I completed my secondary education in 2021 but couldn’t pursue college due to financial challenges. However, with the support from GiveDirectly, I’ve been saving part of my monthly transfers to fund my education. My goal is to enroll in college early next year, and to achieve this, I’ll continue setting aside a portion of my transfers while seeking additional support from my siblings. This combined effort will help me embark on my educational journey and fulfill my dream of furthering my studies.

Since I started receiving transfers, my life has transformed significantly, allowing me to support myself and ease the burden on my family. Despite not being the primary breadwinner, I’ve managed to cover several expenses independently. Also, having completed high school but unable to join college due to a lack of fees, I’ve been diligently saving part of my transfers to eventually join a college and pursue a course in education, and with the last four months of recent transfers, I managed to set aside $35 towards my education dream. I also started a poultry rearing project, which I’ve expanded by purchasing more chicken for $11 and feeds worth $20. Additionally, I contributed $26.40 towards family food expenses, bought personal items and clothes for $27.90 and $6.50 respectively, and paid $12 in school fees for my sibling who had been sent home. The support has been invaluable, and I’m deeply grateful for this life-changing assistance.

I am looking forward to joining a teaching college because that's where my passion lies. I have been saving the money I earn from various short-term jobs, such as selling goods, as well as income from GiveDirectly transfers. Currently, I have saved three-quarters of the required amount for admission, but I am still striving to increase my savings. Since the college is far from my home, I will also need to pay for hostel fees. I am hopeful that with the assistance of GiveDirectly transfers, I will be able to enroll in the college, although I am uncertain about the exact timing. My parents are unemployed, which is why I am working hard to save, but I believe they will contribute a small amount on top of my savings. They currently rely on casual jobs to support our family. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the financial support because without them, I wouldn't have dared to dream of going to college.

I've been putting aside some of my monthly earnings to save up for college. I have a strong passion for teaching and with the financial assistance from GiveDirectly, I'm hopeful that I can pursue my desired course. From the most recent transfer, I managed to save $30 in my bank account. I believe that consistent saving will enable me to accumulate enough funds to support my education. In addition, I invested $33 in purchasing seven chickens along with their feed for my poultry project. This project will serve as a future financial security for me. I chose to invest in chickens because they multiply quickly, thereby increasing in value. When the time comes for me to join college, I plan to sell some of the chickens to raise money for my education. With the remainder of the funds, I bought a dera (cloth) for $10 because my old ones were worn out. I also spent $5 on food for the family. Finally, I allocated $14 to purchase personal items such as body oil and sanitary towels as I had run out of stock.

As I had mentioned earlier I have had a goal of joining a teachers training college. I have been working on this and still working on it. I have so far saved $380 through savings group and I have $60 in my bank account also from the same. Once this cash gets to above $500 I will be able to make school fees payment and even rent a place next to school where I can live as I study. I am glad that Givedirectly has given us a chance to turn our lives around.

Through Givedirectly I have been able to revive my dreams and I am working towards them. I have been saving up towards going to college and the transfers I have been receiving has helped facilitate this. I have so far saved $55 for the last three months towards this. I have also bought some chicken and chicken feed at $19. This cash has also allowed me to get the basic necessities for me as a woman of menstrual products such as sanitary towels and underwear at $15. My nephew also got a chance to attend school from these transfers.

After completing Form Four, I faced challenges that prevented me from furthering my education. One of these challenges was my parents' inability to pay my school fees. However, determined not to be discouraged, I opted to sell vegetables near my home instead. My goal is to save enough money to enroll myself in Galana Teaching College. Teaching is my passion, and I am confident that I will excel in this field once given the opportunity. I aspire to give back to society through education by offering free tuition to children in my village.

From the moment I started receiving my transfers, I saw an opportunity to improve my life. I joined a merry-go-round savings group, where I save $15 each month. Alongside this, I invest in chickens. Currently, I have eight chickens and four chicks. I bought two chickens at $5 each, spending $10. The remaining $9 I used for personal items like sanitary pads and soap, ensuring both financial stability and personal hygiene.

