I currently have a goal that I want to achieve once I get some money. To strengthen my house, I intend to put up a few pillars. Because the topography of the home compound is not flat and water flows during the rainy seasons, by doing this it will be able to withstand swift winds as well as flowing water if it rains.

GiveDirectly's financial support program, in my opinion, is continuously dependable, allowing its recipients to make wise selections. Additionally, to enhance its operations, the organization continuously assesses how the transfers affect its recipients. So far, so good; I'm happy with the way GiveDirectly conducted its operations.

Seating, eating as well as sleeping on the floor with empty sacks as bedding was not giving me peace of mind. Upon getting this transfer, I opted to buy some furniture for my house since it was barely empty. I bought a three-seater sofa set for $250, a standard modern bed and a mattress for $100, a table for $40, and a television for $60. I did this so that I could also have a comfortable life which was my desire. Currently, I am very happy that I have a nice sleeping place and I no longer wake up tired as I used to before. I am also confident to welcome and host visitors at my place since I have some chairs where they can seat unlike before. It was shameful once I receive visitors I had to borrow some chairs from neighbors or offer the visitors some logs to seat on. In addition to that, I have the privilege of watching some news and other entertaining programs in my house after buying a television. I am no longer behind the news as I used to be courtesy of GiveDirectly.

Our goal for the coming year and beyond is to enhance our farming activities by investing in leasing and planting. Specifically, we plan to venture into profitable tomato farming and use the proceeds to purchase a piece of land, which will allow us to move out of leaseholds. We understand that leasing an acre costs $150, but the profit doubles, making it a lucrative investment. However, we acknowledge that we do not currently have sufficient funds, and we also aim to build a new house since termites have destroyed our current one. Despite the financial challenges, we remain hopeful and committed to realizing our goals.

GiveDirectly has done an excellent job of improving the living conditions of people living in poverty. Through their efforts, families who were once sleeping on the floor—mine included—now have access to clean and comfortable beds. This has had a significant impact on the quality of our lives, allowing us to sleep well and feel more comfortable in our homes. GiveDirectly's work has undoubtedly contributed to the alleviation of poverty, and many families who have benefited from their programs have appreciated their efforts.

When my daughter, who has epilepsy, accidentally fell into burning coal while playing, she suffered a severe burn on her body. Although seeking medical attention was expensive, I am grateful for GiveDirectly's timely transfer, which helped pay for some of the medical bills and other household expenses. I used $125 to pay for one of the three required theatre visits before the Baringo Governor intervened and paid the remaining $42 to cover all the skin grafting procedures and medication while she was in the hospital. Despite the burn affecting the right part of her brain and causing damage to her left eye and hands, I am relieved that she survived and is now back in school, closely supervised by teachers and neighboring pupils. With the remaining funds, I spent $325 on a six-seat sofa set, a table, a new bed, and a mattress to make our home more comfortable. Previously, we relied on subsistence farming, which we did on leased land for years. However, persistent drought rendered my husband's remote land unproductive, forcing us to seek a new place to live and farm in the current location.

That evening, I was at home when I received a message from Safaricom Mpesa. Curious to see what it had, I realized that I had received the money from GiveDirectly as promised. Because I was not expecting any money that day, seeing the indicated received amount was enough assurance that it was from GiveDirectly. I was overjoyed and had to call my husband, who was not at home at the time. He was equally excited when I told him the news, knowing that our plans would soon be realized. I could not wait any longer to withdraw the money because we did not have any food in the house. I went to a nearby shopping center and spent $50 on my first purchases.

The most significant difference in my daily life is the generous support I received from GiveDirectly, which helped me get through the difficult times with my child in the hospital. It was unfortunate that I was unable to spend as I had promised myself, but I am grateful that the money was used to save my child's life after a serious burn on his body. It is a miracle that I have been able to buy food, pay all of my medical bills, and have a bed for the past month. I am grateful to GiveDirectly and hopeful that my plans will still be realized.

I was as excited as any other member of our village when I confirmed the receipt of the first transfer. I had a lot planned, but first I prioritized buying groceries for my family of six that evening. I collected $50 from a nearby shopping center, Loboi, and spent it on food shopping and household items, including toiletries. Given the nature of our surroundings, which is characterized by scorching sun for the greater part of the year, we had a great plan to invest in goat farming. It was unfortunate that the plan we had to start was shattered when my 14-year-old epileptic child fell into the embers of an open charcoal fire. We had to rush him to a nearby hospital in an ambulance because his burns were so severe. I have been in the hospital since then, moving from one hospital unit to the next, and today was his third time in an operating room, where he was undergoing a skin grafting procedure. Seeing him wrapped in bandages with a doctor's report indicating 50% burns and still alive is a blessing. I am relieved that the swelling in my head, eyes, and legs is subsiding, and I hope we will be able to leave soon. I left my other four family members at home and am looking forward to seeing them as soon as we are released. My dream of investing in goats remains unfulfilled, but I believe it will come true before I exhaust the last transfer.