As of now, I have one major goal, which is to renovate my grass-thatched house which is currently leaking terribly. My family hasn’t had any comfort, especially during the winter season, and I am tired of occasionally seeking support from relatives. Therefore, in the coming months, I will use my little savings from the charcoal business and part of the monthly transfers to buy papyrus reeds for weaving and to renovate the roofing. Once this is achieved, I will ensure a comfortable sleeping environment for us, especially for my children, who have been most affected as it has severely impacted their health. I will be a proud father to see my family sheltered in a pleasant environment.

I am a subsistence farmer and also make a living by burning and selling charcoal. These are my primary sources of income, but lately, they haven’t been paying well, and I’ve been struggling to make ends meet as the breadwinner for a family of four. Part of my hardship stems from not having had the opportunity to go to school, which has contributed to the challenges I face. However, I have always dreamed of seeing my children get a good education so they can become responsible adults in the future. The issue of paying their school fees has been a constant source of stress, especially since there are times I can't even afford to provide daily meals for them. As a result, my children have often been in and out of school, which has been painful for me as a parent, especially when I see their friends attending regularly. When I received the cash, I used about $94 to cover the school fees for my three children, one in secondary school and two in primary school in MnaziMumwenga. I’m happy that they are now settled in school, and I’m confident they won’t be sent home for the remainder of the year, which has been a great motivation for them. I’ve also been using the remaining $8 to support my family by purchasing food and other household essentials.

My grass-thatched house is currently leaking severely, posing a significant challenge for me and my wife to live comfortably. My goal for the coming year and beyond is to repair the roof of the house. Given my expertise in weaving papyrus reeds, the main cost I will incur is for labor charges. I aim to complete the roof renovation by the end of July, ensuring a comfortable sleeping environment for us. To achieve this, I plan to save a portion of my subsequent transfers to cover the labor costs. I am very grateful for the financial support I have received so far, which is helping me work towards improving our living conditions.

Farming is my primary and only source of income, but the current weather conditions have negatively impacted my livelihood. The lack of rain means no harvest, affecting my income and my ability to meet my family's needs. My deteriorating health condition has prevented me from working as hard as I used to in other casual jobs. I have three children in school who depend on me financially. The eldest is in college, and the other two are in Form Four and Form One, respectively. To support their education, I spent $60 on their school fees, distributing the amount equally among the three. Due to the weather challenges that have hindered our ability to grow and harvest crops, I spent $42 to purchase food. This ensured that we had plenty to eat, and we never had to go to bed on an empty stomach for so many days.

I am looking to invest in my children's education to shape their future through tuition payments. Currently, three of my children are at various levels of education - two in high school and one in university. I do not have a steady source of income that could ensure I pay for their education without financial strain. I live in the village and rely on subsistence farming for household consumption during the rainy season. My only goal is to support my children's education through the monthly transfers and ensure that their educational aspirations are fulfilled.

I have three children studying at different levels of education, and with the help of transfers, it has become easier for me to pay their fees. One of my children is studying at the university, while the other two are in high school. As a subsistence farmer, I cannot afford to pay for my children's education without any assistance. The transfers have made it possible for my children to continue their studies without any disruptions. Despite my poor financial status, I am happy that my children are in school, and I remain committed to supporting their educational aspirations. I used $100 of the recent transfers to pay for their fees and the rest to buy household items and food. My hope is that my children's education will transform their future and, consequently, our household.

Looking ahead, my goal for the coming years is to repair the roof of my house. Currently, the roof is made of grass thatches that have deteriorated over time, allowing water to leak in when it rains. With the forecasted heavy rains expected in the next few months, I'm concerned that the roof will not hold up, and the entire house could be damaged. To address this, I plan to use some of the funds from the next transfers to purchase the necessary roofing materials, such as iron sheets, which are stronger and more resistant to rain.

