"As a mother of 11 children, my greatest desire is to see all of them in school, receiving the education they deserve. At the moment, only three of my children are enrolled in school, while some who are of school-going age remain at home because I do not have the financial means to enroll them. This situation weighs heavily on my heart, but it also fuels my determination to find a solution. To address this, I have prioritized investing in goats using a portion of my transfers, while using another portion to pay school fees for those who are already in school. This strategy gives me hope. By nurturing and growing my herd of goats, I envision them multiplying, increasing in both number and value. Over time, I plan to sell some of them to generate the funds needed to enroll the other children and continue supporting those already in school. This approach is not just a plan; it is my pathway to giving all my children a chance at a brighter future. I am filled with optimism and confidence that it will work out, allowing me to fulfill my dream of seeing every one of my children educated and empowered. I am deeply grateful to GiveDirectly for their unwavering support. Their assistance has provided me with the means to take these important steps toward securing my children’s future, and I remain hopeful and excited for what lies ahead."

"As I have shared before, one of my biggest dreams is to own cows. To make this dream a reality, I have been using my transfers from GiveDirectly to invest in goats and chickens. My plan is to continue dedicating a portion of my transfers to purchasing more chickens and goats. My hope is that the chickens will multiply, giving me the opportunity to trade some of them for goats. Over time, the goats I acquire through trade and those purchased with transfers will also multiply, allowing me to exchange them for female cows. I envision these female cows not only growing in number but also providing my family with milk, significantly improving our nutrition. The idea of having a stable source of nourishment for my family fills me with hope and determination. Looking further ahead, I dream of starting a business. While I have not yet decided on the exact nature of this business, I am optimistic that, with time, I will develop a clear vision that I can bring to life. To fund this future endeavor, I plan to sell some of my cows, using the proceeds as starting capital. This plan gives me immense hope for the future, and I am deeply grateful for the support we continue to receive from GiveDirectly. Their assistance is not just helping me meet my current needs but also empowering me to work towards a brighter, more secure future for my family."

"I have been renovating my house for quite some time and I am happy to share that I am in the final stages of the renovations. It fills me with immense pride and happiness to see this dream nearly realized. My plan for the coming year and beyond is to use a portion of my transfers from GiveDirectly to complete the remaining repairs, ensuring that my family has a safe, secure, and comfortable place to call home. This house represents not only shelter but a symbol of stability and hope for our future. However, a devastating drought that has gripped our region remains a pressing challenge exposing us to hunger.. Until the rains come and we can secure sustainable food, I intend to continue using part of my transfers to buy food for us. The peace of mind that comes with knowing my family has enough to eat is truly invaluable. Looking ahead, I plan to invest in growing my herd of goats, adding to the few I already own. My hope is that these goats will multiply and increase in value, providing a reliable and sustainable source of income for my family in the future. This venture is not just about survival; it is about creating a foundation that I can build upon to support my family for years to come. I am profoundly grateful for the support from GiveDirectly. These transfers have been a lifeline, enabling me to care for my family during difficult times and build a brighter, more secure future."

"My family is currently facing a difficult and trying time. My eldest son, who is our primary breadwinner, was involved in a terrible motorcycle accident. As he continues his recovery, my immediate priority is to support him with the medical bills and provide food for our family using my transfers from GiveDirectly. His well-being means everything to me, and I am committed to supporting him until I see him back on his feet. I am also working toward securing a stable future for my family. I have been developing a plot of land which is by the roadside where I am building rental houses. I envision that this will be a dependable source of income especially when this program eventually comes to an end. To achieve this, once my son is back on his feet, I plan to save a portion of my transfers through our local savings group so that I may use the accumulated funds to purchase additional building materials and continue construction until the project is complete. This vision fills me with hope and determination. I know that with careful planning and perseverance, I will achieve this goal, creating a legacy that will support my family for years to come. I am deeply grateful to GiveDirectly for their support during these challenging times. Their assistance has not only provided immediate relief but also renewed my hope for a brighter and more secure future."

"Before receiving the cash transfer, life was very tough, I had to hop from one small business to another just to be able to afford meals for my family. I would sometimes hawk dry fish and snacks around the village and my small business failed every single time. I had to take a break and start afresh every single time. After receiving the transfer, I have been able clear my children fee arrears. My son who is currently sitting for his KCSE exams has no fee debts and that's a relief for me since he wont have any trouble collecting his certificates once the results are out."

"When I received my cash transfer, my priority was to spend it on getting proper shelter and beddings. I had never had such comfort as far as I can remember. I used $120 to buy 2 mattresses for my children and I. This was because we only had one traditional bed and we would sleep on the floor whenever we had visitors at our home. I spent $370 to buy building materials for a new house since my current house was single roomed and I needed an upgrade. I used $50 to clear my son's school fees debt because I didn't want him having any arrears after finishing his KCSE exams. I spent the remaining $10 on buying food stuffs."

"Before receiving the Give Directly cash transfer I used to toil hard every single day to afford the most basic needs. I would go to the forest to cut down trees and make charcoal then struggle to find buyers for me to earn some little cash to cater for my kids school fees and afford the most basic needs for my family. Despite the hard work and struggle I was still not able to sustain my family, there are days that we would go hungry and my kids were sent back home due to fee arrears. After receiving the cash transfer, I've been able to clear most of kids school fees and cater for my basic needs. I can now have a breather as I plan for next year."

"When I received my first transfer, I had previously planned to work on renovating my house because it was badly damaged on the sides and was not fit to live in. I spent $170 on buying building materials, that is, building blocks and cement. I also spent $80 on labor. I spent $50 on my kids school fees since they had arrears that were preventing them from doing their end of term exams. I bought two bags of maize at $37 to stock up my food supply since we never got any farm produce during the previous farming season due to drought. I spent $70 to buy a big metallic cooking pot for renting during local events because of the current festive season there is high demand for leasing cooking utensils. I saved the remaining $80 to buy new clothes for my children to wear during Christmas celebrations."

"For over a decade now , my family and I have never had the pleasure of sleeping on a bed and the comfort of a mattress since the beds we owned were made from sisal. This is what we could afford. That is why I made it my mission that this money allow my family and I to afford this luxury. After thinking about it critically, the idea of buying a bed and mattress would be more costly if I had to buy the stuff from the store. Therefore, I decided to find a carpenter who would make the beds from scratch. I found someone who owned a chainsaw and they cut down a tree from my farm which cost me 80 USD. After that, I went ahead to hire a carpenter who made four beds from the tree that had been cut down for 180 USD. I was excited that everything was going to plan. Later, I proceeded to purchase four mattresses for 260 USD and my vision finally came to life. Finally the last 30 USD was sufficiently spent on nutrition by purchasing a sack of maize flour because as I had mentioned my family and I were on the verge of starvation."

"First and foremost I would like to extend that thanks to the organization for the help they offered to us. The biggest change for my family and myself would have to be the fact that now we can happily enjoy resting on a bed. In as much as it seems like a trivial matter, this addition for my family has left us feeling blessed and happy. I am grateful and overjoyed to see that my kids are happy as well. That is every parent's dream."