I rely mainly on subsistence farming, which only ensures that food is adequately available in my household. I do not have a reliable source of income that I can depend on to cover expenses such as my children's school fees. To create a sustainable source of income, I plan to continue saving and invest in breeding goats. Owning a herd of goats is a good investment for me because I can sell them to generate cash when needed as they multiply. I currently own four goats, and I plan to purchase more in the coming year as a long-term investment for my children's education.

I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the recent support because I was able to pay the school fees for my four children. If it wasn't for this transfer, I would have had a hard time raising the total fees required, and as a result, my children would have been sent home. I used to work as a nanny, and though I was not earning much, I had to stop after getting sick for some months. Since then, I have been doing subsistence farming just to have enough food for my family. Knowing that my children's education is taken care of has given me peace of mind. I spent $20 to clear the fee arrears, and now I don't have to worry about fees for the next few months. I have ample time to prepare for the next term's payment. I've also been saving the transfers every month to make sure that I can pay for their education when they need it. I joined a savings group and have been saving at least $20 each month. With these savings, I hope to be able to provide my children with a good education, as some will soon be entering junior high school. I am also planning to use these savings to buy some goats, which are valuable assets that I can also rely on in case of financial need. In addition to the fees, I also spent $20 on ploughing my acreage since it was planting season. I'm glad I did it early, and I'm expecting a good harvest that will help alleviate any food shortage in my household. Finally, I used the remaining amount to buy foodstuffs and some household items that I needed, including toiletries.

My focus is on wealth creation through livestock rearing. I am pleased to have initiated this endeavor with the acquisition of two goats from previous cash transfers. I believe that building a herd of goats will provide me with the means to sell them and meet the needs of my four children. Since the passing of their father, I have been grappling with the challenges of sustaining them through casual jobs such as charcoal making. Livestock represents a tangible relief from these persistent hardships. Every month, I diligently save $20 through a self-help group, to use these savings solely for the purchase of goats once the club dissolves early next year.

From the recent cash transfers, I managed to save $40 through a self-help group, a practice I have been following since the beginning of the year. When the group dissolves next year, I plan to utilize the accumulated funds to purchase goats. Additionally, taking advantage of the ongoing heavy rains, I allocated $39 to compensate for plowing activities and weeding for my maize crops, ensuring their optimal growth. The remaining amount was used to buy food for my children. As a widow, I am their sole provider, and while I engage in occasional activities like charcoal making and household chores to meet their needs, these efforts are not always sufficient. The cash transfers have proven to be a crucial support system, particularly in purchasing food and covering the school fees of my four children.

In the upcoming year and beyond, my plan is to invest in buying more goats and focus on keeping and rearing them. Previously, this venture seemed unattainable, as I primarily used the transfers to meet my basic needs, such as food. Our reliance on subsistence farming for food was affected by a prolonged drought, making it impractical for some years. However, with recent sufficient rainfall, I have fully cultivated my four acres of land, and I am confident of obtaining a good harvest. This positive development ensures that food will no longer be a pressing challenge, allowing me to redirect the transfers towards purchasing goats. The decision to own goats is an excellent project, as they can serve as a valuable financial resource in times of need. Moreover, apart from their immediate financial benefits, I also see a promising future for my children's education with the inclusion of goats in our livelihood.

I invested a bigger portion of my recent transfers in farming, a decision I believe will help overcome the constant food shortages my household has been facing. I hired a pair of oxen, enabling me to carry out early planting and cultivation on my four acres of arable land. This fills me with hope that we will have a bountiful harvest, ensuring food security for my family. To support the farming endeavour, I also purchased maize seeds to cultivate on my farm. In addition to farming, I am delighted to have set aside $20 in our local savings group. My intention is to accumulate these savings over time and eventually use them to purchase some goats, which I will care for and rear. I also used a portion of the transfer to pay the school fees for my four children. By doing so, I ensured that they would not face any interruptions due to fee arrears. Education is also a priority, and it brings me immense joy to see my children comfortably continuing their education. Lastly, I used some of the funds to purchase enough foodstuffs, particularly maize flour, to sustain my family for several weeks. This timely provision of food has allowed us to enjoy three meals a day without the burden of scarcity that we once experienced.

