I spent my recent transfers, amounting to $102, on paying school fees for my two daughters, who are in secondary school. With $60, I secured their education for the rest of the year, ensuring they could complete their secondary level. This was my top priority because education is the key to their future, and I didn't want them to drop out due to financial struggles. Additionally, I used some of the money to buy essential household items such as $4 for sugar so that my family could enjoy tea, and $8 for beans to ensure we had enough food to eat. Given that it was the farming season, I allocated $30 for plowing my farm, preparing it for planting, and securing our future food supply. As a daycare attendant, making ends meet has always been tough. Before receiving these transfers from GiveDirectly, I constantly worried about my daughters' education and our basic needs. Life felt overwhelming, and I feared my daughters would have to leave school. But now, there's a sense of hope and stability. These funds have not only kept my daughters in school but have also allowed me to take better care of my family's immediate needs and invest in our farming, which is crucial for our livelihood.

As my two daughters complete their studies this year, I hope to accomplish a lot in the coming year and beyond. Right now, I have two goats, but my dream is to buy more and start goat farming. With my daughters finishing their secondary education, I will have some relief and more time to focus on building my herd. Goat farming can provide us with a steady income and improve our lives. This would help us become more self-sufficient and secure. I'm excited about the possibilities and determined to make this dream come true for my family's better future.

As a single parent raising four children, I bear the sole responsibility of meeting their financial needs, including food, education, and other essentials. In January, I allocated $30 as pocket money for my two daughters, who are currently in their final year of secondary school, providing them with vital support throughout their academic journey. Recognizing the potential for future returns, I invested $40 in acquiring a goat, confident in its ability to multiply and augment my initial investment. Additionally, I allocated $30 towards plowing my three-acre farm during the previous rainy season, which resulted in a bountiful maize harvest, providing an ample supply of food for the foreseeable future. To replenish essential supplies, I expended $800 on items such as sugar, tea leaves, and cooking oil. I am deeply grateful for the financial assistance provided by the transfers, which has been indispensable in ensuring the well-being of my family.

My objective for this year is to cover the school fees for my two daughters, who are currently in their last year of secondary school. Ensuring their education is funded will provide them with a conducive environment to focus on their studies and excel in the national examination, paving the way for them to pursue their desired careers. I am extremely grateful for the ongoing financial assistance, which has been instrumental in supporting my daughters' education, particularly given my modest earnings as a caregiver.

Being a single parent, I have encountered numerous challenges when it comes to meeting the basic needs of my family, consisting of five members. Among them, two of my children attend boarding school, while the others are enrolled in primary school. Unfortunately, the secondary school fees for my two older children remain outstanding, leading to frequent instances of them being sent home until the fees are settled. Given my occupation as a caregiver at Mnazimumwenga Primary School, my income is not substantial. In order to address these pressing concerns, I allocated $38 to cover the school fees of my two daughters, thereby ensuring their uninterrupted education. Additionally, I made a strategic investment by purchasing a goat, which holds the potential for future wealth accumulation. As the goat breeds and multiplies, my initial investment will grow. In the event of an unforeseen emergency, I have the option to sell the goat and utilize the funds to address any urgent issues that may arise.

In order to enhance my income, I have devised a plan to make substantial investments in acquiring additional livestock. By increasing my livestock holdings, I can benefit from their inherent ability to multiply in value over time. This strategy will not only provide me with a stable source of income during the duration of the scheduled transfers but also serve as a valuable asset that I can rely on beyond that timeframe. I am immensely thankful for the financial assistance I have received thus far, as it has played a crucial role in enabling my children to pursue their education despite my limited income and challenging circumstances. With the aid of the transfers, I have been able to ensure the continuity of their educational journey, and this has brought me great relief and gratitude.

I'm grateful to GiveDirectly because my four children, who are currently enrolled in school, are doing well so far and aren't getting sent home for not paying their fees. Even though it has been challenging to raise their fees, I have been caring for them on my own since divorcing my husband. I work in a daycare that is run by parents in the community, but it can go for up to three months before I get paid. I occasionally need my brother's assistance, but he also has a family of his own to support. As a result, they are occasionally unable to assist. As a result of the transfers, my children have been able to continue attending school, giving me as a parent ample time to get ready for the other payments. In addition, the transfers have made sure that food is accessible in my home. Without the transfers, it would have been difficult to afford, given the current rise in the cost of necessities like sugar and maize flour. Additionally, I was able to purchase two chickens through the transfers, which I am currently raising. Since the pay at my current job isn't guaranteed, these will serve as a supplement to my income. This means that whenever I find myself in a desperate financial situation, I can easily sell the chickens to raise money for things like my children's school expenses.

