A new house! Imagine living with my 4 children in one room which also serves us as a kitchen! This has robbed away my joy as a mother because it does not guarantee me freedom of privacy. In addition, my children's education is also affected because they lack a decent studying place at home. The walls of this house are also collapsing which put us at risk. I have desired to own a decent house but due to financial instability, this is yet to materialize. The arrival of GiveDirectly is a huge blessing to me since I intend to spend a big portion of this money to ensure my dream comes a reality. To estimate, this project will cost me utmost $600 to enable me to have a 2-roomed iron roofed house. On the other hand, the remaining amount will cater to other needs like school fees, food, and also buying 5 goats to have a long-term investment plan. Hence, this is generally what receiving this money means to me.

My job! I have all the reasons to keep a smile on my face because of my current job as a cook. Despite it being a low-paying job usually $50.5 per month, I am so grateful for this income since it helps me to support my family of 5. Last month, my salary was increased from $40 to the current $50.5 per month. This was so motivating and it gives me the energy to continue doing it better. Hence, I consider the salary raise as what has brought me joy.

Being a widow means standing in as the sole breadwinner for my family of 5. This has posed a big challenge for me since providing all our needs requires me to go the extra mile to ensure I maintain a smile on my children's faces. For this reason, I work as a cook in our nearby primary school where I earn $50.5 per month. Imagine this income is what I spend to cater to our needs! In some cases, I fail to support them, especially in paying their school fees on time because mostly this goes to food. This has affected their studies since they sometimes spend almost a week out of school before I send them back. As a mother, I have felt so painful to desperately watch them at home. Hence, the financial crisis stands out to be my biggest challenge.