I am optimistic that all my children will successfully finish their education. The assistance we've received from GiveDirectly has been essential in supporting our children's educational needs. A portion of the funds has also been used to buy food for our family due to our decreased food supplies. Unfortunately, our maize farm has suffered because of insufficient rainfall. Nonetheless, if we manage to harvest a substantial amount of maize in the coming season, I intend to use part of my transfer for our children's school fees. Additionally, I hope to acquire some livestock, specifically goats, as they can reproduce and provide extra income for our family's needs. Eventually, once the goats increase in number, I plan to trade them for cows, which can be more profitable. This is my focus, particularly as my older children are about to start secondary school. We do not have steady jobs, my spouse runs a small house construction business, and I assist him with farming, although this can be inconsistent due to unreliable rainfall. Because of this, we need to prepare by establishing an alternative source of income hence the reason why I want to invest part of my transfer in goat rearing. All in all I am grateful to GiveDirectly because since I began receiving these transfers, my financial stress has decreased, my children are receiving meals without going hungry, and I can pay their school fees on time.

I have six children, five of whom are in school. When I received my latest transfers, my main focus was to pay their school fees, as I was dealing with significant debt. Moreover, my children were approaching their final term exams, and if I didn't pay the outstanding balances, they wouldn't be allowed to sit for them. Therefore, I set aside $88 to cover their fee balances. I'm pleased to say they were able to take their exams and received their reports afterwards. With the remaining funds, I used $14 to purchase food for our family. It’s important to keep the children satisfied, so I stocked up on some essentials to last us a few days while we continue to work hard. My spouse has a construction business and helps with farming to support our family.

I am hopeful that all my children will successfully complete their education. The support we have received from Givedirectly has played a crucial role in providing education for our children. Additionally, a part of the funds has been utilized to purchase food for our family due to the depletion of our food reserves. Unfortunately, our maize farm has been adversely impacted by the lack of rain. However, if we are able to harvest a significant amount of maize, I plan to allocate the entire transfer towards school fees. Furthermore, I aspire to realize my dream of purchasing some goats as they have the potential to multiply and generate additional income for our family's needs. As an alternative, once they multiply to a substantial number, I intend to exchange them for cows. This is because cows yield a good profit; you can sell one for $500, which is sufficient to enroll a child in secondary school. This is the plan I am focusing on, especially as my elder children are soon joining secondary school.

When I received my latest payment, I used $54 to cover my children's school fees to prevent them from being sent home due to outstanding balances. Additionally, I purchased a school uniform for my daughter. Since my income from casual jobs is unpredictable, I prioritized addressing school-related expenses for peace of mind. Many teachers are aware when payments are made, and they often send children home to collect any remaining balances. I wanted to avoid this situation to prevent my children from missing valuable study time. With the remaining funds, I bought $32 worth of food to ensure we had enough to last us while I search for more work to support my family.

I would love to have all my children clear school. Givedirectly funds given to me and my wife have been used to school our children. I have also used a portion of the transfer to buy food for the family. This is because its no longer raining and our food reserves have been depleted. We farm maize, If we are able to harvest a significant amount of maize, I will be able to redirect the entire transfers to school fees. I also will be able to have some money left to buy some goats which remains a dream of mine as animals multiply and can give an income which can be used when there are needs.

I am a father of 6 school going children. Me and my wife receiving money from Givedirectly has ensured that all our children are able to attend school. We divide the children, into the three oldest and the three youngest. I take care of the school fees for my three oldest whose total school fees per term is about $40 while the three youngest need $30 per term and my wife takes care of that. I spent $30 clearing school fees for my three oldest children. I also bought food for the house at $55. I bought clothes for them during the holidays at $16.

My aspiration is to provide a college-level education for all my children. To turn this dream into reality, I intend to save the upcoming transfers, firmly believing that a solid education serves as the cornerstone for a brighter future. The positive changes in my life this far have brought me happiness, and I eagerly anticipate achieving more milestones in the coming year.

I am engaged in the construction of mud-thatched houses to sustain myself and business has been fair as the ongoing rains have provided a welcome boost. I juggle the responsibilities of providing for my six children, three of whom are currently attending school. My family faced considerable challenges before the coming of this project as a scarcity of food and the absence of livestock added to our struggles. Fortunately, the financial assistance from these transfers has significantly supplemented my income, enabling us to acquire both goats and chickens, a marked improvement in our circumstances. Allocating $70 from these transfers, I purchased essential food for my family, addressing the shortfall we faced after depleting supplies from the previous harvest. Additionally, I utilized $14 to settle a school fees debt as my children approached the end of the school term. The remaining funds were dedicated to purchasing new clothes for my children, replacing the worn and tattered ones they had. I am grateful for the positive changes in my life and I extend my sincere appreciation to this organization for their invaluable support.

My goal is to become a livestock keeper with the aim of securing a stable financial future for my children and supporting their educational aspirations. By starting with one goat and utilizing the monthly transfers I receive, I plan to expand my livestock holdings to increase my income to ensure that my children have the necessary funds to pursue higher education.

