With the support from GiveDirectly's transfers, I joined a merry-go-round and used the funds to purchase three goats. These goats have renewed my hope, as they can breed and potentially be traded for cows. My ultimate goal is to acquire a dairy cow, which will enable me to sell milk and increase my income. Currently, we rely entirely on my husband, a subsistence farmer, as I have no personal income or business. By December, I expect to receive additional funds from the merry-go-round, which will allow me to buy a dairy cow. This investment will not only improve our living standards but also provide a reliable source of income from selling milk. This will help ensure my children’s school fees are paid on time and support our family's financial stability.

As a mother of seven, my priority is ensuring my children's education remains uninterrupted. Whenever I receive my transfers, my first step is to pay their school fees, which amounts to $49. This payment helps prevent them from being sent home and keeps their education on track. Recently, one of my children fell ill, and I spent $4 on medication for him. To improve our living standards, I decided to join a merry-go-round with the goal of eventually purchasing a large cow. Although we don't have a fixed rate or amount for contributions, I set aside $40 for this purpose. With the remaining $9, I bought food for my family, ensuring we had enough to eat for the week. This allowed us to maintain our well-being and enjoy our meals together.

In the upcoming year and beyond, my primary focus is on investing in farming. With four acres of land at my disposal, I believe that by cultivating the entire parcel, I'll be able to produce enough food for my family. To prepare for the next season, I've started saving in our merry-go-round group. I've chosen to cultivate the land using a tractor because it digs deeper than manual labor, and using a plough ensures better harvests. I'm grateful to GiveDirectly for the significant financial support that has enabled us to enhance our farming activities.

In managing my recent transfer, I've allocated funds to address crucial needs and invest in a business opportunity. I set aside $80 to cover school fees for my six children, ensuring their education continues uninterrupted. Additionally, I allocated $12 towards starting a soap business, aiming to generate sustainable income for my family's financial stability. However, a portion of my transfer, $10, went towards medical expenses when one of my children fell ill. Despite these challenges, I remain determined to provide for my family's needs and secure their future. Before receiving support from GiveDirectly, I relied on casual jobs, primarily selling firewood, to make ends meet. However, with my spouse falling ill, I've become the sole breadwinner, necessitating a shift in our financial strategy. Recognizing the importance of entrepreneurship, I've seized the opportunity to start a soap business, leveraging my transfer to invest in a sustainable income source. Though the journey may be challenging, I'm committed to overcoming obstacles and ensuring the well-being of my family in the face of adversity.

I am a parent to six children, with one attending high school and the others in junior school. Sustaining their education has proven challenging for my husband and me, as we lack a stable source of income. The introduction of the new curriculum has brought additional financial burdens, making it difficult to meet all the educational expenses. My husband relies on casual jobs for a living, while I generate income by producing and selling liquid soap, although the returns are minimal. Without the consistent monthly transfers, it would be a constant struggle to keep my children in school, especially considering the risk of frequent suspensions due to unpaid fees. To overcome this challenge, I depend on monthly transfers to ensure timely payment of their fees. This financial support is crucial in preventing disruptions to their education and allows me to prioritize their continued attendance in school despite the ongoing financial difficulties.

My son excelled in his national examinations, and as a parent, I ensured his enrollment in one of the top high schools. This decision aims to provide him with the best education and support the realization of his academic goals. Despite facing financial challenges, I managed to spend my two months' transfers, totaling $68, to cover his admission expenses. This also included purchasing school uniforms and stationery and contributing to his school fees. Despite the financial strain, I am delighted that my son is now comfortably pursuing his high school education. Additionally, I have five other children in primary school, and I paid $22 from recent transfers to settle their arrears, ensuring a smooth start to the new academic year without any outstanding fees. In addition to this, I also spent $12 to purchase two chickens, anticipating a future source of income as their numbers grow. Furthermore, I recently ventured into the business of producing and selling liquid soap. To enhance its profitability, I used the remaining transfers to procure a sufficient stock of materials needed for soap making. My hope is that this investment will result in increased profits as I continue to meet the demand for quality liquid soap on the market. This business currently serves as my sole source of income, and I am optimistic about its potential for success.

The one thing that brings me happiness and excitement is the fact that my children are still able to go to school. To ensure that they can complete their studies and achieve their life goals, I joined a merry-go-round savings group. This way, I won't have to struggle as much to pay their fees. I want them to have the opportunities in life that I didn't have before.

