I have been thinking a lot about what I hope to achieve in the coming year. My main plan is to keep working on my farm, especially growing maize. Farming is hard work, but it’s something I know well, and it’s my best chance to make the money I need. You see, I have two children in high school, and school fees can be expensive. So, by continuing to farm, I hope I’ll be able to afford their education and make sure they stay in school. Every season, I plant maize, which we sell to Kenya Seed. They pay a good price, and that really helps me. Plus, selling to them is reliable—they offer a steady market, so I know where my maize will go, and I don’t have to worry about finding buyers. If all goes well, I’ll make enough to keep up with the school fees.

I feel so grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has provided. They didn’t just hand over the money and disappear—they stay in touch, making sure that everything is going smoothly for us. Their team checks in regularly, and they've even given us a dedicated phone number so we can reach out anytime we have questions or issues. One thing that stood out was how they took the time to advise us on protecting our mobile money PIN. They reminded us not to share it with anyone and gave tips on how to keep it secure. That guidance was very helpful, especially for those of us who hadn’t used mobile money much before. Honestly, I wouldn’t want them to change a thing about this program—it’s been a lifeline, and the way it’s been structured is just right. If anything, I only wish they could extend more funds our way, as it would enable us to do even more to improve our lives.

When I received the cash transfer, I knew right away that I had to use part of it to settle an outstanding payment on a plot I had bought in Lororok. I took out $400 to complete the purchase, securing half an acre for my family. This land means a lot to us, as we plan to build a house there. The place where we currently live floods heavily whenever it rains, making life difficult and unpredictable. Once we move to the new plot, the current land will remain available for farming, which will also help us in the long run. With the remaining funds, I bought household food items to restock our supplies. The flooding earlier in the season had swept away what we had planted, leaving us with very little to eat. Being able to purchase food gave me peace of mind, knowing my family would have enough to get through the tough times.

While I was at home relaxing with my wife and kids after fencing our land, I received a notification on my phone. I checked it and saw it was a receipt for $200 from GiveDirectly. I was filled with excitement because I knew I was going to fulfill my plan to drill and construct our pit latrine. I immediately told my wife, and she was equally happy when she heard the news. Thank you , GiveDirectly, for fulfilling your promise.

Receiving $200 from GiveDirectly enabled me to construct a toilet after my family and I were displaced by floods and moved to a new plot. Everyone had their own toilet, and since it’s a residential area with many people, sharing wasn’t easy because everyone locks their washrooms. There are no bushes around, so having a latrine was essential. Without this support, I wouldn’t have managed since all the money I got from selling my maize went to moving the house and paying the land deposit. Thank you, GiveDirectly.

Together with my wife, we rely on crop farming to meet our family's needs, although we face many challenges, especially during droughts. We have to use irrigation, which makes crop production costly and sometimes forces us to produce charcoal to raise capital. Even during the rains, it's not easy because we experience floods. In the recent rains, I lost my maize crop on one and a half acres of land, leaving me with maize on only half an acre. Additionally, I lost all my vegetables on half an acre, causing immense losses. The floods also destroyed my house, forcing me to move to higher ground. I had harvested maize before the flooding, which I sold, and deposited $200 for a plot costing $700 to secure space for living while I paid the rest. Part of the money I got from selling my maize was used to remove materials from the destroyed house and construct a one-room house on the new plot. With my first transfer from GiveDirectly, I spent the entire $200 to construct a latrine. We had just moved, and there was no way we could have survived without it since it was a residential area where people kept their latrines locked, and sharing seemed. I am happy we were able to get our own. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for your support. It was indeed timely.