I have relied on farming for a very long time, primarily on a small scale, for survival, but there came a time when drought set in and farming became impossible. I used the transfers to pay for my four children's school expenses and to buy food. Currently, it has been raining, and I am actively engaged in farming, which I think will provide me with enough food once it succeeds. Since I won't be spending as much money on food, I can use the transfer for other needs. To expand my goat shed, which is also an investment, I want to purchase more goats. Having goats allows me to easily rely on them in times of financial need, which allows me to save money for my children's education. The goats will help me raise money when I need it since I don't currently have an income stream on which to rely.

It has been challenging for me to find any short-term jobs due to the current difficult economic situation. The transfers have come in handy because I use a portion of them to cover Margret and Saumu's school fees. I managed to pay off their $30 fee arrears with the transfer I received in November. I am happy to see that they are currently succeeding in their academics. For the other transfers over the past two months, I concentrated on finding ways to feed my large family of seven people. I have been able to provide for my family despite the severe famine we are currently going through. Lastly, I spent the whole of my recent transfer on a goat. I look forward to raising livestock for the future benefit of my family.

Despite the severe drought that has affected our region, I intend to use my subsequent transfers to start an agribusiness. To help me raise some money for my family's support, I intend to farm vegetables that I will irrigate when it does not rain. We are constantly in short supply because the grain crops, like maize and beans, are no longer performing well. Given that I have easy access to water from the nearby borehole, I have high hopes for the success of this venture. As a result, unlike in the past, I will not solely rely on cultivating grain crops.

After separating from my husband several years ago due to my infertility, I have been living on my parent's property, where I was given a space to build a house next to my brother's shelter. We had been sharing meals with his children all along, and in most cases, I had been assisting with school fee arrears for some of his children. The transfer from GiveDirectly has greatly aided in the purchase of foodstuffs that have been scarce and expensive in recent months. I spent a portion of the last two transfers I received on replenishing our food baskets with enough food to last my family of eight at least two weeks. I spent $24 on a bundle of maize flour with the most recent transfer, which we are still using. This has given me more time to work on other income-generating projects, which will fund other purchases in the coming weeks. In addition, I spent $3 on a kilogram of sugar and dry beans. I also used the remaining $6 to pay primary school tuition for my two nieces.

I am grateful that the transfer I received from GiveDirectly has had a significant impact over the last few months. Sleeping hungry in most village households is now a thing of the past, because they can choose how to spend the money they received. Giving us financial assistance was the best idea, and we all applaud GiveDirectly for it. Everyone embraced the idea, which I am also grateful for because it allows us to plan with the certainty that they will fund us.

After separating from my spouse some years back, I relocated to my paternal home where I stay with my brother and his family. I was not blessed with any children, so I normally assist him to pay for his children's school fees. I work at a daycare in the village where I take care of children who are below two years of age. Since it is located in the village, parents are not consistent in paying the fee on time hence delayed salaries. When I received the first transfer, we had run out of foodstuffs, therefore, I bought some worth KES 800. The remaining KES 350 I used to purchase a chicken for rearing. I had some previously, but they all succumbed to a poultry infection outbreak in our region. I am glad the money was of great help.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the peace I felt after providing meals for our family. I have been staying with my brother after separating from my spouse. He has three children in school and whatever he earns from the construction work cannot sustain their needs. I, therefore, support him in taking care of his family. My salary had been delayed, and we had run out of foodstuffs at the time when we received the first transfer. I am glad the money came in handy when we needed it the most because we had explored all the options in vain.

I felt very excited when I received the first transfer. It was sent on Friday at around 4 pm while I was on my way home from work. I had not been paid my salary for the month, and so I was worried about how I would raise money for meals over the weekend because we had run out of foodstuffs. When I saw the message I was delighted and thanked God for the timely blessing.