As a businesswoman, I have been actively involved in traveling to our local villages to buy goods and livestock at lower prices, which I then sell at a profit in the markets. This business has greatly benefited my family, but I am now looking to change my course and invest in a venture that requires less movement, allowing me to spend more time at home. Currently, I own some livestock, including cows and goats, which I acquired using the transfers I have been receiving from GiveDirectly. However, my husband and I have to pay someone to help take care of them, and this is a little bit costly. To address this, I plan to start a food-selling business that is just near my home. This will enable me to manage my livestock more effectively while cutting costs associated with hiring help. By running this food business, I can earn income while being present for my animals. To kickstart this new venture, I intend to use the proceeds from my current business. Additionally, I plan to continue saving a portion of my transfers through our merry-go-round group. Once I receive those funds, I will invest in more livestock to increase my herd. This growing herd will become a valuable asset that will help support my family in the future and also take care of my children's education as they transit to higher levels.

I have been into business, where I focus on traveling to our local villages to purchase items such as livestock animals, cassava, coconuts, and more at a lower price, which I then take to the market and sell for a better price and make some profit. This business has helped me support my family, and I'm grateful. Recently, I invested $42 from my transfers back into my business, and I am thrilled to see it progressing well. In our village, I also joined a merry-go-round group with 10 other people, saving another $30 of my recent transfers to it. When I get the pooled money, I want to buy livestock, especially goats. I am confident that this investment will grow over time and be a valuable source of income for my family, enabling me to support my children's education as they advance to higher levels. Finally, I allocated the remaining $30 to pay my children's school fees, ensuring they can continue their education without interruption of them being sent home to collect unpaid fees. I am hopeful that my livestock venture will provide a sustainable source of income that will support my family in the years to come.

My goal for the coming year is to utilize the forthcoming transfers and my husband's support to further expand my goat farming. Currently, I have five goats, and I aim to increase their number significantly. As the herd grows, I plan to sell some goats and use the proceeds to purchase a bull, which is essential for ploughing my farm during the rainy season. Having bulls will alleviate the physical strain of ploughing, ensuring that my farm is well-prepared for planting. Also, with the bulls, I am confident that my farm will yield better harvests, providing us with more food and income. This expansion promises a more sustainable future for our family and helps me contribute more effectively to our overall well-being. I believe we can achieve a stable and prosperous future by working hard and staying focused on this plan.

I have been operating a business that specializes in the buying and selling of livestock, more specifically goats. However, this business had faced numerous challenges, and upon receiving my transfers, I decided to use about $82 to boost it. This investment has transformed the business, and it is now thriving remarkably well. Being the sole source of income I depend on, this success has had a ripple effect on my life. I can now easily pay school fees for my five children and meet their needs, a significant improvement from when I depended on the tedious and non-profitable charcoal burning business. Now, with the livestock business flourishing, I can ensure my children have everything they need without the stress and uncertainty of the past. Additionally, I used $20 to pay school fees for my five school-going children, who are in both secondary and primary schools. The relief of not having them sent home for unpaid fees has been immense, and their academic performance has improved as a result of their consistent attendance. The peace of mind that comes from knowing they are getting a stable education is invaluable. Beyond academics, the stability in our household has fostered a more positive and encouraging environment for my children. We are no longer weighed down by the uncertainties that once plagued us, and the support from GiveDirectly has been instrumental in bringing about this positive change.

Since joining the program, I've acquired three goats, each of which has subsequently given birth, doubling my herd to six. My intention is to utilize future transfers to further expand my goat farming venture. As the goat population grows, my plan is to sell some and use the proceeds to purchase a bull, essential for plowing my farm during the rainy season. I am immensely grateful for the financial assistance provided by Give Directly, as it has significantly improved my quality of life and contributed to my financial stability.

I sustain myself through the buying and selling of hens in the market, a business fraught with its own set of challenges. However, I find solace in knowing that the financial assistance I receive bolsters my business during lean times. Recently, I invested $34 from my transfers to expand my inventory of hens, thereby augmenting my potential earnings. Witnessing a notable upturn in business, I remain optimistic about its future growth and the subsequent increase in my income. Moreover, a substantial portion of my transfers amounting to $53 was allocated towards settling my children's primary school fees. With all six of my children actively engaged in their education, I am immensely gratified. Furthermore, my eldest son completed his secondary education and anticipates enrolling in college later this year, I allocated $15 to assist him with his course applications. The financial support provided has not only revitalized my business but also ensured the continuity of my children's education, a circumstance for which I am profoundly thankful.

My goal has always been to rear broiler chickens because they mature faster and can provide a good source of income. Unfortunately, financial constraints, such as school fees for my children, limited me from realizing this dream. So, I decided to invest the initial cash transfers in purchasing four indigenous hens. These hens later gave rise to another 14 chickens that have now matured. Having this flock of chickens motivates me to continue keeping livestock because I can sell them to generate funds for my family's needs. Additionally, another goal of mine is to exchange some of these chickens for a calf in the future. Once this calf matures into a bull, I can use it for plowing activities on my farm. This will save me the struggle and expenses of having to hire an ox-plow and will be a valuable addition to my agricultural activities.

