When I received my most recent transfer, I used $15 to buy three chickens for rearing. Chickens breed quickly, and I plan to sell some to support myself if any financial needs arise. I also paid $30 in school fees for my children, ensuring they wouldn’t be sent home for fee balances and allowing them to focus on their studies. Additionally, I purchased some poles for the construction of my new house. Finally, I used the remaining $14 to buy food for my family’s consumption.

My primary objective is to ensure that I can support the education of my four children and provide them with daily meals. I am grateful for the cash transfers that have been instrumental in helping me achieve these goals over the past few years, but I understand that this support is not permanent. To create a sustainable source of income, I have set a plan for the coming year and beyond to build a livelihood through livestock farming, focusing on raising chickens and goats. As these animals reproduce, I aim to sell them to generate more income that will help me meet my children’ needs.

As a widow with four school-going children, providing for their needs proves to be a constant challenge. To make ends meet, I work as a school cook and operate a small vegetable-selling business in the village. Despite my efforts, the income generated is often insufficient to meet the family's needs. I am grateful that the cash transfers have been a crucial supplement, assisting me in covering my children's school fees. From the recent funds, I allocated $10 to kickstart the school fees for two of my children for the current term, ensuring uninterrupted learning for them. Also, during the recent festive season, I allocated around $44 for food items, allowing my family to enjoy Christmas and New Year celebrations, bringing joy to our home. I also spent $18 to purchase new attire for two of my children who were in dire need of decent clothing that they could wear when stepping out. Lastly, I invested $24 in buying building poles to extend a room in my one-room house. This expansion aims to provide a separate space for my growing children, addressing the inconvenience of them sharing a room with me.

My ultimate goal is to be able to support the education of my four children and provide daily meals for them. I am glad the cash transfers have played a crucial role in supporting these aspects over the past few years, but I am aware that they will not be here for the long run. To secure a sustainable source of income, I have set a goal for the coming year and beyond—to establish a livelihood through livestock ownership, specifically by rearing chickens and goats. As they multiply, I intend to sell them, creating a continuous source of funds that will enable me to meet the ongoing needs of my children.

I will forever be grateful to GiveDirectly for their invaluable support, which has significantly improved our living conditions. When my husband passed away, I was filled with uncertainty about how I would manage to provide for my children's education. The most challenging task for me was covering their school fees while also attending to their other needs. During this difficult period, even the simplest luxury of buying new clothes for myself and my children seemed impossible. As a result, they had to wear worn-out uniforms to school. However, when I received the financial assistance, my first priority was ensuring that my children's education continued without any interruptions due to fees. I promptly paid $50 to cover their educational expenses. I'm delighted that through this support, my children are no longer facing the distressing experience of being sent home from school due to unpaid fees, a frequent occurrence in the past. Furthermore, I used $15 to purchase new clothes for both my children and myself, a small but significant improvement in our quality of life. As a single parent, the transfers have become a lifeline for my family, helping us meet our needs more comfortably. With $10 of the transfer, I invested in purchasing four chickens, which I am currently raising. My plan is to keep them and allow them to multiply, eventually exchanging them for goats, which will be a valuable asset for our family.

I am presently directing the financial assistance I've received primarily toward covering my children's educational expenses. My primary objective is to ensure that they can successfully complete their studies while I am still participating in the program. As a single parent, I carry the responsibility of caring for their well-being and providing for their needs. Without the support I've received, it would have been an enormous challenge to keep them in school. My ultimate aspiration is to witness their achievements in their academic journeys. Furthermore, I have a plan to set aside a portion of these funds to build savings, with the intention of investing in livestock, specifically goats and chickens. These animals are valuable assets that can not only support our family's financial security but also assist in meeting our future financial requirements.

I am a widow with four children and three are school going. I work as a cook in a school and from time to time I sell fried wheat pastries. I do not make much from this work and since its important to get my children through school I have been using this transfers to pay for their schooling. I spent $ 10 in the past three months to pay school fees for the children, I spend $7 on the older child and $1.5 each on younger ones. I also spend $21 monthly on food. In March I spent $3 to buy toiletries but in May and April I bought chicks at $1 which I am now rearing.

As I said earlier I am a mother of 3 going children with a very limited income. I would love for my children to pursue an education which I never had a chance to do. As you hear I am struggling to even converse in Kiswahili. I want my children to have better opportunities than I did. I plan to continue to use my transfers to educate them while still building a flock of chicken which will act as an emergency fund in future.

I would like to open a grocery shop. I have been saving and up to now, I have used part of it to start construction of the shop hopefully by the end of the month I can buy the stock from the market and start-up.

Before the transfer, I was in charcoal production. Most times I would sell two sacks a week that cost $8. The money would be spent on food and water. The money was not enough for my children's school fees. I recently got a job at a school cooking porridge, getting a pay of $30 a month, this money has enabled me to buy food for my family and on the weekend I try and produce charcoal for extra cash. Receiving this money has enabled me to buy food and pay school fees for my children without strain. I also save some money for rainy days and buy livestock that I sell whenever I need to pay school fees. GOAL

I am a widow with four children. It has been difficult to raise children on my own after my husband died. I struggle to pay their school fees and even provide food for them every day. I work as a charcoal burner and the little I earn is from hand to mouth. After receiving my funds, I used $20 to buy a goat and the remaining cash to pay for their school fees. I plan to buy a goat every month. Goat keeping is easy and the high demand in the market can be a source of income to support my family.

GiveDirectly did very well by giving us support as cash. It has enabled me to pay school fees for my children much more easily and also buy livestock which I never had before.

My spouse passed on some years back and since then I have been the sole breadwinner. I sell charcoal for a living but do not earn much from it. At the time when the transfer was sent my child had stayed back at home for a week for lack of school fees. I, therefore, cleared the KES 500 arrears that he owed the school, and I am glad he is back to school. The remaining KES 650 I spent on some foodstuffs for the family, especially the dry ones.

The biggest difference in my daily life since I received the transfer is having been able to take my son back to school. It was devastating to see him stay back at home while the others while attending their lessons. If it was not for the transfers then he would probably still be at home because I could not afford the fee. The money I make from the casual work can barely afford a day's meal.

I was on my way home at around 5 pm when l received a confirmation message that I had received my first transfer. This message turned my worries into joy and happiness. The day had not been fair since I spent the whole day wondering how I was to raise my son's school fees so that he could go back to school. I was glad the message solved the worry.