My goal is to ensure that I can afford school fees for my daughter Pendo, who is in her first year of education. Before, I would have had to make and sell charcoal to contribute to her education, but things are better with the cash transfers. I also want to build another kitchen structure. The current one is not only old, but the grass-thatched roof has become damaged over time. My only blocker from achieving this goal before was the concern about enrolling Pendo in high school. Now that she is settled, I plan to start saving some funds to begin buying building materials like iron sheets and building poles for a new cooking space.

My eldest daughter, Pendo, recently joined high school and required new school uniforms, shoes, and admission fees. As a motorcycle taxi rider, my husband could not raise enough funds to purchase these items, as the business was not doing well. So, I allocated $34 towards these requirements, ensuring that my daughter reported to school and started her learning on time. I also paid $10 for her three siblings in primary school to settle their school fees for the ongoing term. I am relieved that I only have to worry about their next term school needs now. I spent $24 on a goat and two hens. I hope that these animals will reproduce wealth that I can use to provide for my children in the future. I am also glad that my children enjoyed the last Christmas in new clothes and shoes that I acquired for $34. With the cash transfers, it has been easier to bring such joy to my family that before seemed challenging.

I'm presently residing in a tiny house that cannot accommodate my five children. They are currently staying with neighbors and relatives, which is a very distressing situation. I'm working towards saving enough money to purchase building poles and 14 sheets of iron. I intend to build a house and save them from the troubles of seeking shelter during the night. This will provide them with the comfort and security of having their own place to sleep in. Additionally, I recently acquired a new mattress and I am in the process of buying a new bed to replace the old, uncomfortable traditional bed I've been using for years.

Prior to enrolling in the program, I was leading a challenging life. My bedding was inadequate, and my household often experienced food shortages. My children frequently faced the threat of being sent home from school due to unpaid fees. It was heartbreaking to witness my children enduring these hardships at such a young age, and my financial struggles made it difficult to provide the support they needed. I resorted to sleeping on old rags and worn-out mats, which offered no comfort at all. Receiving financial assistance transformed not only my living conditions but also improved my economic situation. Firstly, my children are no longer at risk of being sent home from school due to unpaid fees. I was able to pay their fees promptly and cleared their boarding dues. Currently, I have four children enrolled in school, and I used $31 from the recent transfers to settle their fees. I am delighted that one of them recently successfully completed their national examinations. Secondly, I invested in a new mattress for $45, replacing the old, worn-out bedding that I have been using for years. I am now planning to purchase a new wooden bed, completely upgrading my sleeping arrangements. I also acquired a goat for $40, which serves as an asset that can provide financial assistance if needed. With the remaining funds, I purchased essential food items such as maize flour, beans, and sugar, ensuring a consistent food supply for my family.

I hope to establish a livestock business in the near future,.This would mean financial security for me and my family.

I work as a casual labourer,and lately it has been difficult to find work. Thankfully, with the aid of your transfers, I was able to spend $24 on school fees for my children who had been sent home for not having paid their tuition. I also spent $20 on a goat,which I added to my expanding herd. Additionally, I used $20 to buy food for my family,as we had been going to bed hungry before. I want to buy furnishings with the remaining money I have saved, along with some extra cash for unexpected emergencies.

My biggest accomplishment this year and moving forward will be opening a kiosk business where I'll be selling various products like maize flour, sugar, and tea leaves. As I contribute to the household bills, this will help my relieve husband financial burden. In addition to opening a business, I'd love to construct a larger kitchen where I could prepare meals for my family. The one I currently possess is inadequate and in poor shape.

It has been very challenging for my husband and me to navigate life without a reliable source of income. I hardly generate enough revenue as a casual worker selling charcoal to meet the needs of the family. Due to declining clientele and rising fuel costs that discourage people from choosing motorcycles as their primary mode of transportation, my husband also encounters challenges in his line of work as a motorcycle rider. We've been compelled to skip meals as a result of these issues because we don't have enough money to provide our family with enough food. I spent $6 on three packets of maize flour after receiving my February transfers. This gave us sufficient confidence that we will have enough food to last us a full week. Along with purchasing food, I also spent $15 on primary school tuition for my four kids. Finally, with an eye toward future investment, I paid $14 for three hens. I'm confident that in three months the hens will have multiplied and I'll have enough money to buy some goats. Since the goats will sell for high market prices, I will recover my initial investment many times over.

Compared to other conventional approaches, the GiveDirectly cash transfer model is far more beneficial and has a direct impact in my opinion. It follows a novel practice of enrolling recipients and providing them with a direct cash transfer with no strings attached. It has made a significant contribution to the well-being of the people in my community. Furthermore, the beneficiaries have the freedom to choose what is more beneficial to them. GiveDirectly excels at all of these best practices. So far, I have not noticed anything GiveDirectly does not do well.

My family of seven was struggling to find food before I received my transfer. This is due to my inconsistent income. In addition, my husband makes a living by operating motorcycle taxis. However, that sector has been underperforming for the better part of this year. As a result, when I received my recent transfer, I decided to spend $10 on food because we didn't have any at the time. We had skipped lunch the day before. I also spent $10 on paying fees for my four school-age children who were stranded at home due to unpaid fees. Finally, I spent $10 on water, which is in short supply due to the prolonged drought.

Around 5 p.m., I was undoing my hair when my phone rang with a message alert. Words cannot express how relieved I was upon realizing I had received my first transfer from Give Directly. Getting such a sum of money for which, I did not have to work filled my heart with gratitude and admiration for the organization's efforts. In fact, I have taken a break from making charcoal since the money covered the most pressing needs at the time.

It broke my heart to see my five children miss school for an entire week due to unpaid tuition balances. My husband and I had not made enough money from our hustles to cover these arrears. However, the transfers added a ray of sunshine to my life by allowing my children to resume their studies. The fact that they have never been sent home since then is the most significant difference.

My husband, who works as a motorcycle rider, is the sole provider for our family. Because his pay is based on the number of trips he makes, he sometimes comes home empty-handed on rough days. On such unproductive occasions, we are forced to sleep hungry. He can earn up to KES 800 on a good day. To supplement his inconsistent earnings, I make and sell charcoal to support the family's needs, a business that earns me about KES 500 per week. It has been difficult to meet household needs such as school fees and food with these meager earnings. In fact, by the time I received the transfer, my five children had missed an entire week of school due to unpaid tuition fees. Also, my family had slept hungry for two consecutive days before the cash transfer since the household had run out of food. Therefore, I used KES 1,000 to pay off my children's school fees and KES 200 to buy food.