My life is currently different because I now own some livestock which includes goats and a bull which I acquired through this money. To me, these are assets that I can readily depend on to meet my future financial needs like educating my children who are still young. I am also living in a decent iron-roofed house which I built using the transfer. This has been my biggest dream because I tried to upgrade to a better house but I never succeeded since I lacked the financial resources for this. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for helping me achieve to build my dream house.

The coming of GiveDirectly to our village has greatly changed our lives. Many of us were living in houses that were in pathetic conditions, lacking the basic necessities and even to some providing daily food for their families was a problem due to the financial difficulties we were going through. Today, new iron-roofed houses have been built, some have even upgraded to permanent homes. To others, who opted to invest in livestock, they have them as assets and even helping to improve farming. This is an impact that even when GiveDirectly has gone, we will still be in higher living standards and they did best by giving us this unconditional money. To me, there is no area that it does not do well.

I had begun building a new house but it came to a standstill for months since I lacked the money to finish the construction. When I received my second transfer, I purchased the remaining materials which include 24 pieces of iron sheets, timber and nails. I am glad that my house is now complete and moved into it. Apart from this, I also spent my transfer on buying a bull which I am currently keeping. I believe I will buy another in order to make up a pair to help me in ploughing my farm. I spent the remaining amount to buy some foodstuffs and paying for other household expenses.

My life is totally different because I now have goats. I had to buy goats because they reproduce twice a year and to add on that they require little attention to keep compared to other domestic animals. Their food is also easily available since they can live in any type of climate. When they multiply, I am planning to sell some in our local markets and apart from that, I will exchange some for a dairy cow so that I can get milk and sell them and this will be my additional income. And according to me, these are the well-thought assets that will help me in the near future.

The message came in the early hours of the morning. I was very curious to check if at all my expectations had matured. Reading it brightened my day since I realized the reality of what all in my Mpesa. I was very happy and planned all that I wanted to spend on.

I spent part of my first transfer on buying six goats at KES 13500. I have always desired to rear them for a long period of time but I could not afford since my financial status was very low. I then took KES 3000 to boost my business and bought some building bricks, bags of cement purposely for the renovation of my house so that it can be permanent. I also paid school fees at KES 6000 for my child who has been staying home for almost two weeks because he had been sent home to collect school fees. With the rest of the amount, I bought sufficient foodstuffs for my family that would last for a month's time.