With seven children in school and no stable source of income, my priority is to work hard in my charcoal burning and selling business to ensure that my children receive a good education and have a better life in the future. Paying their school fees has always been essential for me, and I plan to continue doing so by allocating a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly. Additionally, I want to secure our future by investing in livestock. To achieve this, I intend to use part of the transfers and start small by buying gradually chicken. My hope is that these chicken will multiply, increasing in number and value, which will allow me to trade them for goats. As the goats also multiply, I plan to trade some of them for female cows, with the intention of having them breed as well and multiply in number. My ultimate goal is to build a substantial herd of livestock of various types that will serve as a valuable asset. This will enable me to support my family and cover my children's education as they transition to higher education levels, especially when this program comes to an end. I am very grateful for the support and opportunities that GiveDirectly has provided us, helping us change our future for the better.

I have seven children in school—five in primary school and two in secondary school. Paying their school fees has been quite a challenge for us, especially since my husband and I do not have stable jobs. We earn a living by burning and selling charcoal to support our family. Recently, I spent $82 to pay the school fees for my children, ensuring they wouldn’t be sent home due to unpaid fees. Additionally, I spent $5 to buy a new uniform for one of my children, as hers were completely tattered, and she desperately needed a fresh set. I’m so happy to see her going to school looking smartly dressed. To secure our future, I decided to invest in livestock. I spent $8 to buy four chickens to add to what I already have, and another $2 on chicken feed to ensure they grow healthy. I’m hopeful that these chickens will multiply, allowing me to sell them in the future. Lastly, I used the remaining $5 to buy food for my family so that we wouldn’t go hungry. I am truly grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has provided my family during this time.

I'm receiving monthly transfers, and I've got a plan for them. Instead of just spending it all, I'm going to invest in livestock. I know the money won't keep coming forever, so I want to set myself up for the long term. With livestock, I can keep earning even after the monthly support stops. As my herd grows, I'll have more to sell, and that's how I'll fund my children's education. It feels good to have a plan that's not just about getting by from day to day. I'm thinking ahead and working toward something better for my family.

On receiving my cash transfers, my first thought was to ensure my children's education remained uninterrupted. Allocating $70 towards their school fees brought a sense of relief, knowing they could focus on their studies without the looming threat of being sent home. GiveDirectly's intervention meant stability for my children, enabling them to thrive academically without the constant disruptions that plagued their schooling before. Addressing my immediate needs, I replaced my faulty phone with a new one, investing $12 to facilitate smoother communication with my loved ones. This simple upgrade brought a newfound ease to daily interactions, a luxury I had previously taken for granted. Seeking long-term security, I ventured into poultry farming, purchasing two chickens and their feed for $6. This investment symbolized hope for a sustainable future and a fallback plan once the cash transfer project had concluded. With the remaining funds, I prioritized providing for my family's basic needs and purchasing food that would sustain us through the uncertain times ahead. As my earnings from charcoal burning dwindled, the cash transfer breathed new life into our household, offering a lifeline amidst financial hardships. Each decision made with the cash transfer was a step towards securing a better future for my seven children, a future filled with stability and opportunity.

My intention is to allocate my upcoming transfers towards acquiring livestock, recognizing that the financial assistance will eventually cease. This motivates me to invest in livestock, foreseeing it as a sustainable source of income even after the support ends. As the livestock herd expands, I plan to sell some of the animals and utilize the proceeds to fund my children's education. I am deeply grateful for the financial aid provided by Give Directly, as it has enabled my children to pursue their education with minimal disruptions, ensuring they remain enrolled in their respective schools.

My son, Samson Katana, had yet to commence his Form One education following his completion of primary school last year. To ensure his smooth transition into Kenyatta High School, I invested $34 in purchasing essential supplies, including new school uniforms and stationery items. It brings me great joy to see him thriving in his new secondary school environment. Additionally, I allocated $30 towards the school fees of Emmanuel Katana, my son who is currently in Form Three. Furthermore, I distributed $20 among my other four children who are attending primary school. I am delighted that all my children are now enrolled in school, and instances of them being sent home due to lack of fees have significantly decreased compared to the past. In a bid to potentially increase our family's income, I invested $10 in purchasing two hens with hopes of them multiplying over time. Lastly, I utilized the remaining $4 to acquire additional stationery items for my primary school children. Despite financial challenges stemming from my casual labor job of selling charcoal, I am immensely grateful for the support received, enabling my children to pursue their education uninterrupted.

My goal is to establish sustainable sources of income to continue providing for my family. I particularly wish to build a substantial herd of livestock, and I'm interested in goats. I'm confident that owning goats will help me accumulate wealth over time. I plan to sell some of them to support the education of my seven children. As I've already started buying chickens with the previous cash transfers, I hope to similarly save and accumulate enough money to acquire my first goat. Additionally, I aim to start a business selling vegetables in my village. The profits from this venture will further contribute to providing for my family.