Being a widow, I lack the necessary support to provide for my six children. Sometimes, hardships weigh so much on me that I fail to fulfill others. As we speak, I have not been able to enroll my child who recently graduated elementary school into high school; I do not have the funds. Other than wanting to send my child to school, I also want to build a house for my children. Ever since my husband passed away, we have been sharing the space that was built for my co-wife and her children. I wish to own a two-room house, made of mud walls and a tin roof. I would be happy if the rains persisted so that I can cultivate food crops and spend every penny I earn on the house project. 

I am grateful to be receiving the cash transfers from Give Directly. As a widow, with no one to support me, the money helps me to support the education of my children, provide food for them, and buy livestock. These are things that my job as a house manager, where I earn at most $60 per month, cannot completely meet. By the time I received the cash transfer, my daughter who had been admitted to junior school was in need of school uniforms as I had not bought her earlier. So I spent $10 on a pair of school attire and $8 on a new school bag. Also, my household had less food, so I spent the remaining on maize flour. At least it served my six children for a week. I spent the cash I received in February to buy a goat for rearing. As it reproduces, my wealth also grows. 

I am planning to build a new spacious house in the coming year and also buy goats. My current house is very small and I have to squeeze my items in order to get some space. I am planning to start buying some of the building materials as months go by until I have enough to start the construction. I am also planning to invest in livestock such as goats since they are the only assets I can manage to have. I believe when they reproduce and increase in number, I can readily sell them to cater for my financial needs.

I realized the transfers had actually been sent out especially because I had debts in tuition and my kids had already spent three days out of school. Therefore immediately I got the chance to withdraw the money I ended up spending KES 1,000 on paying fees for five of my children. I wanted to buy a goat with a remaining balance which was KES 2,400 but unfortunately it was less than what the goat actually went for. Therefore I am planning to leave that money in my savings account and then wait for the next batch of transfers so that add on it and purchase the goat as planned.

GiveDirectly has the best mechanisms for selecting and enrolling people in the village. This has promoted fairness and as a result, not everybody is contented with the selection criteria. I recommend that the organization increase the monthly stipend so that we can cope well with the sharp increase in essential commodities such as food.

I am a casual laborer earning a living as a house helper. My monthly payment is KES 4000 which is not enough to settle all my family’s needs (paying school fees, buying food and clothes). My five children were sent home on their first week of the second term because of school fee arrears. I did not have to get them back to school because I had not received my salary. When I received my transfer, I was very happy and relieved. I cleared the school fee arrears and they were admitted back to school to continue with their education. Besides paying school fees I bought food amounting to KES 1000.

I heard my phone vibrating and upon checking it out, I found i had received a text message. I handed the phone over to my friend, who informed me that I had received some money. I was confused since I was not expecting money from anyone that day. Later, I realized the money I had received was my first transfer. I was thrilled and my heart was at peace.

I have struggled to pay school fees for my children. Receiving the transfer and being able to pay school fees for my children is the biggest difference the transfers have made in my life. I am grateful my children are back in school and continuing with their education.

I am a widow with four children. The children are in primary school. I spent my entire transfer on paying school fees arrears for my children. I earn a living as a casual laborer making and selling charcoal. Per day i earn as little as KES 250 which is not enough to cater to all my family's needs (pay school fees, buy food and medication). Because of my unstable source of income, I cannot pay school fees on time and my children suffer the consequences of staying at home while their friends go to school. Before receiving the transfer, they had spent two weeks at home without going to school. I am glad that they are now back in school after clearing part of the debt they owed to the school.