Receiving the GiveDirectly transfers came as a lifeline during a period of overwhelming financial challenges. My family was on the brink of hunger, and the stress of not knowing how to provide for my children weighed heavily on my shoulders. However, when the funds arrived, I immediately purchased a bag of maize flour and other food items worth $29.70. With the remaining $5, I managed to cover the school fees for one of my children, easing some of the burdens we were facing. The relief and gratitude I felt were immeasurable, knowing that this support had come at a critical time in our lives. GiveDirectly's assistance made a tangible difference, and for that, I am forever grateful.

I have been doing casual jobs to earn a living. However, wages from it are often insufficient to meet the educational and nutritional needs of my family which are always on the rise. With the regular GiveDirectly transfers, I hope in the next year I shall have acquired additional livestock. Primarily, I aim to accomplish my goal of boosting my livestock-keeping venture. As I continue to receive my transfer, I shall particularly be buying more goats. These will be beneficial to my family at large.

With the prevailing economic and drought situation in our region, life has proven harder than before. Whenever the day breaks, I have endless thoughts on what I can do to fend for my family of five members. It has been hard because I am jobless. From my recent transfer, I prioritized buying food and paying school fees for my three children who are schooling. I, therefore, spent $24 on food because we had run out of foodstuff, and that night we were to go to bed hungry. That could take last us a period of one week. Since I have three school-going children, I also spent $12 on their school fees. I am so glad they can advance well with their studies.

The biggest thing I want to do this year is get a motorcycle and start a taxi service. Being without a permanent job for the past five months has made life in the village difficult. I work a variety of part-time jobs, including digging pit latrines, burning wood, and selling charcoal. I also build mud houses. Due to the poor economy in the village, these jobs are very difficult to come by. By purchasing the motorcycle, I will become self-employed and generate income to support my family. The purchase of livestock is one of my other objectives. I'll sell them once they've multiplied and use the money from the sale to buy a dairy cow. By offering the milk for sale at the market, I'll profit from the cow.

I spent my most recent transfers on paying fees, buying a goat, and buying food for my family. Being dependent on subsistence farming which has not been doing well, I had to buy food daily to ensure that my family enjoys three meals a day. I usually do manual jobs and the construction of local houses and it is at times difficult to get such jobs. With the general increase in prices of foodstuffs, it was difficult to fulfill my family's basic needs adequately, like food. I am happy that the transfers have been helpful in ensuring food is available, and I have been able to save some money from my casual jobs, to pay fees for my children. I also managed to buy a goat which I am currently keeping. I now have three goats, which to me are savings for the future of my children's education. In addition, my children are comfortable in school, courtesy of the transfers, having paid their fees on time. I am at peace because this has given me ample time to save and prepare for the next payment.

I have three children in primary school and most of the teachers in their school are not employed by the government but by the parents' teachers association. The parents are expected to pay 1200 per child every term for the same. I still have arrears for the previous terms so whenever I receive my transfers, I pay 1500 in school to reduce the balance and use the other on foodstuffs for the family. Therefore, 4500 I spent on their school fees and used 4500 on foodstuffs. I burn charcoal for sale and it takes 3 weeks to get 2 bags of charcoal that go for KES 800. For a family of six people, it is not easy to meet their needs with such an income. We, therefore, resolved to rely on a meal a day, but I am glad we now have additional income from the GiveDirectly.

I appreciate the initiative that GiveDirectly took to support us cater for at least daily basic needs but I would appreciate if they considered adding a little bit more amount because we are unable to keep up with the raising standard of living.

I have been juggling between charcoal burning and working on construction sites to provide for my family. This has not been easy but what keeps me going is my wife and six children. The high standards of living caused by the prevailing economic conditions in my country has made it harder to survive as the low wages that I earn averaging to KES 1000 per week is not enough to cater for basic needs. This has gotten me into debts as I have to borrow inorder to be able to pay school fees for my kids but thankfully, the transfers came in handy for me as now, I'm able to offset my debts every end month. I spend KES 1000 to pay debt that I had and the balance to buy 60Kgs of maize enough to take us for next one month.

I was working at the farm wondering if I will receive the money. So, when I got the message confirming that I had received money from give directly, I was ecstatic. The first thing I thought of was paying for my children's school fees before they were sent home. So, the next day, I went to school and reduced the bill to KES2,000

I am very grateful for the transfer I received from give directly. Though the money is little, it has helped me in reducing my debts and buying food for my children. The difference is not much either, but with more transfers I know I will be able to note some since I have plans to buy poultry and a solar panel.

I am a father of five, three are in school and two are yet to join because I lacked the funds to pay for their admission fee. This is because my job as a charcoal manufacturer does not earn me much. in a month, I only get to earn KES2000. For this reason, the three that are attending school have accrued arrears of KES4,000. So, when I received the money from give directly, I reduced the debt to KES2000. The remaining KES1,000, I used to purchase some nourishment for my family.