Relying primarily on income from charcoal making, which often yields limited returns, the transfers have provided much-needed financial relief for my household. In addition to this, I also engage in goat rearing, which has proven invaluable during periods of financial strain, offering a reliable means of generating income through sales when needed. Given the stability and flexibility that goats provide as a financial resource, I am keen to capitalize on opportunities to expand my herd whenever possible. Saving a portion of the transfers for this purpose enables me to gradually increase my stock of goats. With their relatively low cost, often obtainable for as little as $40 per goat, this investment is both accessible and practical. The expansion of my goat herd serves as a form of financial security, offering a reliable fallback option during unforeseen financial emergencies. Their ease of care and affordability make them an ideal asset to have on hand, providing peace of mind knowing that I have a sustainable source of income to rely on when needed.

The transfers have played a crucial role in addressing the educational needs of my children, particularly my son who attends secondary school. Given the considerable distance to the nearest school which also lacks boarding facilities, it was necessary to secure accommodation by renting him a house near the school premises, as daily commuting was impractical. This additional renting expense, combined with the ongoing financial responsibilities for his basic needs and school fees, places a significant strain on my modest income as a charcoal maker. Managing these costs while also providing for my other children's educational requirements presents a considerable challenge. To mitigate this financial burden and ensure timely fulfillment of my son's school obligations, I allocate approximately $25 from the transfers directly to him for his fees and basic necessities. The remaining funds are then allocated towards addressing the educational and essential needs of my other children, such as school fees, food, and clothing. Despite the financial constraints, I am committed to prioritizing my children's education and well-being. The support provided by the transfers enables me to navigate these challenges and ensure that each child receives the necessary support to thrive academically and personally.

I intend to purchase three goats while continuing to pay my children's school fees, believing that this investment will enable me to generate an income to support their education expenses. My hope is that this additional income will also assist in providing our household needs, including medical expenses when a family member falls ill. Furthermore, I am contemplating saving money to build my children a house since living under the same roof as they grow into adults is becoming uncomfortable. I'm forever grateful for the transfers.

For a while, my wife and I have been running a small charcoal-burning business, to sustain our family. However, it's no longer profitable. At the moment, we are facing challenges due to a scarcity of trees available for burning. Before, we would earn $60 on a good day, currently this has reduced to $10. Despite these difficulties, I am so grateful for the transfers provided by GiveDirectly. With the transfers we've been able to meet our household's basic needs. Without GiveDirectly we would have not managed to survive. We have six children, four of them are in school, and the fifth one will be joining next year as he recently turned five. Recognizing the significance of education, I prioritize investing in my children's education. As a result, a huge portion of the transfers I receive covers their school-related expenses. In the last three months I have allocated $60 for my eldest child who is in high school, this covered both his tuition and boarding fees. I then allocated $32 for the other three children who are in junior school. After these expenses, I was left with only $10, which I spent on other essential household needs. This commitment to their education ensures their future is secured hence will enable them to support the household in return.

I intend to add more goats in the coming year and beyond because they are valuable assets on which I can rely for my household expenses. I currently keep five goats, and I plan to let them multiply and sell the offspring to meet my financial needs. I have six children who all rely on me for their school fees, and because I do not have a steady source of income, I intend to rely on the goats for my children's future education expenses.

I spent my most recent transfers on paying fees for my four children currently enrolled in school, buying food, and buying a goat. My children have never been sent home due to fees since I began receiving the money. Prior to the program, they were frequently sent home because I did not have enough money to pay their fees on time. I am grateful to GiveDirectly because, in addition to having more time to prepare for the next term's fees, my children will be able to achieve their educational goals. I also own a goat, which I purchased for $34 after saving a portion of my monthly income. I am hopeful that in the near future, I will be able to sell goats to meet my financial needs, such as paying my children's school fees. Finally, the transfer ensured that there was enough food in my household. I purchased maize flour that would last us several weeks, ensuring that my children ate three meals a day.

We have been experiencing a severe famine, which has caused us to focus on looking for food. Even though with the transfer, it has been easier for me to take my children to school, there are moments when I feel uncomfortable sending the small amount of money I receive for fee payment when there is no food in the house. As a result, I set a goal at the start of this year to prioritize using some of my transfer to buy food. Since I am unemployed, I always find it difficult to provide for my family. I will also direct some of it toward raising livestock. Because I have children, the flock will come in handy if I ever need extra cash for an urgent need.

Since GiveDirectly first started working in our village, it has done well in enrolling all the needy people in its program. As a result, we have been alleviated from the hard life situations we were experiencing. With the transfer, I have been able to buy food and cover my children's school fees every month. It has done a lot to create massive awareness about the nature of its program through a sensitization program, hence we pretty much understand how its program works. Additionally, by sending cash directly through the Mpesa platform, we feel our safety is enhanced against fraudsters. I have not yet noticed anything that GiveDirectly does not do well.

I am a mason, and I always rely on construction jobs which have become rare to get within the village. Unfortunately, my wife does not have any source of income except to depend on charcoal burning. Therefore, as a family, we had been experiencing struggles in raising school fees for our children and buying food for the entire family. As a result, we occasionally skip meals to cope with the situation. However, with the recent transfer, I paid part of the previous year's fee arrears of $10. I also spent $24 on food that took us for a whole week. I am so grateful to GiveDirectly for the financial support.

I was heading home from work at around 6 p.m. when my phone vibrated with a message alert. Since I cannot read, I couldn’t wait to get home and have my son check the contents of the message. After confirming, he found that Give Directly had sent my first cash transfer as promised. My heart was filled with so much joy that I immediately requested him to cash out the money. 

By the time I received the transfer, I was struggling to meet the most basic needs of my family; food and school fees. The household had run out of food for two days and my eighth-grade son had been sent home to collect outstanding school fees. Honestly, the stress was almost unbearable. I was so relieved when I received the cash from Give Directly that I instantly cashed it out to cover these pressing needs. The relief and ability to provide for my family at such a time when I had hit a rock bottom, is the greatest difference. 

To provide for my wife and six children, I handle casual tasks in house construction for a living. These jobs rarely come by, which makes me work at most three times per week, making $5 a day. Given the current high cost of living, the money hardly provides enough food for my family, let alone cover school fees for my children. This is why I used $5 from the transfer to clear a school fee debt for my eighth-grade son that had remained unpaid for a month. Am glad that he took his national examinations without being interrupted to pick the fees. Also, my family had been consuming one meal daily for the last two days after we ran out of food. So, I spent the remaining amount on maize flour. At least this lasted until I got another house construction call.