In a few months, I'm looking forward to finally completing the construction of my house. It's been a long journey, but soon I'll have a place to call my own. No more sleeping at my daughter-in-law's house, which has been a bit uncomfortable at times. Having my own space will bring back a sense of dignity and independence that I've missed. Another thing on my list is to invest in good bedding, something more comfortable than the traditional rope bed I've been using. It's been causing me pain lately, and I know a modern bed with a nice mattress will make a world of difference. These may seem like simple goals, but they mean the world to me. I'm determined to see them through and make life a little easier for myself.

For the past few months, I have found solace in my daughter-in-law's home after the collapse of my own. Determined to regain my independence, I embarked on the journey of building my own home. With each monthly cash transfer, I carefully allocated funds towards purchasing essential building materials, slowly but steadily inching closer to my goal. Recognizing the enormity of the task ahead, I invested a significant portion of the previous month's money into materials and labour charges, knowing that without this assistance, the dream of owning a home would remain distant. As a widow relying on farming for sustenance, the prospect of building my own house seemed daunting and distant. However, with GiveDirectly's support, that distant dream is now tangible, promising to become a reality in just a few months. The gratitude I feel is immeasurable, as this assistance has not only provided shelter but also restored a sense of autonomy and dignity to my life.

In the upcoming year, my objective is to complete the construction of the remaining sections of my house. Currently, only one room has undergone renovation to completion, leaving the rest untouched. The space I currently occupy is limited and inadequate to meet my needs. I am optimistic about using the upcoming transfers to realize this goal. Achieving a fully finished house would not only bring me a sense of accomplishment but also honor the memory of my late husband. I express deep gratitude for all the support and assistance provided to me.

Life became challenging for me after the loss of my husband, and I struggled without a stable source of income. In an effort to support myself, I turned to maize farming as a means of earning a living. The arrival of GiveDirectly in my village has brought immense joy into my life, as it provided crucial assistance in reconstructing my deteriorated house. Years of neglect and recent heavy rains had taken a toll on its condition, leading to complete disrepair and leaving me without a place to stay. With all the transfers received, totaling $102, I purchased ten pieces of corrugated iron sheets, nails, building poles, and rafters. Additionally, I hired a builder and technician to execute the necessary construction work. I am delighted to share that I successfully restored one room, providing me with a place to live. I express my gratitude to GiveDirectly for their assistance because, without them, I would not have a place to call home.

Looking ahead, my aspiration for the coming year is to gather the necessary funds and acquire the materials needed to construct a sturdy and impressive two-room house. By achieving this, I will put an end to the challenging period of being the subject of ridicule in the village due to my lack of personal accommodation. In addition to building the house, I also have a desire to invest in purchasing livestock, which serves as a convenient means of saving for the future.

Eleven months ago, my dwelling collapsed due to a powerful overnight gust of wind. Since then, I have been relying on the hospitality of my relatives for accommodation. Throughout this period, I have diligently saved a small sum of money since joining the program. These savings are earmarked for purchasing essential materials such as iron sheets, building poles, and other necessary items to construct a new and spacious house. The completion of this project will not only restore my dignity as an African woman but also grant me the pride of homeownership once again.Upon receiving my May transfers, I allocated $19 towards acquiring two pieces of iron sheets. Furthermore, I utilized $15 to procure essential food items. This included twelve packets of maize flour, a quarter kilogram of sugar, as well as some washing detergents. The assistance provided through the monthly transfers is greatly appreciated, as it eases my financial burden during these difficult times when the cost of food items has skyrocketed, making it challenging for us to afford basic necessities.

Right now my mind is on building my new house. Give Directly’s cash transfers are the best chance of making this dream possible because I do not have any other source of income. Besides, the money that my son makes from hawking soaps and detergents can hardly cater to anything beyond food. Once am settled in the new space, I will start saving towards acquiring livestock and supporting the education of my grandchildren. 

In June last year, my house collapsed from heavy rains. Following the incident, my son accommodated me in his two-room house, where I have been staying to date. Though my child is generous enough to let me shelter under his roof, I feel like am depriving his wife and seven children of their privacy. That is why my focus over the last few months has been on building a new structure. From each of the three recent transfers, I deducted $30 to buy building poles and iron sheets. The goal is to assemble the necessary building materials and then hire someone later to construct the two-room house. I spent each of the remaining transfers to boost the food stock in the household so that it would not run out. 

I applaud GiveDirectly for the generosty it has shown us so far. This is due to the fact that were it not for me receiving this money, I don't think I would even be thinking about rebuilding my house because I'm quite old and I lack a constant source of income either way.

About a month after I received my first transfer, unfortunately my house collapsed and I ended up moving into my son's house. Lucky enough for me, I had already started receiving cash from the program and therefore I decided that with every transfer that I received, I would start stacking up building materials so that I could finally build of my house. Therefore this time round I ended up using KES 2,500 on purchasing iron sheets. I ended up with a balance of KES 500 and I went ahead to purchase two packets of maize flour, groceries and beans so that I could have a meal.

I was creating scarecrows on my farm to deter birds from eating my crops. My phone vibrated to let me know I got a message while I still in the farm. Since I could not read due to my impaired vision, I asked my grandson, who was sitting next to me, to read the message aloud. He told me I had gotten my first transfer, which was great news. I was unable to contain my happiness as tears streamed down my pudgy cheeks. I bowed my head and muttered a little prayer of appreciation to the Lord in praise of the delightful gift.

Without a reliable source of income, it was difficult for me to support my large family. The lack of rain makes it challenging to locate the manual work that I do. Additionally, the wages from these jobs are insufficient to cover all of the necessities of the family. The fact that the transfer made sure we had enough food for a full week has greatly improved my life, and I am grateful for that.

I reside in the village with my seven grandchildren. Their parents work in a far-off town, so I've been given the job of looking after them. Given my advanced age, I do very little to meet their basic needs, such as purchasing food, covering their school expenses, and providing clothing. To make a living and support the family, I sell brooms and labor on other people's farms. We frequently run out of food because of our financial situation and the low earnings from my informal work. We had been eating just one meal a day for the previous three months to stay alive. I was overjoyed and full of optimism for better days when I got my first transfer. I purchased two kilograms of sugar, two kilograms of beans, three packets of maize flour, and 500 grams of tea leaves. I bought the food in large quantities because I wasn't sure when I would have enough money to buy more food for the family.