Unfortunately this few past years drought and famine has taught us a hard lesson especially considering that most of us back in the village and that includes myself relied on the farm and the harvest to feed our families. In most situations people were starving up until getting to know GiveDirectly. So when I received the money I went ahead and a bag of maize that contained a dozen packets for KES 1,400. On the other hand last year I went through a tough time when my house fell but fortunately I had began building a house prior to that the only problem was that it was unfinished. With nowhere else to go we moved into the incomplete house and used the transfers we keep receiving to try and finish up on the house so that we could finally get settled. I used KES 700 to pay the labourers for some of the work they had done so far using the money I had received. Then went head to used the balance of KES 900 to buy drinking water, beans, sardines, sugar, salt, bread and tea leaves.

My house was at the verge of falling at the time of enrollment so when I received the first three transfers I spent them on some pieces of iron sheets for constructing a new house. The house is not yet complete, but I am glad at least I have a safer place to stay in. I no longer put my family at risk by letting them stay in the risky house. I am hoping to completely finish the house in a few months' time with the coming transfers.

GiveDirectly has offered major help to my family and I especially since I used to run a charcoal business but there is barely any trees anymore and therefore I ran out of business. But now the funds have brought more sustainability and we can finally get to finish the house as we had planned.

Prior to even getting enrolled to the program, my husband and I had started renovating our house but then at some point we stopped because we ran out of cash so when we joined this program we decided we would be saving some money and use to finish up with what we had started with the house. After the money arrived took KES 2,000 and bought timber which was to help in fixing of the roof. Then as for what was left, I decided to buy seven packets of maize flour for KES 700 and the KES 300 I bought groceries, sugar and tea leaves. My whole aim for buying this is because they was barely enough food in the house.

I received the money in the morning hours. I was very happy when I received the money. I was at home at the moment when the text message arrived. I immediately called my husband and told him about the good news and we all were very happy about that.

The difference the money has made in my life is that I am now in the process of improving my house. My house is not in a good condition. We live with my family in this house with all the fear. Now that I have received the money I am grateful that my house will be renovated and we will be staying in a better house

I received KSH 1200 from Give directly. I spent KSH 500 buying food for my family. I also spent KSH 500 buying building poles for my home. I decide to buy food because at that my husband did not have money to buy food for the family and I decide to chip in and buy food for the family. My husband is a mason and now that there are no jobs it is difficult for him to get jobs. I also engage myself in the charcoal business. With the charcoal business, it is not easy to sell the charcoal to people during these hard times.