I was at the evening service in our church when I received a message on my phone. Since I was deeply concentrating on the sermon, I didn't check the message right away. After the sermon ended, I decided to see who had sent me the message. To my surprise, it was an M-Pesa notification, informing me that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was overwhelmed with joy because this money would finally help me achieve my biggest aspiration: to buy a motorbike to supplement my income, provide for my family effectively, and also pay for my children's school fees.

We have been struggling to educate our six children, one is in high school, and the others are in primary school. Many times, we found ourselves unable to raise the required fees. My husband does casual jobs and burns and sells charcoal, but it has never been enough to meet the family's needs. I've been selling vegetables and sardines to help my husband provide for the family but the business has not been successful. We lacked a stable source of income that would make it easier to support our family. Fortunately, the recent transfer enabled me to acquire a secondhand motorbike. I gave it to my son, who just finished college, and he's using it to provide taxi services. The motorbike brings in around $21 per week, some of which I can save, and the rest goes towards my children's school fees. This new income has not only helped ensure my children stay in school but also has been vital in meeting our household needs. Previously, my children would be sent home and stay for weeks, but now they are comfortably in school, no longer facing disruptions due to fees.

I used the whole first transfer to buy a used motorbike, which I've been using to provide taxi services and bring in extra income for my family. Due to the financial difficulties that we have been through, we needed to increase our income. My husband is the main provider for our family, but his casual jobs are not always reliable. Sometimes, he has to resort to tiring and low-paying work like making and selling charcoal. We have six children, all in school, with one in high school and the rest in primary school. It has been a challenge to pay for their school fees, and there were times when they had to stay home for weeks because we couldn't afford the fees on time. I tried to help by opening a small shop to sell vegetables, sardines, and other items, but it hasn't been very successful. Therefore, it has been a struggle to support our family. The new income from the motorbike has been a relief. I hired my son, who recently finished college and was searching for a job, to help with the taxi services. The motorbike now earns around $21 per week, making it easier for us to meet our family's basic needs. When my husband can't find work, we can still put food on the table. Additionally, I'm able to save money to pay for my children's school fees on time and prepare adequately for the other terms.