Recently, I developed a persistent cough and breathing difficulties, which the doctors later diagnosed as anemia. Fortunately, the cash transfers arrived just in time, and I used $32 to cover my medical expenses, including transportation to and from the hospital. I am grateful that I was able to access the necessary medical care, and my health is steadily improving thanks to the medication. There was also an instance when my son, who is in form one, missed classes for a week due to unpaid tuition fees. When I received the cash transfer for that month, I promptly used $25 to pay his tuition, and he was able to return to school. Thankfully, he has not faced any further interruptions in his education. I used $20 to pay the school fees for two of my other children in primary school, ensuring they could continue their studies without disruptions caused by tuition debts. The remaining $23 was allocated to purchasing food, which was crucial because we received the funds during a period when our food supply was running low. Although there were days when we struggled with meals, the food I bought helped alleviate hunger in my household until we recently harvested our crops. Given that I have no source of income and three children in school, I am immensely grateful for the cash transfers. They have significantly eased the hardships in my household, particularly in terms of providing food and covering school fees.

In the coming years, I aim to repair the roof of my house. Currently, the house has a grass-thatched roof that has decayed over time, resulting in water leakage whenever it rains. I aim to replace it with a tin roof to ensure a safer and more comfortable living space for my family. The house consists of two rooms, so completing this project would require approximately 50 pieces of iron sheets. Due to my chest complications, I am unable to work and raise funds for the roof repair project. Therefore, I hope that the continued cash transfers will enable me to implement this plan and provide a secure shelter for my family.

Previously, I used to make charcoal to raise funds for my two children’s school fees. Unfortunately, the strenuous nature of the activity caused me to develop chest complications, leading to a break from that practice. The cash transfers have been crucial in financing the education of my children, providing much-needed relief. I used $20 from the recent cash transfer to help reduce my son Kadenge's debt at his high school, which had accumulated over the previous academic term. Similarly, my other son, who is in grade eight, also had a debt for the ongoing term, and I allocated $12 to help clear that debt. These balances had been causing them to be constantly sent home until I could gather the funds. I am relieved that they have not missed any classes since then, and they can now study without interruptions. The remaining $2 was used to purchase food for the household.

I have always wished to replace my house’s grass-thatched roof with an iron sheet roof but financial constraints and lack of sufficient funds have hindered me. The grass-thatched roof has spoilt over the last six years, mainly from infestation by insects. When it rains, water leaks through the roof, which dampens our sleeping spaces. To successfully install the tin roof, I estimated the cost to be around $300. However, the biggest challenge is that am not sure how I will raise this amount, given my existing financial obligations; am stuck! 

To provide for my family and support the education of my three children (one in college, one in secondary school, and the other in primary school),  I handle casual tasks like working on people's farms to raise money. However, it is very stressful to cover all the needs from the scant earnings I make. Am eternally grateful for the cash transfers as they help lift a significant amount of strain off my shoulders. From each of the three recent transfers, I gave my son in college $10 as pocket money, paid $10 in school fees for my high school child, and used the remaining $14 on food.  

The enrollment was perfectly done without any discrimination. This is what GiveDirectly has done well. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.

I spent $15 on paying school fees for my two children in school. They are now studying well without being sent home to collect the school fees. I wish to see a better performance since they have not missed most of the lessons. I spent $10 on food and other basic household items for my family. The rest of the money I spent on paying for some drugs since I was not feeling well. I am grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed our living standard.

The funds came in when I was busy in my farm. The minute I realised its arrivals I felt as though a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulders and this is due to the fact that my son was failing to attend class therefore the arrival of the money meant he could go back to school.

My son being able to continue to pursue his education meant the most to me and this is because I am hoping that getting an education will give him a better chance of the tasks, challenges and opportunities that come in life.

My boy has been home for three days without attending class when I finally received the donation. He was my immediate priority so I decided to pay KES 500 so that he would resume school. Afterwards I was left with a balance of KES 700 which I opted to sought out the hunger predicament we were facing So I bought two and a half kilograms of maize flour.