My current goal is to ensure that all four of my children, who are currently in school, continue with their studies without any struggles despite my financial predicament. It is my desire that they can pursue their educational aspirations and attend school without any hindrances. My top priority is to ensure that I pay their fees on time to avoid any situation where they may be sent home due to outstanding fees. I believe that with the assurance of receiving the money every month, my children's education will be well taken care of in the years that I will be part of the program.

I am very grateful for the transfers I have received because they have been a huge relief for me and my family. Before receiving the transfers, my children were frequently sent home from school because I was unable to pay their fees on time. I was struggling with large fee balances that I couldn't clear. My only source of income was burning and selling charcoal, but I am now too old to do that kind of work. Thanks to the transfers, my four children have been able to attend school for some time now without the risk of being sent home. I spent $50 of the recent transfers to pay their fees on time, and although I couldn't clear all the fees for my four children, I am happy that I have enough time to prepare for the payment of the next term. The transfers have also ensured that my family has enough to eat. I thus spent the remaining amount majorly on buying foodstuffs. I have a large family that relies on me, and despite the financial struggles, we are able to eat three meals a day without much difficulty. This has been made possible by the financial support from GiveDirectly.

With the approaching festive season, I am eagerly anticipating a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the bonds of love and unity within my family. It is a time that I cherish, as it allows me to connect deeply with my loved ones. Thanks to the transfers I have received, I have exciting plans to make this festive season even more special. One of my intentions is to gift my family new clothes, symbolizing the joy and togetherness of the season. This gesture not only brings happiness to each family member but also adds a touch of celebration to our gathering. Additionally, I plan to procure good quality food, ensuring that our festive meals are filled with delectable flavors and shared in a spirit of gratitude and abundance. Looking beyond the festivities, I am also committed to securing the future of my children by paying their school fees. It is of utmost importance to me that they receive the best education possible. By investing in their learning, I am providing them with the tools to thrive and succeed in life.

As an elderly individual, my livelihood largely depends on subsistence farming and engaging in manual labor jobs such as producing and selling charcoal. Unfortunately, my health is not in a good condition due to my advanced age. Despite these challenges, I bear the responsibility of supporting my five children's education. Of the five, two are enrolled as students at Mutulu, while the remaining three attend Bengoni Primary School. To ensure their uninterrupted education, I utilized the entire $102 to cover their school fees. This investment has guaranteed a smooth learning journey for all of them, sparing them from any potential disruptions caused by accumulating school fee debts. The knowledge that my children will greatly benefit from this education, securing good employment prospects in the future, brings me immense joy. The financial assistance I have received has played a crucial role in enabling me to provide education for my children. This support is invaluable, and I am sincerely grateful for it. It not only helps me fulfill my duty as a parent but also instills hope for a brighter future for my children.

My current goal is to acquire more livestock, specifically goats. While a substantial portion of the recent transfer mainly went towards meeting essential needs such as food and educational expenses for my children, my farming efforts recently yielded a bountiful harvest. This harvest has effectively alleviated my household's food scarcity, presenting an opportunity to redirect transfers toward livestock investment, specifically goats. My livestock assets currently consist of six cows, and I am determined to supplement this with the acquisition of additional goats in the coming year and beyond. Owning the goats will not only cater for my financial needs but will also take care of my six children's education.

I used a larger portion of my recent transfers to pay for my six children's education, one of whom is in college and the others in primary school. The absence of a steady source of income has posed challenges for my polygamous household, making it difficult to consistently provide for both education and daily sustenance. Despite these financial hardships, I am deeply appreciative that my children now experience a more stable educational environment, no longer facing frequent disruptions due to unpaid fees. In addition to supporting my children's education, the transfer proved invaluable when I fell ill and required hospitalization for over a week. I was able to cover part of the medical costs by selling some of my goats. The financial assistance enabled me to obtain the necessary medications, resulting in a complete recovery and subsequent discharge. This assistance saved me the time and effort of soliciting funds from family members and neighbors. In addition, I used some of the funds to buy necessary food supplies such as maize flour and various cereals. This ensured that my family had an ample and consistent food supply, shielding us from hunger and providing a sense of stability.

