This year and beyond, I plan to continue farming in partnership with Kenya Seed Company. This will be crucial as it will allow me to comfortably support my children's education and meet other household needs. Thanks to the support from GiveDirectly, I am determined to approach farming differently this time. I plan to buy water pumps, something I didn’t have before. With these, I will be able to irrigate my farm, reducing the risk of a poor harvest. This will make my farming venture sustainable, as I will no longer rely solely on the rains to grow crops.

What stood out to me about GiveDirectly is its unconditional cash transfer program. At first, I thought it was a loan or a grant, but I soon realized it was unconditional cash that I could use to meet my specific needs. My recommendation for GiveDirectly is to continue with this approach and develop more follow-up strategies, as these are very effective in detecting fraud and understanding how cash has been utilized.

Upon receiving $450 from GiveDirectly, I was filled with happiness and gratitude because this assistance gave me hope of recovering from the devastating effects of the recent floods. I used $300 to buy construction materials to build a new house. This amount covered the cost of iron sheets, poles, frames, and labor. Before this, I was living in a muddy house that was swept away by the floods, leaving me in a temporary makeshift shelter without a proper home. Thanks to GiveDirectly’s support, I now have a house that is spacious enough for my family. After that, I used $60 to pay school fees for my two children in secondary school, one in Form One and the other in Form Three. They attend a local day school, and before the cash transfers, they had missed a few days of school due to unpaid fees. Now, with the help of GiveDirectly, they have been able to attend school consistently. I also used $60 to buy food for my family, which was essential because the floods that affected us destroyed my farm, leaving me with no harvest. This money helped us put food on the table despite the tough circumstances. Additionally, I spent $30 to buy an extra bed since we now have more space in the new house. This has brought greater comfort to my family, and we are thankful for the assistance from GiveDirectly that has significantly improved our living conditions.

It was Sunday afternoon, and I had just come back from church, feeling very stressed. A few days earlier, on Friday, my children were sent home from school because I couldn’t pay their fees. I was worried and didn’t know where the money would come from. The thought of my children missing school made me feel even worse. As the day went on, I was deep in thought when suddenly, my sons ran into the house, shouting excitedly, "Mum! GiveDirectly has sent money!" At first, I didn’t believe it. I quickly picked up my phone to check, and to my surprise, the money was really there. I was so happy and relieved that I started praying, thanking God for such a wonderful blessing. The next day, I was able to send my children back to school, feeling grateful for the help that came at just the right time.

I now feel a sense of relief and comfort. Before, life was extremely difficult. I used to sleep on sacks, which left me feeling exhausted every day. But now, I sleep on a proper mattress, and it has made a huge difference in how I feel physically and emotionally. I thank God for that blessing. My family is happier, and we have a bit more stability. The floods had destroyed my house and washed away some of my chickens, even taking my previous mattress. It was a tough time, but with the cash support, I’ve been able to rebuild small parts of our life, settle bills, and make our home more comfortable again. The support has brought us hope and a chance to recover from the damage.

Raising eight children is very challenging, but I always want to see my children living a good life, just like others. Right now, neither my husband nor I have jobs, and I am pregnant, expecting a baby. This makes it hard for me to do difficult jobs, like burning charcoal, which is our main source of income. Life has been overwhelming, especially after the floods destroyed our property. I felt hopeless, but I thank GiveDirectly for helping me when I needed it most. With the money I received, I spent $100 on school fees. I used to farm and sell the harvest to pay for fees, but last year, I couldn’t harvest anything because the floods destroyed all my maize. I also used $50 to buy a mattress and utensils, as the floods ruined what we had, leaving me with nothing. For a while, I had been sleeping on a bed without a mattress. Finally, I spent the remaining $50 on food to make sure we had enough, as we can’t burn charcoal right now because the floods have made it impossible.