Since I have a significant burden of school fees, my primary focus now and in the coming year is to pay for my children's education. Having eight children in school is challenging because, in addition to school fees, I need to buy books, uniforms, and cover other small fees. When these expenses accumulate, they become quite substantial. My small shop business and my spouse's work as a casual laborer require us to work extra hard and maximize our savings to meet these needs. This is why I joined a merry-go-round group, where I save a little and eventually use my savings to pay for my children's fees. Additionally, my spouse and I opened a savings account to deposit what we earn from our daily work, all directed towards supporting our children's education. Since I did not have the chance to attend school, I want my children to get the best education possible, so they can have a better life than ours. Moreover, I have some livestock that I hope will multiply, allowing me to sell them in the future and add the proceeds to our savings account. My primary motivation is ensuring my children's education is not interupted, a goal that brings me immense joy.

I have eight school-going children, some of whom are in the upper classes and will soon be transitioning to secondary school. When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $53 on their school fees, dividing the amount among them to prevent them from being sent home. I also bought $90 worth of food to ensure my children had something to eat when they returned from school. With the remaining amount, I allocated $20 to hire someone to cultivate my land, as it was the land preparation season and the rains were about to set in. My family depends heavily on farming for our livelihood. Finally, I used the remaining $20 to boost my shop stock, as this is my major source of income. I am thankful to GiveDirectly for the financial support, which has significantly uplifted us financially.

I maintain a savings account specifically earmarked for my children's education. Additionally, I benefit from the merry-go-round savings group, which aids in accumulating the transfers I save within it, ultimately depositing the sum into my children's education savings account. Moreover, I possess some livestock that I'm optimistic will multiply, allowing me to sell them in the future and allocate the proceeds to the savings account. My primary motivation is ensuring my children's uninterrupted education, a goal that brings me immense joy.

The transfers have been immensely beneficial in supporting my children's education. Upon receiving them, I allocated $40 towards settling my children's school fees, ensuring their continued access to education. Consequently, anticipating the upcoming planting season, I invested another $30 of the transfers in preparing my farm for cultivation, aiming to secure food security for the coming months. Also, as our food reserves decreased, I spent an additional $22 on food to prevent hunger within my family. Additionally, I diligently contribute to a savings account designated for my children's future school fees, allocating the remaining $10 of the transfers towards securing their education.

I have a small stall selling regular household items, I also rear animals which we take care of with my husband. My goal is to continue growing my animal numbers. I now stand at 40 cows and goats notwithstanding the chicken we have that are over 20 as at now. I was able to sell chicken an goats in December to buy clothes for my 5 children during the festivities other than the two whose clothes I got using my transfers. Animals reproduce and multiply in number which makes them a great investment from my experience I aim to build further with this especially now that I have a child joining secondary school and others still in school.

The long drought meant we could not farm for the longest time until the rains came in in 2023 and we could go back into farming. I spent $34 which was my entire November transfers to till my one and a half acre farm for planting. I also got a got at $25 in October which adds up to animals I am now rearing thanks to Givedirectly transfers. I also use the money for food in October at $9 and spent $14 on food during the festivities. I got clothes for two of my 7 children from my December transfers. 10-goat-2500, food -900,11- tilling- 11/2-3400,12-clothes-2000, food-1400. animal rearer- kuku, cows, goats, shopkeeper. husband is animal rearer.

As I mentioned my house is now transformed due to the Givedirectly transfers, I burned the mattress on my bed and cleared my bed of bedbugs using pesticides. I also bought a new mattress which entirely replaces the mess I had before. No my mind is at peace to focus on how to better my families' life. I am now focusing on paying school fees for my 7 school going children to ensure they have a fighting chance in life for better opportunities.

I would day Givedirectly transfers have been a lifesaver. My sleep is no longer the same thanks to Givedirectly transfers. I owned a bed with bedbugs and my mattress was bedbug infested and worn out. I spent my entire transfers in September replacing that mattress and also sprayed the bed to ensure the bugs would not be transfered to the new bedding. In July I tilled my land for $25 and paid school fees worth $10. I also got a goat at $20 and again paid school fees at $10 and bought sugar for my children in August.

