In the coming year and beyond, I hope to continue supporting the education of my 7 children who are still in school. Being the breadwinner for the family because my spouse is old and economically inactive, I am planning to start a small food outlet at our nearby market centre. This will be a reliable source of income that would support the education of the kids as well as provide for the daily basic needs like food for the family.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well in giving cash as a form of aid instead of properties or material things. Through the cash transfer, we had the right to choose how we can utilize it to better our living standards. I feel that the processes went well and there is nothing they could change.

I spent a larger part of the recent transfer to complete the construction of a two-roomed, mud-walled house that I start with the first transfer. Previously, I was living with my husband and 7 kids in an old small, grass-roofed house that was leaking. We were always spending sleepless nights during the rainy season moving our bedding from one corner to another. Nowadays I am happy that we reside in a decent house courtesy of the aid from Givedirectly. In addition, I used $40 to pay part of the school fees for my 7 kids who are in primary school. Seeing them pursuing their studies without any interruption gives me joy. Furthermore, I used the remaining amount to clear debts at the nearby shop where we were taking foodstuffs on credit.

I was busy farming and a neighbor came to inform me that give directly had sent some money. I immediately asked my son to rush in and check my phone to see if I had received it. This he did and I joined the neighborhood in the celebrations. I was filled with so much gratitude. I continued with what I was doing and the next day I went to withdraw the funds.

The greatest difference I have noted in my life ever since I started receiving these funds from give directly, is the fact that my seven children are not agonizing. We have food in the house and I also got to settle the school fee arrears of KES 7000. They are no longer sent home due to arrears, something that I was unable to do using the monthly earning of KES 4000 my husband and I get from our charcoal manufacturing business.

I had so many debts at the time I was acquiring these funds from give directly. So, when I received,I started by clearing them. The first one was my children's school fee arrears of KES 7,000 then the 2,000 deficit I had at the shop where I buy food. After this, I went ahead to buy some iron sheet and wood to facilitate the construction of my new two-roomed house. The one I have is in the verge of collapse. The remaining amount I used to buy was some nourishment for my family, as this was hard to provide using the limited monthly earning of KES 4000 my husband and I get from our charcoal manufacturing business.