I have seven children, all of whom are in primary school. The main provider for our family is my husband, who relies on subsistence farming when it rains. He used to engage in casual jobs like making charcoal, but he had to stop due to chest complications. I'm thankful that the cash transfers have stepped in and become our main source of income, helping us provide food and pay for our children's school fees. From the three recent transfers, I used $60 to pay school fees for my children, as they had various school needs such as examination fees, accommodation, and tuition fees. This financial support ensured that they could stay in school uninterrupted over that period. I also bought three chickens for $7 to rear them. Since I currently have no other source of income, I believe that raising chickens will provide me with a future source of income, as I can sell them to provide for my children. The remaining amount of $35 was spent on buying food for the family to ensure we wouldn't go to bed hungry, as food scarcity is often a concern in our household.

My goal is to become a successful livestock keeper in my area, as I believe it is a lucrative venture that can provide a sustainable source of income. I have already taken the initial steps towards achieving this goal by using my current transfers to purchase a few livestock. Moving forward, I plan to continue investing part of my monthly transfers into expanding my livestock collection. By doing so, I aim to build a thriving business that will generate significant income even after this project comes to an end.

When GiveDirectly came to my aid, their monetary support made a significant difference in my life. Amidst my financial struggles, I was unable to bring back my five children who had been sent home from school due to unpaid fees. The situation worsened as my food supplies depleted, and the prevailing economic conditions made it even harder. However, thanks to GiveDirectly's assistance, I received a transfer of $34.70. With this, I was able to pay the outstanding school fees amounting to $20, bringing my children back to school. Moreover, I utilized the remaining $14.70 to restock my household with much-needed food. The relief and happiness I felt were immense, knowing that my family's immediate needs were taken care of, thanks to the generosity of GiveDirectly.

The persistent drought in my region has made farming activities impossible to prosper, which has forced us to sustain our families by buying food rather than growing it. As a result, it is challenging to save the cash transfers to accomplish other goals like owning livestock. Although financial constraints are difficult to escape from, considering our growing family of nine, I hope to be able to save part of each future cash transfer to buy a goat or chickens. Am certain that keeping livestock will help me raise money for my children’s school fees. My goal is to support all seven of them throughout all education levels and to college. 

The casual activities, like charcoal making and working on people’s farms, that my husband and I handle barely put daily meals on the table. Hence, Give Directly cash transfers have become a major source of income that provides for my family’s basic needs such as food and school fees for my seven children. From the latest three transfers, I channeled a total of $69 towards my children’s tuition, who regularly missed classes due to unpaid balances. Gladly, they have recently studied without being pulled out of class to collect fees. Also, to ensure that they never went to school hungry, I spent $25 to buy food, especially on days when our jobs bore nothing. Lastly, I spent the remaining $8 on four chickens. Given the unpredictability of my income, rearing these chickens will help meet my family’s needs on tough days as I could sell them to raise money. 

Two prior to receiving the transfers, unfortunately five of my children had been kicked out of school due to the fact that I had yet to settle their debts. Therefore I was very happy when I realized that the organization had finally sent out the transactions, because it meant I could finally sort out the fees. I ended up spending KES 1,500 paying for tuition for two of my children who are in high school and then for the other three remaining who are in primary school I paid KES 1,000. I was left with a balance of KES 500 which I decided to use and buy three packets of maize flour because we hardly had any food left in the house and had already gone to bed hungry a couple of times before.

Before the transfers were sent out, seven of my children had actually been kicked out of school since I had failed to settle the debt in school fees. Two of my children who were in high-school had been home two days while the rest had been home for three consecutive days. That is the reason why, as soon as I received the funds I immediately used KES 1,500 and used it to pay for school fees. The balance I was left with was KES 1,500 which I ended up using on nourishment by purchasing five packets of maize, a kilogram of sugar, tea leaves,bread and milk.

The funds have really played a huge role in my day to day life, for instance were it not for the money I have no idea how long it would taken for me to take my kids back to school. In the past they have stayed home for months just because I could not afford to pay for fees. Therefore I an very grateful for the opportunity and glad I get to provide for my family.

After I received the money I went ahead to pay school fees for eight of my children since I had a huge debt that I had not yet cleared and my kids had been kicked out of school two days before the money. I therefore took KES 1,200 and paid their tuition fee. I was left with KES 1,800 which I went ahead and used it in buying a sack of maize so as to cater for the nutrition of the family since there was barely any food and I was scared my kids would go hungry.

Just like a normal day where I go about doing my usual chores, was also the same scenario that day. Since I am unable to read, I had to wait for my son to come read the SMS received on my behalf. I was extremely happy when he told me it was an MPESA message and that my account had been credited with KSH 1200 from GiveDirectly. It was abit late, so I wasn't able to withdraw the funds that day hence I waited until the following day when I did the transaction.

I am now very much elated with the funds since atleast there is no sleeping hungry as food is readily available. Also my kid can now learn comfortably as I am able to pay up any school fees arrears present.

The GiveDirectly funds of KES 1200 came as a strong and uplifting gesture as I was able to add to food supplements in the house worth KSH 500 and a further KES 700 was rightfully spent in clearing some of the school fees arrears ensuring my kids stay in school not missing the lessons.