Since I am still obligated to combine my child's school fees with mine for the second year of college, I am hoping that the farming practices of chicken rearing, goat farming, and subsistence farming will help me raise enough money to complete my studies by July. This will propel me into the workforce because the qualifications and certificates I will receive will aid in my job search.

GiveDirectly did an excellent job in elevating many families out of poverty in the village. It was incredible that everyone had the opportunity to enroll in the program to receive a free cash transfer and then decide how to spend it. The approach was so straightforward and satisfying that no one was left out of the program for no apparent reason. I am optimistic that the program will be implemented successfully in all of the villages that were skipped.

I have been spending at least $1 per day on milk since I moved out of my parents' house and started my own life with my only child five years ago. Getting this amount every day has never been so simple because I have never had a consistent source of income other than small-scale farming. When I received the first transfer, I enrolled in a technical course at a nearby college, and I was fortunate that the second transfer arrived when I needed to register for the end-of-semester exams. As a result, I spent $130 on the exams I took in December. Right now, I am looking forward to the second year, which begins in January. I also used $200 of the remaining funds to purchase a heifer, which I believe will soon reduce the cost of milk when it calves. I also spent $100 to build a chicken coop and purchased some chickens that have been laying eggs. I am glad that selling the eggs has provided an additional source of income for my two-person family. I later used the remaining funds to buy food for my family.

When I received the first transfer through confirmation in a text message, I was very excited and thankful to God for the support I had gotten from GiveDirectly. It was late in the evening, and I could not withdraw it but visited the nearby shopping center the following day. At that moment, I was with my child, and later other family members received the good news and were very delighted.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the realization of my dream to get back to school after more than two years of break since I completed my secondary education. I am grateful that this finally came to pass and I am working hard to ensure that I complete it in time to use the acquired skills to seek employment in the future.

After I completed my secondary school studies some years ago, I had been living with my child as I single-handedly provide for his basic wants alongside paying his school fees. It was my dream to be back to school with the hope of pursuing a course that will enhance my self-employment, but I have always found it hard to raise the school fees. My parents could not help me too since they had been struggling to clear their tuition fees. It was a relief when I received the first transfer that paid for the first term of my Food and Beverage production course worth KES 26000 and an additional examination fee of KES 10000. I also spent KES 4500 on the poultry project, which will come in handy in settling smaller household bills in the future. In addition, I bought two goats at KES 6000 and spent the remaining amount on buying our clothing with my kid and paying his school fees. I am grateful for the support and hope to do more in the months to come.