowed me to provide for my family, particularly by buying food and paying school fees. From each of the recent three transfers, I have deducted $10 to reduce tuition fee balances for both of my children. Except recently when I bought two chickens worth $7, I spent each of the remaining amounts solely on food and water. At least, my household is rarely faced with hunger unlike it was before Give Directly came to my village. 

I was left in charge of supporting the entire family by myself after my husband's health deteriorated. He was strongly discouraged from returning to work by the doctors after his lower belly surgery. I have had difficulties supporting my family as the only breadwinner because of the meager amount of money I make from selling firewood. Due to significant unpaid school fees, my two primary school-aged children are frequently sent home. The principal of their school sent them home a week before I received my transfer, and he vowed to bar them from returning unless I paid money to cover the enormous balances. I paid $7 to partially settle the outstanding school fee balances. This made sure they were allowed to return to school and finish their education. In addition to paying the school fees, I also spent $15 on food for the family. Because we didn't have enough money to buy food, we got by for the entire month on one meal per day. I ultimately used my remaining funds to purchase two hens. The hens are a wise investment because they will quickly proliferate and increase my initial outlay after some time.

One thing I love about Give Directly is the fairness during the registration and enrollment exercise. This ensures that every member has a fair chance of being enrolled in the program. However, I would like to urge the organization to enroll more people who missed out so that they can benefit from the organization.

After my husband underwent an operation one year ago, I became the only breadwinner in the family (husband and three children). I earn a living through the sale of charcoal. A bag of charcoal goes for KES 300. Since the commencement of the drought three years ago, the demand for the sale of charcoal went down and thus affecting my business. I hardly sell a single bag of charcoal and thus it’s difficult to provide for my family’s needs (paying school fees, buying food and clothes, and medical expenses for my husband). When I received my transfer. I spent KES 2000 on buying chicken to start a poultry project, which will act as an alternative source of income. Finally, I spent the reaming KES 1000 on buying food for my family to avoid starvation because I had no money to buy food.  

I received the notification confirming the arrival of the transfers when I was in forest trying to chop wood which which I planned on turning to charcoal and sell in order to cater for the needs ofy family. I was so happy and over the moon because I knew my family and I would finally get a meal after starving the day before.

I was honestly very scared that my child would have to pause his education due to the fact that I lacked funds to take him back to school. I was afraid of disappointing him. But this funds have helped tremendously, because I ensure I settle a portion of the tuition fee with every transfer I get. Apart from that, matters concerning nutrition are also being taken care of which is a huge relief.

My family and I had actually gone hungry the previous day before receiving the transfers. I fetch wood and burn charcoal to earn a living so as to support my family. My husband fell ill and underwent an operation so he can barely work. We would have probably gone hungry two days in a row we it not for me receiving the funds from GiveDirectly. I took the money and bought five packets of maize flour for KES 500 and used KES 200 to purchase three kilograms of beans. I was left with KES 500 which I used it settling a debt in school tuition from the previous term for my child because the schools were about to open and I knew my son would fail to attend classes unless I cleared my previous debt.