My main source of income is selling second-hand clothes, which I have been hawking around the village. However, I now have a new goal for this business: to open a shop and start selling the clothes from there. I believe this will be a huge relief for me, as I am tired of enduring the scorching sun and walking long distances to showcase the clothes. Sometimes, I feel completely drained, and harsh weather often prevents me from working, which affects my earnings. Once I open the shop, I won't have to trek anymore, and I’m confident that my income will improve. With a steady income, I can ensure that my daughter, who recently joined secondary school, completes her education without any challenges. I plan to achieve this goal through my monthly savings in the savings group, and I strongly believe that in a few months, this dream will become a reality.

As soon as I received the cash transfers, I knew exactly where I would start. My three children had been staying at home due to the arrears that had accumulated from previous semesters. Without hesitation, I paid $35 to clear their fees so they could return to school. This not only ensured a quality learning environment for them but also allowed them to focus on their education without the constant worry of pending fees. I’m glad they now have peace of mind. After that, I saved $10 with my village savings group, aiming to accumulate enough funds to boost my second-hand clothing business, which I currently operate in the village. My goal is to make reasonable profits, and securing sufficient capital is essential for improving and expanding the business. I also spent $20 to buy clothes for my children in preparation for the upcoming Christmas celebration, just a month away. I want them to look decent and avoid any humiliation or intimidation from their peers. Lastly, I used $37 to buy enough food to ensure my family never goes hungry again, as we had often struggled with hunger in the past. Now, my children are healthier and stronger than ever before, as they no longer lack the essentials they need.

My goal from quite some time back was to move from hawking clothes on the street to selling from a shop. I joined a village savings and loans association which has allowed me to save over a period of time and I soon see my dream becoming a reality. In October I will be receiving $100 which I plan to use to rent a shop in our busy shopping centre. This I believe will translate to more sales in my business as the shopping centre hosts a bus stop which sees drives of people arriving and leaving the village. An increase in my income will ensure my daughter in form one can finish Secondary school and have a chance for a better tomorrow.

Givedirectly transfers have given me independence and an opportunity to plan my life in the future. I am a member of a village savings and loans association group which has a merry go round component to it. I save $10 monthly to the group and I hope to be receiving $100 by October. I used $30 to save towards achieving this goal. I bought two chicken at $4 to try and build a flock of them. I am also a mother of 4 and my second born joined form on recently in a boarding school which would have been an unimaginable burden had it not been for this transfers, I have so far paid $45 from my transfers in school fees. My two young ones in primary school also needed books and breakfast to ensure they can get to school and $10 has gone into ensuring this is achieved.

I currently earn a living by hawking second-hand clothes, but my ultimate goal is to open my own shop. The relentless heat and exhaustion from walking around all day make it incredibly challenging to earn even $2 in a week. While I am grateful for having food on the table, recent times have been tough due to lack of customers. Opening a shop in town is my vision, as it will attract more customers and enable me to generate substantial profits. I plan to save enough from my merry-go-round contributions, believing that when it's my turn to receive the funds, I will be able to kick-start my dream business.

As a mother of four children, I earn a living by hawking second-hand clothes. Upon receiving my transfers, I ensure my children's well-being is catered for first. I allocated $30 to buy them new clothes, enhancing their appearance and boosting their confidence. Additionally, I invested $8 in purchasing food for our family, ensuring we have nourishment. Recognizing the importance of education, I contributed $56 from my transfers to cover my eldest child's school fees as she transitioned to form one. To sustain my business and prevent it from collapsing, I allocated $10 towards it from my most recent transfer.

In the coming year and beyond, I aspire to start a business selling children's clothes. Recognizing the high demand for such items in my village, where there is currently no nearby shop, I believe this venture would not only save people time but also generate income for me. Currently, they have to walk for almost an hour to acquire the clothes from the trade center.  I plan to utilize the next two cash transfers and supplement the amount with a loan from my savings club to establish and set up this business.

