As the festive season approaches, there is nothing more satisfying for me than putting a smile on my family's face. This time of year is special, and I want to make sure my family feels just as happy and blessed as others do. For the next few months, I plan to save a portion of my transfers so I can buy my family new Christmas clothes. This is something I have always wanted to do for them because, during Christmas, getting new clothes is a big joy, and I want them to feel as good as the other children around us. In addition to making them happy during the holidays, my children’s education is a top priority for me. I am committed to continuing to use a portion of my transfers to pay for their school fees, ensuring they can keep attending school and building a brighter future for themselves. Lastly, I am determined to secure our financial future. To do that, I plan to keep saving another part of my transfers, and once enough funds have accumulated, I will invest in buying more goats. My goal is for these goats to multiply and grow in both number and value, becoming valuable assets that we can rely on in the future. I am incredibly grateful for the support I have received. It has made a real difference in our lives, and I am determined to use it wisely to create a better, more secure future for my family. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for making this possible.

I am a parent to four school going children, and their education is incredibly important to me. As a parent, it is my responsibility to ensure they have the opportunity to attend school, which means paying their school fees. Recently, I used $54 of my transfers from GiveDirectly to cover their school fees, making sure they would not be sent home due to unpaid school fees. At the same time, our region is going through an extremely tough period with a prolonged dry spell, leading to drought and widespread hunger. I therefore, used another $48 of my transfers to buy food to make sure we could eat and stay strong during these difficult times. It has really been hard, and we rely heavily on these transfers, especially with the challenges we are facing. Lastly, in an effort to invest in our future, I used the remaining $34 of my transfers to buy a goat adding to the few that I already have. This is part of my plan to build something sustainable for the future. I hope that the goats will multiply, and over time, I will be able to grow a herd that will provide us with both income security that we can rely on in future. I am thankful for the support that GiveDirectly has given us, and I am committed to making the most of it for the benefit of my family.

I am a parent of five school going children and their education is very important to me. Being unemployed and without any reliable source of income, resulting to uncertain future of our finances, I want to ensure that my children's educational needs are secured, so I decided to invest in goats. My plan is to continue using a portion of the transfers that I will be receiving from GiveDirectly to buy more goats in the hopes that they will multiply and increase in number and value, becoming valuable assets in the future. By building up this investment, I aim to create a sustainable source of income that I can rely on in the future, especially when this program comes to an end. Once these goats have multiplied, I intend to sell some of them and use the proceeds to support my family and contribute to my children's education as they transition to higher levels of schooling. I think that this investment is a sensible step in reaching my aim of giving my kids the greatest opportunity available. I am devoted to this strategy because I recognize that a better future for my children depends on their education.

The transfers from GiveDirectly arrived at a crucial time, as my five children had accumulated a significant school fee debt that needed to be settled to ensure that they would not be sent home from school to collect the outstanding fees. I therefore allocated $68 from my recent transfers to pay off this debt, allowing my children to remain in school and focus on their studies without interruption from being sent home. In addition to clearing the school fees, I also used another $34 of my transfers to buy another goat. I am hopeful that the goats will multiply and increase in number and value over time so that I may sell these offspring in the future, which will provide me with a reliable source of income to take care of my family's needs. When this program comes to an end, I will have something valuable to rely on. Finally, I spent the remaining $4 to buy sugar for my children. Having a warm cup of tea in the morning gives them some much-needed energy as they start their day and head off to school. This small gesture ensures that they can focus on their studies without being distracted by hunger. I am truly grateful for the timely support provided by GiveDirectly's transfers.

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.