I want to become a teacher, I finished my form four and would love to join college. My father was a teacher and as kids he would always remind us to work hard so we could become teachers like him. I looked up to him and would love to follow in his footsteps and become a teacher. I started saving when I received the transfers because I wanted to have enough money to pay for college. My business is also a source of some of the savings am making so that I can achieve this goal. Seeing a child learn and being able to mold them and train them is my biggest motivator.

I made a decision to make a monthly savings of $10 which I do whenever I receive transfers. I usually save the money on my Mshwari account. In April and may I made this savings from my cash transfer. I also spent the rest of my transfer on other things that are important to me, in April I bought a traditional coastal dress also known as "dera" and shoes at $8 for a function I was attending, I also did shopping for food and toiletries as well as sanitary products at $10 I left $6 to last me through the month when things ran out such as food, sanitary items or even toiletries. In May I used $10 to add to my business while the $14 went into buying shopping for things such as food and sanitary products. In the month of June I restocked my business at $10, I had a flu and had to visit a hospital which I spent $10 to be treated, I also did some shopping using $14 and even left some amount for loading my phone of restocking on food at home.

I am driven by the desire to join a teaching college and become a great teacher. However, financial limitations, resulting from my family's unemployment, currently hinder my ability to pursue this dream. Nevertheless, I am committed to saving from my business and transfers, determined to overcome these challenges and create a brighter future for myself and my family.

Last month, I faced the challenge of battling a cold and flu, but I prioritized my well-being and spent $10 on necessary treatment. The decision to invest in my health brought relief and a renewed sense of vitality. In addition, I felt a surge of excitement as I allocated $15 to restock my cabin business. This venture, born out of the idle days during the pandemic, has become a symbol of resilience and growth. With a sense of accomplishment, I saved $5 from my transfer. The remaining $4 became a beacon of hope, representing the opportunity to enhance my personal style and express my individuality through new clothes.

The thing that I desire the most is to join college and study and become a secretary. It has been my dream to have a good job and get paid well and have a better life in the future. I am currently working hard with all the transfers I get and also I am saving enough for the uncertain future and be able to at least be someone in life.

After completing my form four in March 2021, I was unable to join college because of financial constraints and my parents were not that well off so I decided to do something meaningful with my life. I opened a small kiosk where I sell fruits and vegetables to be able to help at home and also sustain myself. The moment I received my transfers, I took $10 and added new stocks to my business and also used $10 to renovate my kiosk as it was so old. I saved $5 to be able to at least meet all the emergencies that might arise in the future and also for my studies in future.The remaining amount of $9 I was able to go buy myself new clothes because the ones I had were worn out and have become too small to fit me. I felt good by the new clothes that I bought and I also felt confident enough to walk around in my area.

I am very grateful for the help that I received from the reservation so far because it has helped me be more sustainable by helping me keep my business steady. This has made me be more independent and has also helped me be reliable to my family as well.

About a year ago I decided to open up a grocery business so that I could be able to sustain and help my family when he came to the day-to-day needs. After withdrawing the transfers I went ahead and spent KES 1,500 of the money to restock the groceries and keep my business afloat. I proceeded to spend the balance that remained which was KES 1,500 and bought some new clothes for myself and also a pair of shoes because most of my clothes were worn out.

I was washing utensils outside the house when I received a message notification on my phone. I quickly checked the phone and I was taken a back when I realised I had received my first transfer. I jumped up and down as tears rolled down my chubby cheeks. I shared the good news with my mother and she was happy too.

The biggest difference in my life since I received the transfer is that I have confidence as a girl child. Missing out on important products such as sanitary pads makes me feel down. Now that I have plenty of them I am not worried and this has boosted my confidence.

I had a small business selling vegetables and other fresh produce from the farm. The business collapsed after a period of three months because of the high operating cost. With no job, I depend on my older sibling who is employed in Mombasa town. Finding a job is difficult due to the scarcity of jobs. When I received my first transfer, I spent half of the transfer KES 500 on buying personal effects such as sanitary pads, toothpaste and detergents. Often I would miss out on these essential products because I do not have money to buy. Finally, I bought a hen worth KES 500. The hen is an investment for the future. If a problem arises, I can sell the hen and use the money to sort out the problem at hand.