My current business involves producing and selling charcoal, but my ultimate aim is to save enough money to transition into selling vegetables. I envision establishing my own venture where I can offer a variety of produce such as tomatoes, kales, carrots, and other groceries. As a widow with the sole responsibility of caring for my children, this shift into vegetable sales is not just a business endeavor but a means of securing a steady income to support my family. Venturing into vegetable sales will not only diversify my income sources but also provide nutritious food options for my community. I am resolute in ensuring the success of this business, as it signifies an opportunity to enhance our quality of life and build a sustainable future for my children.

I have four children in school. When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $34 to pay their school fees, dividing the amount amongst them. This was my priority because I didn't want them to be sent home for fee balances. I also spent $24 on food for family consumption since my house was running out of food. Additionally, I bought clothes worth $1 for each one of them since they had worn out uniforms. As I am planning to build a house, I spent $40 to buy iron sheets for preparation. With the remaining amount, I bought four chickens for $20. This is because I have started investing in poultry as my future financial security.

I currently produce and sell charcoal, but my goal is to save up enough money to transition into selling vegetables. I want to start my own business, where I can sell tomatoes, kales, carrots, and other groceries. As a widow solely responsible for caring for my children, this venture into vegetable sales is not just about business but about securing a stable income to support my family. Selling vegetables will not only diversify my income sources but also provide nutritious food options for my community.I am determined to make this business successfully, as it represents an opportunity to improve our quality of life and create a sustainable future for my children.

As a mother of four children, I prioritize their education, spending $20 from my transfers to clear their school fees. Seeing them in school brightens their future, which brings me great joy. In addition to supporting their education, I currently raise eight chickens. I invested $10 to purchase two more chickens because I believe in their ability to multiply and provide income through sales. This investment helps sustain my family's needs over time. The remaining $4 from my transfer was used to purchase food, bringing happiness to my family.

Recognizing the potential financial challenges that may arise once this project concludes, particularly concerning the education expenses for my children in high school, I have proactively devised a plan to establish a safety net. I have resolved to expand my livestock holdings by acquiring additional goats. With each goat priced at approximately $60, I am confident in my ability to procure at least five within the span of a year. These additional goats will serve as a valuable financial buffer, ready to be leveraged during times of urgent need. By bolstering my livestock assets, I am creating a source of liquidity that can be accessed swiftly to address unforeseen financial obligations, particularly those related to my children's education. This strategic investment underscores my commitment to securing the financial stability and well-being of my family, ensuring that we are equipped to navigate any challenges that may arise once this project concludes.

As the sole provider for my family of five, I lack a stable source of income and rely on subsistence farming and occasional charcoal production. While these endeavors barely meet our needs, the transfers we receive have been invaluable in ensuring our basic necessities are met, including the educational requirements of my children. Following the loss of my husband, these transfers have provided vital support, particularly during critical junctures such as my child's transition to junior high school at the beginning of this year. Without this assistance, my child may have faced challenges in meeting essential requirements, potentially hindering their education. In addition to addressing immediate needs, I usually invest a portion of the transfers in livestock, primarily chickens and goats. Given the financial constraints, I initially prioritize the purchase of chickens, which are more affordable. By raising them and subsequently trading them for goats, I aim to gradually build up my livestock assets. Goats, in particular, are appealing due to their manageable nature and the ease with which they can be sold, serving as a reliable source of income during times of financial uncertainty. This strategic approach to investment not only diversifies our income sources but also provides a measure of stability and resilience in the face of economic challenges.

My main goal for the upcoming year and beyond is to build a new house because our current one is too small for our needs. To achieve this, I've joined a savings club where we set aside $10 each month, and I plan to use the remaining funds from upcoming transfers to help reach this goal. This will bring me great joy as it means my family will finally have a place of our own, providing us with a comfortable and secure place to sleep.

I have been earning a living by selling charcoal and removing tree stumps from nearby farms. The work is exhausting, and the income barely covers the needs of my six children and me. My house had fallen into disrepair, and I am profoundly thankful that, thanks to the previous transfers I received, I was able to allocate $19 towards its restoration. Additionally, I had accrued $45 in school fees arrears for my children, which I promptly settled, ensuring that my children could resume their education. I spent $19 on new clothes for my kids, as their previous ones were in disrepair. The remaining $19 was used to purchase food for my family because we had not yet harvested our crops. These transfers have made a significant difference in our lives, helping us address some of our most pressing needs and providing a sense of hope for the future.

