"I have four kids who are all in high school and getting their school fees has been an uphill task for me. Clearing their school fees in lump sum has never been an option for me and this prompted me to negotiate with their respective school administration to at least allow me to pay in bits. Even after all these, getting that small amount has never been easy since I mostly rely on unreliable casual labour to sustain both my family and the kids at school."

"Having the dairy cow had made my life o be so different and I can proudly mention. I opted to purchase it because it has numerous benefits. One, I will be getting milk for free for my family consumption, thus will be a surplus to my children's daily meal. Previously, I used to buy milk from friends and it was so costly. In addition to that, I will be selling the remaining liters to the nearby markets and neighbors and generate an income. I believe the little money I will be getting from this business will enable me to pay school fees for my children and cater to all their basic needs."

"I spent part of my first transfer on buying a dairy cow at KES 22000. I then bought a few pieces of iron sheets, to renovate my house that used to leak during the rainy seasons. I then cleared the huge school fees arrears for my children. They have been staying home for the last two months and I needed to do something before they gave up and dropped out of school. I then bought a new mattress because I used to sleep on a traditional bed made of ropes, which was very uncomfortable. I always complained of back pains. I am glad because this will soon come to an end. I then bought medicine for my cow. The medicine will help in boosting its health. The remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs and other household items that I did not have."

"As a tailor, I have always wished I had my own sewing machine, but I could not afford to buy one since the machines are very costly. Ever since I graduated from college I have been working from my friend's workshops and I used to be paid on commission. My salary was very little that it couldn't meet the needs of my family. I was always borrowing loans so that I can clear fee balances for my children, life was so miserable. Having the two sewing machines that I acquired from the financial support from GiveDirectly has changed everything. The money I get from this business is much better than what I used to work form someone. I at times hire one to my friends and get an income as well. I no longer borrow loans since the money I am getting is enough to cater to my family's daily needs and even my children's school fees"

"My father used to work with the county council as a tax collector. This made home the breadwinner and the beacon of hope in our home. Not until early last year when age couldn't allow him to continue working, he was forced to retire. Ever since things have not been the same, paying my school fees became a problem but thanks to GD's for the support that has been helping me pay my school fees. I am currently in form two proceeding to form three."

"I have two children in high school and in college. Raising enough money for their school fees is the biggest challenge. Being a single mother without a stable income makes life unbearable. Receiving this money to me was the biggest relief because I was able to set aside KES 10500 for my son who is in college and also KES 5000 for one in high school. I am now at peace seeing my children going to school without any interruptions. In addition to this, I spent KES 30000 to buy a cow which I am now rearing in my homestead. I expect it to reproduce with time. Besides, I will also be earning money by selling the milk that this cow will be producing. I spent the remaining amount to buy foodstuffs for my family and bedding worth KES 5000."

"The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving these transfers is that I have been able to pay school fees for my children. In this year, they have never been sent home for fees arrears as it was the case before the transfers. In the past, they would be sent home on a monthly basis as I was not able to pay their arrears in time. This is because I did not have a stable source of income. I only relied on a small income from casual work which was not consistent and paying very little. Due to many family needs, I could not keep up in paying my children fees arrears in time as required. I had to faults just to cater for other needs of the family. This is why my children would be sent home on a monthly basis. Since I started receiving these transfers, I have been using part of it to pay my children's fees arrears bit by bit. As a result, I have managed to clear this year's arrears and when they report next year, I will still keep up in the same way."

"I am living with my grandsons whom I take care of their education since they do not have any other person to depend on for their school fees and also in providing their basic needs. This has been a challenge to me because I do not have any source of income. Thus receiving this money from GiveDirectly was a great relief to me, because I cleared their school fees in advance for them to comfortably continue with their studies and also did the shopping for them. In addition to this, I also purchased ten goats at KES 26000 which I am currently rearing in my homestead. I know these goats will reproduce and increase in number. This is a saving for the future of my grandson's education since I can sell these goats in the near future and raise more money for their fees. I spent the remaining amount to pay for household basic needs such as foodstuffs and paying for some household expenses."

"I spent part of my transfer to purchase a dairy cow. This decision was purposefully to carter for the future education of my children. My husband does not work and so I thought that having a cow was the best idea since I will be able to sell the calves so as to pay their school fees. I also bought a mattress. We had an old one which was uncomfortable. I am glad that nowadays, I enjoy having a good sleep. The festive occasion which is around the corner saw me purchase clothes for my children. I want them to look decent and enjoy it. I lastly saved the rest of the money for my child who will be joining high school next year."

"The income from selling chapati's in a nearby center could barely support my family's basic need such as food . At times , we would miss meals when I had taken debts all over the village from friends and some relatives without settling them on time and I was left with no where to go . I used to empathize with myself and had the feeling of being a disappointment to my children . My life is different since I have been able to take care of my five children's school fees arrears with the transfer . On the other hand , I am glad that my children can afford three meals in a day which sounded as an luxury before ."