After spending all the transfers that I had received as planned by my family members, I was so happy to see the great steps we had taken in changing the face of our household. We came together with my elder brothers a month later and divided the family land that gave me chance to move my old houses to a new piece where I constructed afresh. To me, that was a new goal I had not planned before receiving the transfer but I am glad that the savings that I had enabled me to realize it within a short time after topping it up with the transfer that I was left with.

For the past 14 years, life had been so hard for me that getting such a huge amount that I got from GiveDirectly was just a dream. I was happy to be part of this program and I can attest to the fact that GieDirectly took a wise move by giving us a chance to spend the money on what we needed without them instructing us on how to use it. This brought lots of changes in my household and I can now work on my projects unlike before when I could toil to earn a little amount from the casual labor. I have nothing to complain about but am just appreciative of all that has transpired in my life in the past few months.

Upon receiving my last transfer, I was glad to have spent most of the first on what we needed most as a household. A large portion of the KES 53000 that I had received went to the family savings account with the plan to spend it on any upcoming need in the future. It never took us that long before deciding to demolish our old houses after the subdivision of the family land among my brothers forced us to move to a new site. I spent KES 30000 of that savings on the construction of a new house that is now fully furnished and enjoying its comfort at the moment. I also purchased a heifer at KES 17000 to fatten it up with the intent of taking it to my inlaws as part of my wife's dowry. I spent the remaining amount on household foodstuff that we are still using to date.

I was working in the neighborhood offloading sand and gravel from the lorry that had just been brought to my neighbor whom I had been working in his farms for a wage. On such occasions, I normally keep my phone away in fear of dropping it or damaging it as the work involves lifting and throwing. At around 11 am when I was done, I reached out to my cellphone only to be greeted by a piece of great news - I had just received the promised amount from GiveDirectly. I was so excited that I had to call my wife to come over as I needed her to accompany me to the shopping center where we withdrew all the amount and came back home full of joy.

Even though the construction of a new house for my family is still underway, this has so far been a great initiative that I am hopeful will bring the greatest difference not only in my life but also in the whole family. We had been living in an old structure that has cost us a lot on renovation, and this new one will be a relief as it will give us a chance to demolish the old one as my family of four moves into the new house.

Upon the withdrawal of my first transfer, I had to pick my firstborn daughter who was not feeling well from school, and rushed her to the hospital and luckily enough she was treated and discharged the same day with medication to carry home worth KES 500. With the preparation that we already had, we started sourcing the construction materials since we needed to put up a new house to replace the old one I had been living in with three other members of my family. We visited the nearby town the following morning where we secured 20 iron sheets at KES 15000, 11 kilograms nails at KES 1700, and also had to look for a chainsaw after buying a tree in the neighborhood that was cut down to produce frames and roll posts at a total cost of KES 8000. All these are on the site at the moment waiting for the designated constructor who had been on standby as we avail the required materials before starting the work. I also spent KES 10000 on obtaining foodstuff and other household utilities that were lacking, I purchased clothing for my children, and also supported my brother who was admitted upon a serious involvement in a road accident that rendered him fractured on the legs and a major hit on the skull in offsetting part of the hospital bill. I then saved the remaining amount since I still need to pay the constructor once he completes the work.