I would like to see my four children succeed academically in the coming year and beyond. Since my husband's death, the burden has fallen on my shoulders, which seemed impossible at first because I didn't have a single source of income. Because my family's support has been minimal, I've been surviving by burning and selling charcoal, where I can earn at least $20 in two weeks. This was insufficient, given that I have six children to feed and four school fees to pay. Receiving the monthly transfer has been a huge relief for me because my children can now continue their education without interruption due to fees because I can pay for them on time. I have only one goal: to ensure that my children's education is not disrupted due to a lack of fees.

When my husband died, I was devastated, unsure how I would raise my six children on my own without a source of income. Since then, I've mostly been burning and selling charcoal, which only brings in $20 every two weeks. Looking at my needs, fending for my family, and paying their school fees—some of whom are in high school—this was insufficient to adequately provide for the family. I have also relied on subsistence farming, which has long failed us due to insufficient rains. I am grateful to be a part of this program because when I started receiving transfers, my priority expenses, namely food and fees, were met. I've been paying $20 on fees and the remainder on food whenever I receive a transfer. I am relieved that my children's studies were not disrupted by fees. Furthermore, I had enough maize flour and cereals to ensure that we did not go hungry despite the current difficult economic challenges of rising food prices and other basic necessities. It would have been difficult for me to be at peace at this time if it hadn't been for the monthly financial support, for which I am grateful.

I greatly appreciate GiveDirectly for giving me the transfers which have changed my life. I am a widow and lost my husband when I did not have anything to depend on for livelihood. He was the breadwinner and since then, life has been difficult with my six children who are all in school. Raising fees for them has been my biggest challenge, and my dream is to see them excel and achieve their career goals. My goal now is to ensure that I pay their fees on time every month to avoid interruptions on their studies concerning fees.

I am a widow and a mother of five school-aged children. Since I do not have a reliable source of income, I always struggle to raise their school fees. For instance, before the closure of schools last term, I was unable to pay off all the fee arrears. Fortunately, immediately after I received the transfer, I prioritized saving $15 toward their fee payment. I was hopeful that would ease my struggle and divert my over-reliance on charcoal making for raising their fees. Because we were in the festive season, the remaining $19 came in handy in terms of acquiring food so that we could celebrate like other neighborhoods.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly did a good job which was a result of the unique services they offered to us . The idea of helping us financially stood out since each household has its own needs. Also, they did not discriminate against anyone regardless of tribe, religion or age. Therefore, I do not see anything that they did not do well.

I spent $10 of my recent transfer on paying fees of KES for my four children who are in grades eight, five, three and two respectively. Clearing their fees on time has been a major challenge to me since I am a widow of sox who relies on small businesses ( burning and selling charcoal). I am therefore for this huge support from GiveDirectly because they have never missed any exams ever since the organisation came into our lives. I later bought three chickens at $10 which I am certain will increase in number within a short period. With the remaining amount of money, I have been buying food for my family which took us almost two weeks.

I received the cash transfer in the evening as I was preparing charcoal to sell the next day. The money made me feel like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders since I had been stressed about not affording food over the previous three days. I went right away to withdraw the money and buy food for my children so they could eat something before sleep.

The opportunity to settle my four children's pending school fees of KES 500 and get them back to school was the most significant difference the transfers made in my life. They had stayed at home for two days prior to the transfer due to outstanding school fees that I could not afford. Thanks to Give Directly, after clearing the amount, they have been studying peacefully without interruptions. 

When my husband passed away, I was automatically thrust into the role of solely providing for my seven children. To be honest, family demands sometimes weigh on me, and my father-in-law periodically offers to pitch in to relieve the strain. My main source of income is charcoal burning, which yields roughly KES 300 every week. These returns are hardly enough to sustain my family for two days. In reality, my children had gone three days without food when I received the cash transfer. As a result, I spent KES 670 on maize flour to prepare them meals. I used the remaining KES 500 to pay off the school fee balances of four children who had missed two days of class owing to unpaid tuition.