In my area, goat keeping is very common. I believe this is due to the animal's ability to survive harsh climatic conditions better than any other type of livestock. Furthermore, owning goats is the safest way to invest money around here. As the animals reproduce and the herd grows, one's wealth grows and can be sold to generate money in times of need. Because I don't have a steady source of income, I'm concentrating my efforts on this venture. Fortunately, I already have two goats and five cows, and I hope to purchase more with the upcoming transfers, one goat every two or three months depending on hunger and other pressing family needs.

Most transfers were spent on food shopping and other household expenses. With the current drought rendering us helpless and unable to farm, the transfers have come in handy. In my household, I was able to overcome the challenge of food scarcity. To ensure that my family had three meals a day, I bought enough cereal to last us a few weeks. Because I am epileptic, it is unfortunate that I received burn injuries after falling on fire. I am grateful that the recent cash transfer was of great assistance because I sought medical attention and spent the entire amount. I don't regret spending it on medication because I can't imagine how bad things could have gotten without the transfer.

I spent $20 on my son's school fees, who is in form one. He had accumulated a huge debt since the year began, mainly because I lacked enough money to pay his school fees. I have always tried my best to support him as much as I can, although my job of burning charcoal cannot cover all his school expenses for some obvious reasons. In addition to the tuition expenses, my son commutes to classes from a rental place near his school, which means he has other needs like food and rent that should be covered. It is hard to settle everything through charcoal burning. With my advanced age, the most I can earn from making and selling charcoal is $6, which is not enough. However, I am grateful for the funds from GiveDirectly, for they have helped alleviate some of the hardships I am undergoing to help my family. Furthermore, I spent the remaining $14 to purchase food. We hardly had any food left in the house. Hunger is a major issue in our household. This was occasioned by the little money I make from my business selling charcoal. This month alone, we have slept hungry more than 10 times because there is not enough money to feed the family (my wife and seven children). It hurts me a lot when I have no means to provide for the family. I am however grateful that the funds I receive monthly greatly help me to manage these tough conditions.

GiveDirectly has done well in giving us the transfers unconditionally. I am able to plan for myself since I know well the kind of hardships I am going through. Our children would not be at school if it were not for the financial support. We mainly rely on subsistence farming which has not been doing well due to persistent drought. We are now depending on the transfers for our children's education and for buying foodstuffs for our families. In my opinion, I do not see anything that GiveDirectly does not well.

I appreciate GiveDirectly for coming at the right time to help us with the transfers. I have been struggling a lot in balancing between paying school fees and buying foodstuffs. This is because the little money I get from cutting and selling building poles has not been enough. I have a son in high school and he was frequently sent home because I could not pay fees on time. Also, buying food daily was costly and at times we had to skip meals because it was not enough. My recent transfers helped me to pay fees on time for my son to be allowed to continue with his studies as I wait for the subsequent months. I also spent a portion of the recent transfers on buying enough foodstuffs in my household. My family could now enjoy taking three a meals a day unlike when I had not received the financial support.

I was sitting outside my house with my head full of thoughts on where to get money to buy food for my family. I spent the whole day selling the five bags of charcoal, but I was unsuccessful. Everybody I approached claimed they did not have money to buy the charcoal. While seated, I received a text message on my phone and upon reading; I was overjoyed. I could not believe it I had received my first transfer. For a minute, I remained speechless. I went inside my house and murmured a short thanks, giving prayer thanking the lord for the miracle.

The biggest difference the money has made in my life is enabling me to buy food for my children. As a parent, I felt terrible seeing my children laying down, crying and with growling stomach. After buying the food using the money from the transfer, my family is happy because we have plenty to eat.

I have five children who are currently in school. They owe their respective school huge fee balances I cannot pay. I run a business selling charcoal in Mariakani. In the last three months, the business has not been doing well because of the restriction imposed on cutting down trees by government officials. My key clients have opted to use cheaper fuel because of the harsh economy. When I received my transfer, I partly cleared debts for my two children of KES 800 for them to avoid being sent home. Besides clearing the school fee debt, I bought food with the remaining amount of KES 2200. With my business on a downward spiral, I hardly made any money, and this affected my family (wife, 5 children and I). often we would sleep on empty stomachs and sometimes survive on one meal a day.