I never got a chance to go to school and I my opportunities to work are quite limited hence I mostly farm or sell food items to my fellow villagers. I however do not want my children to end up like me. I believe education can open alot of doors for them and since most are girls I would really love for them to at least get a secondary school education. I have been buying goats and chicken with the transfers and I hope to continue doing so until I am able to have a big number where I can sell them and ue the proceeds to pay school fees for my 6 school going children.

There is such a big difference in our village now since Givedirectly came in. I am now in the farm tilling the land as I recently planted through the transfers I received from Givedirectly. In March I spent $15 hiring an oxen plough to help with the tilling process but in May a tractor that was hired by my neighbour was leaving during the time I was tilling and I was able to use $25 of my transfers to hire it to help with the process. I have planted some maize, beans and green grams as well as some local vegetables that I hope to sell once I can harvest. I have however still been spending my transfers on food since we are yet to get our first harvest since the rains and I spent $10 in March, $9 in May but for April I only bought sugar with the transfers at $4. I also bought a goat in April and its what took the bulk of the amount at $30 while in March I spent $10 on school fees.

My main concern has been how I can raise school fees for my children. Though I was not fortunate to attain formal education, I have an inner urge to support my children to advance their educational goals. Therefore for this year, I aim to spend a portion of my transfers on paying their school fees in time, to avoid them being sent home since that can make them miss some critical classes. Secondly, I am planning to expand my livestock-keeping venture by always buying a goat after every two months. From the livestock venture, my struggle to raise fees after the program will reduce since I shall be in a position to sell them to raise some money.

For the past four months, GiveDirectly's transfers have been of great help to my family. With the previous transfers, I managed to buy four hens for $20. I am optimistic they will increase in number, and I will sell some to raise additional income for my family. Since my husband and I do not have regular sources of income, whenever our children were sent home for fee collection, transfers salvaged the situation, and we did not have to keep them at home for long. I am glad that they had ample time in school. For the rest, I used to buy food, to supplement what we could obtain from casual jobs. As a result of the famine that has stricken the land, we have struggled a lot to raise money for food.

While I make a living by selling charcoal, my spouse makes a living by rearing cattle. My husband raises animals, but he doesn't make enough money to pay all the bills (paying school fees, buying food and buying clothes). My business hasn't been doing well for the past three months, therefore I can't help my husband with the payments. My six children were sent home from school because we were in financial trouble and had unpaid school fees. They were compelled to spend more than two weeks at home, watching their colleagues go on with their study. As a result, when I got my transfer, I spent KES 2000 on partially clearing the school fee debt my children owed. I'm glad they were allowed to return to class and are again pursuing their studies. I used the leftover money to buy food for the family in addition to paying the school fees. We only had one meal a day, so my family was fighting to get by. When things became worse, we slept hungry in the hopes of waking up the next day in one piece. I'm pleased I bought enough food to prevent my family from going hungry.

This organisation is doing a great job in my opinion because most of us were and still are struggling financially, but these funds have been a ray of hope for us because they have allowed us to struggle less when it comes to our needs and especially nutrition which is amazing.

As soon as I received the cash transfers I instantly decide that I would first try and settle matters concerning school with my children because I had an outstanding debt. I paid KES 1,500 in school fees for my six children because they were on the verge on being sent home. Later on I took KES 500 and bought three packets of maize flour and sardines because there was barely any food in the house. I am still left with KES 1,000 on me which I intend to purchase three hens because I want to venture into poultry farming.

The day I received the funds was the longest day at work. I was making a meal for my family around 10pm and washing my younger children at the same time.My husband took my phone and told me that GiveDirectly had sent me money.I was so excited and ululated out of joy.

I see the difference in my life because at the moment I own a chicken layer.It is my humble beginning from having nothing.In a few months ,I am planning to start poultry farming. I believe that poultry farming is the beginning of my financial breakthrough,which will yield enough capital to start goat farming. At the end of the day my goal is to be financial stable and be able to support and educate all my seven children.

Financial constraints is the biggest challenge facing from my husband's unemployment situation. It had been a challenge for both of us because I am unemployed and rely mostly on selling charcoal. My husband has been working manual jobs which are not consistent and makes atmost KES 400 on a good day.On the other hand my business of charcoal earns me KES 350 per day .Its a struggle to feed my seven children and that's why part of my transfer of KES 900 was spent on food.I decided to buy one chicken with the KES 300 and am hoping to start poultry farming.