I arranged with my husband to use my cash transfers to support the education of my son, Issa, who is in his first year of high school. My husband, who works at a butchery, primarily covers the school fees for our two children in form four and the other three in primary school. From the recent three cash transfers, I allocated the total amount of $102 to pay my son Issa's school fees. There was an outstanding debt that the school administration had been reminding me about. I was worried that my child might miss out on his studies due to the debt. Fortunately, we had just harvested, and our finances were not constrained by food expenses, so I used the entire amount to clear the school fees. Since I started benefiting from the cash transfer program, there have been significant positive changes in our lives. Without these funds, I don't think I would have been able to enroll my son Issa in high school. Furthermore, my relationship with my husband has improved as he has become more involved in supporting our children's education.

As I progress to receive my transfer, my goal is to save it in the merry-go-round. That will enable me to get some money that can help me to buy cows. I have been longing to keep livestock, which I could not do due to the financial constraint I have been experiencing. I hope to accomplish early next year because that needs about $300 that I can get based on my savings then.

I have been saving $10 a month with my transfer. I use the remaining money on my kids' school expenses and groceries. Because I can always afford the monthly fees, my children who attend school are always at peace and spend more time there than before. They have experienced an improvement in their performance. Since we rely on casual jobs, paying their fees on time had been difficult for years. I always spend $10 on food each month to augment my other income because of the high cost of living. I intend to purchase animals with the money and start raising them.

Currently, I want to make sure that the school fees for my children are paid on time. I wouldn't want them to reach the prior point of dropping out of school. Thank God, I'm currently running a business. In order to avoid financial hardship when the students who are currently in primary school transition to secondary school, my goal is to pay off the existing arrears they owe the school. Once I have done this, I will begin saving $10 each month. They can only be certain of a better future through education. Like any other parent, when I see my kids thrive in life, I will be happy and proud.

Three of our six kids are in secondary school and three are in primary school. The hardest of all our home expenses has been paying for their education. In the past, we relied on my husband, who performed whatever odd jobs he could find in the area. He has not been obtaining these tasks for about a year, which has made it difficult for us financially. One of our sons had to leave school at one time because we couldn't pay the costs. Since I joined in the program, our financial position has improved, thus I am appreciative of the organization. I now sell fruits thanks to the monthly remittances. I fully funded my children's education expenditures using the transfers from the previous three months, and the earnings from the business too have kept us living. Since I began receiving the transfers, none of my children, including the one who dropped out have missed a single day of class. I'm really grateful to GiveDirectly for this.

I sell banannas , oranges and cassava. In a week I get $15 as the profit which I use to buy food for my family. Receiving this money has enabled me to save $20 in a Sacco where I plan to buy a piece of land in two years. The rest of $10 is used to pay school fees for my children

I like the fact that through the funds I get from Give Directly, I paid school fees for my children, which is one of the pressing issues I am facing in my family. I would urge the organization to increment the amount they disburse monthly so that we can plan well and do away with pressing issues that require a lot of money such as paying school fees.

I have 6 children. 2 are in secondary school while 4 are in primary school. Towards the end of the term last year, my children had huge fee balances that had accumulated. My husband earns a living employed as a butcher in town. I used to sell cooked food in a kiosk but the high cost of food items forced me to drop the job. I currently earn a living by selling fish, but the business is not doing well at the moment. The earnings from both my husband and I are not enough to cater to all my family's needs. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I spent KES 1000 to clear part of a school debt for my son who is in secondary school to avoid him being sent home. I then saved the remaining KES 2000 in “Chama”. Saving the money will ensure that I get alone and use the money to pay off the school debt that all my children owe to their respective schools.

These funds came in when I was in town getting a bursary for one of my children who was joining secondary. I was pretty stressed out at the time but the money automatically changed my mood. I became very excited as I saw the possibility of realizing my goal of starting a poultry farming business. This has not been possible as I am still repaying a KES 20000 loan, I took to settle my children's school fees. I have managed to reduce it by half and with the funds from give directly, I know soon I will clear the debt. This will then allow me to take another to support my project.

Before, I would get very tensed and stressed out about how I was going to fend for my children by myself through my catering business. My husband is now very old and fewer people contract him for the services of slaughtering livestock. The money that I will be receiving from give directly will boost our finances and it will enable me to work on the projects I had been yearning to do but never got to as I lacked the funds. One of them being poultry farming. From this, I will be having more money streaming in which will help me pay school fees for my six children and also fend for the whole family. So, there has been a great difference in my life, better yet, I am now calmer and collected

My husband's old age has obstructed him from being hired as he used to. His job entails slaughtering livestock. This has now made me the sole breadwinner of the family. Through my catering business, where I sell food to the motorcyclist, I get very little earnings that have not been enough to meet the needs of my nine children, six of whom are in school. To boost my finances, I have plans to start a poultry farming business. To facilitate this, I need KES 20,000. so, I have been saving in the merry-go-round to raise this capital. Therefore, when I got funds from give directly, I added them to the savings.