"I am thankful to GiveDirectly for their great support. Before receiving the cash transfer, life was hard because I was struggling to meet the needs of my family. Paying for my child's school fees felt impossible, and I worried about her not having the necessary books for school. It was stressful knowing that the school year was about to start, and I didn't want her to miss out on her education. However, after receiving the money, everything changed for the better. Now, my family is happy, and I was able to pay the school fees and buy the books she needed. My daughter is now back at school, and I feel a sense of relief and joy knowing that I can provide for her future. I am very thankful to GiveDirectly for their great support."

"After receiving the cash transfer, I felt a wave of relief, knowing I could finally tackle some of the challenges my family was facing. The first thing I did was use $50 to purchase wire mesh. My farm had been vulnerable to damage from livestock, and with the wire mesh, I knew I could protect my crops. This gave me peace of mind, as I no longer had to constantly guard my farm against goats that often ruined my hard work. Next, I used another $50 to clear my child’s school fees. He had accumulated many arrears, and it had become a burden on our family. Along with clearing the fees, I bought him a tracksuit for school. Now, I no longer have to worry about the school calling me about unpaid fees, and my son can attend school without any disruptions. It feels like a weight has been lifted, knowing he can focus on his education.The remaining $80 went toward purchasing food for my family of three children. We had been struggling for a while, as I mostly rely on casual jobs, and we didn’t have enough food at home. Being the second wife in a polygamous marriage, I often manage things on my own, as my husband is a police officer and has to support another family as well. But since receiving the cash, our lives have improved. I’m no longer depending so heavily on my husband, and for that, I am truly grateful."

"The biggest difference I have seen after receiving the unconditional cash from GiveDirectly is that I was able to plant my beans on time, just before the best planting window closed. I was running out of time, and any delays would have meant that the beans could be affected by red mites, ruining the entire crop. I was on the verge of giving up because I didn’t have the finances to cover the farm costs, and I knew that if I missed the season, I would later struggle to find money for my son's school fees. But thanks to GiveDirectly, all this has changed for the better, and I now feel more hopeful for the future."

"It was on the 14th in the afternoon, and I was just relaxing with my grandson when I heard a message notification on my phone. I always have my phone close, so I checked it immediately. When I saw that it was the GiveDirectly transfer, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with joy. At that moment, I knew I could finally cover the school fees for my children and buy food items for the household. It was such a relief, knowing that the help had come right when I needed it most."

"I was at the farm tending to my crops when my phone beeped with a message. Curious, I wiped my hands and checked it immediately. To my surprise, there was money in my mobile money account from an unfamiliar sender. I stared at it for a moment, confused, until it clicked – GiveDirectly had promised to send us money! The amount matched, and a wave of relief and joy washed over me. I left the farm and headed towards the shopping center, where I spotted GiveDirectly staff confirming if we had received the money. We all confirmed with a lot of joy that the money had arrived. My wife was away at training, so I couldn’t share the news with her right away. I had to wait until Sunday when she could access a phone. But at that moment, I felt a weight lift – I could now pay my children’s school fees."

"With two children in secondary school, my current goal is to ensure they complete their education. God willing, by the end of this year, they will have finished their final exams. Once they do, I will have some relief and can redirect the transfers I've been using to pay their school fees toward building a house for my family. We currently live in a small one-roomed house, which is not comfortable for all of us as we lack privacy. As a single parent, my ambition is to provide my children with good living arrangements that they deserve. My plan is to build a three-room house where we can all live comfortably and have the privacy we need. To achieve this, I plan to use a portion of the transfers I've been using to pay school fees for my secondary school children, along with some money I will be making from my other casual hustles. I will gradually buy building materials and start building the house I've always desired. I am hopeful that I will be able to achieve this, and once complete, I will be very happy. I am grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has been giving us. This assistance has been instrumental in helping me pursue my goals of educating my children and giving me hopes of improving our living conditions."

"The financial situation in my family at the time I was finishing my secondary school studies was not favorable. This forced me to shelve my plans of joining university and instead pursue a tailoring course in college. The financial boost from the GiveDirectly transfers enabled me to enroll in the course at the beginning of this year. I have been using the transfers to pay for both my tuition fees and accommodation while attending school. I spent $68 from the transfers to partly cover my school fees and accommodation, which ensured I could continue my studies in a conducive environment. I also allocated $10 to purchase food, ensuring I had enough to eat. Additionally, I spent $18 on personal effects such as detergents, tissue rolls, and soap, maintaining my hygiene and comfort while in school. Unfortunately, I fell ill at some point and spent $6 on medicinal drugs for my recovery. I am relieved and happy to be well now, thanks to the medication I was able to buy with the support of the transfers. I am very grateful and appreciative of the financial assistance, which has helped me achieve my goal of enrolling in college and pursuing my dream course. The support has been instrumental in easing my financial burden and enabling me to focus on my studies."

"In April, I found myself in a tight spot and had to borrow $100 from a close friend to pay my son’s school fees. He’s in Form 1, and I did not want him to be sent home for missing fees, as education is so important. The borrowed money helped, but I knew I had to repay her soon to avoid straining our friendship. So, when I received the cash transfer, I knew the first thing I had to do was pay her back, which I did, and in full. Next, I set aside $50 to cover my son’s school fees for this term. I did not want to take any chances of him missing classes and ensuring he stays in school gives me peace of mind. The remaining money went into my small restaurant business, which helps support our family. With $23, I bought a bale of baking flour, and for $8, I got cooking fat. These supplies ensure I can meet the demands of my regular customers and keep my business running smoothly. I feel relieved knowing my son is in school and my restaurant is stocked, allowing me to continue providing for my family."

"I have always dreamt of having a herd of livestock and a good flock of chicken so that in the future I can rely on them to take care of my family and my children's education, especially when this program comes to an end. To work toward this goal, I spent $34 of my recent transfers to buy a goat, hoping it will multiply and increase in number and value. I also spent $5 to purchase three chicken, with the same hope that they will increase in number, allowing me to trade them for more goats in the future. Additionally, I have two children in school, so I used $20 of the transfers to pay their school fees to ensure they wouldn’t be sent home for unpaid dues. I also bought them new school uniforms and shoes for $14, as their old ones were worn out and unsuitable for school. To support their education further, I purchased some necessary stationery supplies that were needed at school for another $5. Consequently, with the current hunger crisis in our region and the fact that I lack a reliable source of income, I spent the remaining $24 on food for my family to ensure we wouldn’t go hungry. I am truly grateful for the financial support from GiveDirectly; it has been incredibly helpful, especially during these challenging times."

"As a parent of seven school-going children, my greatest dream is to see them well educated so that they can live better lives than we currently do in the future. To ensure their education, I recently spent $60 of my transfers to pay their school fees, supplementing this with earnings from my charcoal-selling business. This was very important so as to prevent them from being sent home due to unpaid fees. Given the prolonged dry spell and food shortages in our area, I used the remaining $42 of my transfers to buy food for my family. This investment was essential to ensure that we wouldn’t go hungry and could stay healthy. I am incredibly grateful for the support from GiveDirectly, which has enabled me to educate my children and provide them with food during these challenging times."