I have a plan to connect tap water to my home by June or April this year. You realise that we are approaching drought season and we usually experience challenges getting water. This is because our water source is almost 6km away. I want to reconnect this tap water so that these goats do not suffer. The pipes are not so far away so I'll need approximately $39 for connection pipes and $6 for a water metre. Since I do not have money I will ask my nephews who are employed to support me in this project.

Give Directly is doing everything well. You have really uplifted our livelihoods in this village. Personally, you saved me from poverty, thanks to you that I now have my own goats. I would never have reached this level easily with your help. The only thing you can improve on is to increase the transfers or to consider coming back to our village since most of the projects we started are incomplete.

I'm a small scale farmer who concentrate mainly on cattle rearing. My wife is a casual labourer and her unstable income cannot sustain our family. Mostly, we depend on well wishers to get basic needs like food. Our good neighbours and the office of the DC are among the well wishers. Before Give Directly came to our village, I neither had a decent house nor a comfortable place to sleep. It was unbearable during rainy seasons because I could be rained on all night, since the place I used to sleep had a leaking roof. These are among my reasons as to why I decided to construct a two-roomed house. So I bought 20 iron sheets (not sure about the price), and construction wood worth $180. I can't remember the exact figures since I did not note them down. I have not yet started the building process, so I have stored the materials with a plan of starting the construction soon. I also spent $175 on 5 goats, I settled on goats because I needed something to remember Give Directly in years to come. These goats will even help me in future since I will be able to sell them and buy food.

I felt so happy when I learned that my transfer had been sent to me. It was around mid-morning, 10 am when I checked my phone and came across the transfer message. At that time, I was almost leaving home to take my cows for grazing. Although I had to go and look after my cows because there was no one else who could help me at that time, deep within my heart, I was super excited simply because I had never received any cash of such magnitude before. As a matter of fact, I was so convinced that I would be able to accomplish my primary goal of building a pit latrine.

The biggest difference in my life since I began receiving my transfer, is being able to initiate the process of building a better and more decent pit latrine. For years, I had been using a pit latrine that was too old and very weak. During rainy seasons, I was always afraid that it would collapse. Thanks to GiveDirectly for the financial support that has made me to prioritize this area.

I spent KES 6000 from my most recent transfer to buy 10 iron sheets with an intention of building a decent pit latrine. Previously, I had a very old pit latrine that I always felt ashamed to point to my visitors whenever they came to visit me. In addition, I spent KES 8500 buying a mattress since the previous one was too old. Whenever I used it, I could feel back pains although I had to bear with the situation because I did not have an alternative. Lastly, I spent KES 5,000 to buy foodstuffs for my family while I saved the rest of the transfers. I shall use it with the second transfer and invest in a more rewarding project.