In my life, I had given up in owning any kind of did not know I could ever own livestock. This is because of my low income which could not even help meet my needs. I would satisfy my desire by herding other people's cows. As I was herding, I continued to pray one day I will have my own in as much as I did not see the way out. I am glad I now have my own cattle which has brought back my pride. At least I earn an income from herding for others as well mine.

GD did well in ensuring everyone got the transfers. This was a good move because it was not discriminating in any way. It brought peace even to the village elders and other leaders in the community. I honestly don't know what GD is not doing well after this life-changing opportunity. I just appreciate.

I spend my transfer on buying building materials such as cement, sand, ballast. I had desired to plaster my house but due to low income, I was not able to plaster the house. I wanted to have a house different from the others in the village since most of us have iron-roofed houses with the walls made of mud. I wanted to be a step ahead of others. I only achieved the dream through the transfers by plastering the house though with some of my friends who also received their transfers. My roof too was old and termites had eaten up the timber. I feared the roof would fall anytime especially after the rainy season we had. So I bought nails and timber which I used to replace the roof using the iron sheets I had before. I am glad the stress of the roof falling is no more. After all these, I felt I would not have achieved much if we had nothing to eat in the house. Hence I used the remaining to buy food for my family.

The biggest difference that this money has brought into my daily life is that I owned nothing as assets in terms of livestock, though I had yearned for a long time at least to buy a single goat to keep in my household and because of my unreliable sources of income, then I could not. Through financial support from GiveDirectly, I was able to purchase them. This alone gives me satisfaction for my longing has finally been fulfilled.

I was greatly overwhelmed with happiness and joy that morning when I woke up and went through my messages in my phone's inbox and bumped into one that was from GiveDirectly, which on reading through, I had received my first transfer from the organisation. I felt peaceful for the new day's blessings.

I spent part of my first transfer to buy a cow and four goats. To me, these are the best assets that one can have in our area for they do well. I am hopeful that some years to come, the goats will have reproduced and increased in number. I can easily sell them in cases of a dire financial crisis to help me out. I will be getting milk from the cow that I have. I will no longer be buying milk elsewhere as was the case before. I also spent part of the transfer to buy five bags of cement to finish plastering one of my rooms which had been left out due to inadequate money to plaster the whole of my house. I also paid for labour to those who worked in my house. I also paid a small percentage to pay for school fees for my children in their respective schools for them to stay comfortably in school. I spent the rest of the transfer on buying basic necessities for my family.