Following the short rainy season, I had to take a break from my donut-making and selling business to focus on farming. This period of inactivity shifted most of the financial responsibility to my husband, who runs a hawking business in town to provide for our four children. Fortunately, the cash transfers enabled me to contribute, alleviating some of the burden on his shoulders. I allocated $21 to cover school fees for my three children, settling the balances required by the school before closing to ensure they receive their exam reports. Additionally, I invested $23 in acquiring 10 hens along with $14 for coccidiosis medicine and spent $10 on chicken feeds for the chicks to promote healthy growth. Unfortunately, six hens succumbed to coccidiosis disease, but I remain hopeful that the remaining ones will survive and breed, eventually growing the flock. The plan is to sell them to meet the needs of my children. As Christmas approached, I used $15 to purchase clothes for the children, upholding our yearly tradition with greater ease due to the assistance from the cash transfers. The remaining funds were directed towards acquiring food items like sugar, ensuring that my family could enjoy tea for breakfast.

I started a grocery business when I began receiving transfers. I previously had no source of income and fully depended on my husband who at the time did casual work and hawked clothes. Starting the business brought a positive change in my life. I was able to earn my own income and support the family. My family was also able to access meals more often than they would before because of the business. I want to grow my business much more than it has grown so that I can continue to reap the benefits of having it such as education my children and feeding my family.

We have been so fortunate to have the rain for the past few months. We have not farmed in a long while but with the rains everyone is farming. I spent some of my April transfers and my May transfers in tilling the land. I spent $10 in April and $20 in May. I also got to pay school fees for my children in March I paid $20, in April I paid $4 and in May I paid $8. I restocked my business in April for $20, $6 in March and $6 in May . My family was also able to get food, I spent $5 in March on food. I bought two chicken at $1 each in March.

In the village, people do not like walking under the scorching sun. My goal is to open a grocery shop where I will be selling tomatoes, onions, and green leafy vegetables. I plan to save two months of transfer and venture into the business.

Before the transfer, my husband and I were struggling to pay for our children, we have two girls and two boys. The eldest is in form two, and the others are in grades eight, five, and three. We pay an average $230 a term. My husband is not employed and most days he does casual jobs which does not bring much to the table. I cook pastries outside my house, making a profit of $2 a day which helps me save for school fees. Receiving this money has enabled me to pay school fees for my children without strain. Since I received this transfer my children are no longer sent out of school.

Many households in our village have seen a significant improvement in many aspects of their livelihood, and one of the most common testimonies we hear in our village is the ability to provide food for our children. GiveDirectly's best idea was cash transfer, which everyone appreciated because it allowed them to spend what they wanted in their households. No one complained following enrolment because we all received at least the first transfer and are hopeful that subsequent transfers will follow.

I spent $20 of the second transfer on expanding my grocery business, which has always helped me pay most of my household bills as well as school fees for my four children. Injecting a portion of the transfer aimed at a higher profit margin, which will later aid in the establishment of other new goals for my family. The call to pay school fees has been a consistent one that has arisen every other term. I used the remaining $10 from the most recent transfer to pay a portion of the required amount for four children who had been struggling to catch up with the other students whenever they missed classes.

I was at home around 8.00 p.m. as I was preparing supper when I heard a message alert. I gave my daughter the phone to check, and after doing so, she confirmed that I had received KES 1200. I felt so happy when she broke the great news to me. I waited until the following day before I could use the transfer.

The biggest difference in my life is having my kids pursue their studies without interruptions. The rate of being sent home to collect school fees decreased after I settled the arrears making them concentrate on their studies. In addition, buying more food helped reduce our worry about where we could get enough.

I am a small business owner dealing in groceries. I live with my husband and our four school-going kids. They accumulated huge fee arrears locking them out of school most of the time thus denying them the opportunity to study. I had no idea where I would get the required amount to settle the debt, and every time I saw my kids at home while their agemates were in school, I would feel stressed. Using the transfers I received from GiveDirectly, I paid KES 800 school fees that helped reduce the arrears making my kids resume their studies. I also bought food for KES 400 that we did not have then.