We are a household of six members, comprising me, my husband, two children, and three grandchildren. My husband, now literally like a child due to the surgery he had some time back, is unable to do anything to support our family. One of my children has been facing mental challenges for years and is in need of special care, while the other separated from her husband and returned home with her three children. We are one household but we sleep in three different houses. My house, in the worst state made of grass, cannot withstand heavy rains, and I have long dreamed of a better dwelling. Building a house for myself has not been easy because I do not have a job but rely on my small vegetable business to support my family, with the help of my daughter who is also jobless. On this morning, as I relaxed at home with my family, my daughter called out to me, asking if I had received my transfers, having heard from our neighbors who had received money a day earlier. I handed her my phone to check, and we were surprised to find that we had indeed received $550 from GiveDirectly. We were all excited and overwhelmed with happiness as this was a true blessing. My first thought was to build a better home for myself so that my husband and I could sleep in warmth and comfort.

I sleep in a small grass house, and my deepest desire has always been to secure a better home. However, the financial constraints resulting from joblessness have stood as great barriers. With GiveDirectly stepping in, our lives have taken a better turn. We have initiated the construction of a 2 bedroom house with the transfers. Witnessing the gradual progress of our new home fills me with immense joy, as it symbolizes a step closer to our long-held dream. A sense of joy now fills our household, and happiness has become plenty. The bonds of love within our family have strengthened, and my husband and I find ourselves rekindling the passion of our early days together, we are now like newlyweds. Additionally, my great wish to provide the best medical care for my son's mental illness has long been hindered by financial constraints. Now, with the assistance of the transfers, I can finally afford to take him to the hospital for the quality treatment he deserves. I am filled with hope that this will mark the beginning of his journey toward healing.

Living in a small house made of grass, and with the rainy season ahead, my wish has always been to have a better house so that my husband and I can live in a better place with warmth. My husband is not strong enough to do any work to support our family of six members because of a surgery he underwent some time back. We all, therefore, depend on my small vegetable-selling business, and my daughter, who separated from her husband and came back home with her children, to support our family. With the financial limitations beholding us, I was unable to build a house for myself. On receiving the money, I, therefore, spent $350 to build a house so that I can have a better sleep. I am happy that my house is now progressing well, and very soon, I will move in with my husband. I then used $40 to lease a piece of land along a river where there is a throughout supply of water for farming maize and vegetables for food and sell. I then used $40 and helped my daughter to pay school fees for my grandchildren as they had a school fees balance which was yet to be cleared. Finally, I plan to use the balance of the transfer to take my child who has a mental illness to a good hospital where he can get good medical attention as I could not do this before because of financial constraints. My child's medication has always been challenging because we did not have enough money to take him to hospital, but right now, I have great hopes that he will be better.