I am a mother of seven children, three in primary and two in secondary school. I used $10 to cater to the school needs of my primary school children, preventing them from being sent home. It used to be tough to find maize, but not anymore, so I built a storage place for my maize with $20, making storing maize easier. The remaining $4 was spent on food for my family. I want to express my gratitude to GiveDirectly for making life easier for us.

At the conclusion of this year, my goal is to purchase two goats. Acquiring livestock holds great potential as a transformative investment for my future. As the goat herd multiplies and grows, I will have the opportunity to sell some of them and utilize the funds to support my children's education. Investing in livestock also serves as a safety net, providing a fallback option in case of any unforeseen emergencies that may arise in the future.

I allocated $10 from my business earnings in May to expand my inventory. Upon joining the program, I established a business selling soap and other detergents, which has brought remarkable improvements to my life. I am now capable of managing certain minor expenses that were previously unattainable due to the lack of a steady income. Furthermore, I utilized $10 to settle the school fees for my three children enrolled in primary school. Although there remains a $10 balance in outstanding fees, I feel content and reassured, knowing that they will not be sent home. The teachers are understanding, allowing us to clear the arrears when we receive our monthly transfers, which greatly benefits our children's education. The remaining $14 was invested in purchasing maize seeds for my two-acre farm. I chose to prioritize farming because ensuring food security at home will enable me to utilize the monthly stipends to address the substantial school bill of $160 owed by my two children in secondary school. Unfortunately, my husband's diagnosis of tuberculosis last year has rendered him unable to work, making our family heavily reliant on the monthly stipends to cover household expenses. I express immense gratitude for the financial relief provided by the monthly stipend, which has alleviated the significant burden I would have otherwise faced without these funds.

I am a mother who only wants what's best for her children. I work really hard and all that I want is for my children to complete their studies and transform their lives.I also want to grow my soap selling business so that I can at least make enough money and cover my family's expenses. I am happy that people are now noticing my business and come looking for me at home and when they need the soap I do deliver it to those who do order. I am grateful that I am able to make a profit of $4 after I sell the soaps I make.

I sincerely appreciate the transfers GiveDirectly sends to us. It can at least make a difference somewhere. I have 7 children and the moment I received my transfers, I was able to add $12 to my existing business of selling soap. My business has not been doing well for some time now so, I decided to boost it up. I spent $12 on my 2 primary school children because their uniforms were worn out and did not make me feel happy. The remaining $10 I bought food and we stocked it at home.

In my opinion, Givedirectly did well in enrolling every person that had qualified in the program without any discrimination. It did exclude anyone on basis of tribe and everyone received the same amount without bias. I think there is nothing that they did not do well, I recommend it to continue to support the less fortunate people in society.

I spent $10 to start a small business selling soap detergent in the village. I bought 14kg of the soap with the transfer and repackage it into a small portion of 1kg that I sell it at $1 per sachet. With this business, I am earning a profit of $4 in two weeks which supports me in educating my children. In addition, I used $10 to pay for the school fees of my 3 boys who are in primary. They had examinations and some tuition fee arrears. I also used the remaining amount in purchasing sufficient food for the family. At the moment, the transfers that I am receiving have relieved some of the burdens of providing for the family.

I was sitting inside the house with my mind engulfed in thoughts. I spent the whole day unsuccessfully finding a job. My three young children sat close to me with their stomachs growling out of hunger. It was a sad moment for me and I teared up because of the emotions. While in that state, I received a text message which showed that I had received my first transfer. I felt thrilled and shared the good news with my children.

As the sole breadwinner for the family, I have faced serious challenges in raising school fees for my children. It forced me to sell all the goats (2) and chicken (2) to raise money to pay school fees. I am happy that the unconditional transfer played a big difference in ensuring that my children stay in school and continue with their education.

I am the sole breadwinner of my family (Husband, and five children). My husband, who suffers from tuberculosis, is weak and unable to work. Previously, I ran a small business selling different vegetables, i.e. kales, spinach, and cabbages. The business later on failed because I was forced to use the capital to pay school fees for my children. Currently, I work as a casual laborer washing clothes, working on people's farms, and fetching water to earn love. I earn very little from these jobs, which is not enough to cater to all the family expenses (paying school fees, buying food, and medication). Therefore, when I received my first transfer, I cleared part of the debt for my three children who are in primary school (PP1, Grade 4, and class 7). I bought maize planting seeds to plant on my one-acre farm. I bought food with the remaining amount of money to add to the depleting stock.