My goal is in the next few months to save and clear the outstanding balance and get my certificate, which I believe could secure a teaching job in a government school. Initially, I owed the school $800, but with the funds, and the little have paid, the debt has been reduced to $450. The pay is better in a government school and the job is a permanent position that would allow me to support my husband in achieving our long-term goals. It also means that my children will be provided for.

The transfers have brought a big difference in my life and the village as well; I have been living in debt and have been frustrated to know that both of us can get a job, but verification of our academic documents is holding us back. The funds have changed our situation because my husband got his certificate, and they have contracted him in several electrical jobs. I am motivated to work towards clearing my balance and hopeful that I will get my transcripts soon. Above all, they completely renovated my house from the floor to the walls, which is one of the major achievements in the shortest time. The whole village is transformed. People have built new homes, bought water tanks, taken their children to school, and bought livestock. GiveDirectly is one organization that will be remembered for its good work and development in our area.

I have a diploma in Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) and my husband is an electrician by profession. We have both been struggling to get a job because both of us could not clear our outstanding fees to get a certificate and our transcripts. I have been working part-time in a nearby local school earning as little as $80 per month, which has been the only source of income as my husband has been unemployed for quite some time. Our two-roomed house is crumbled with a rusty leaking roof and the wall is falling into pieces, but unable to renovate because of the financial obligations that come with having two children who are at school. When we received our first transfer, the money was spent on buying building materials to renovate the whole house and the rest was used to clear part of my college outstanding fees, to collect my transcripts. The second transfer of $75 was used to complete the house renovation, which included plastering and flooring. My husband could get his certificate by paying $90, which cleared his full balance, while I also paid another $90 to reduce my balance as well. I bought four goats with $180 and the remaining amount bought food that lasted for three months for the family of four members.

While cooking an evening meal at around 7 pm, I heard a message tone from my phone which was on top of a water bucket on the door. I stretched my hand and picked it up to see what kind of a message I had received. Alas! I was shocked and filled with joy at the same time for seeing a huge figure of KES 55000.00 deposited into my account by GiveDirectly. I silently ululated inwardly since I did not want people to know about it for security reasons.

The main difference that was brought about by GiveDirect is that through the transfer I received, I was able to retain my job which was hanging on a thin thread due to a lack of professional certificate. This is because it had been withheld by the institution I did my studies for failing to complete the fees required. I am grateful to GiveDirectly because if it were not for them, I would have lost my job.

When I withdrew the money, I first considered going for my certificate which was withheld in the college I was in due to fee balance. This was a top priority because I was almost losing my teaching job as an Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teacher since the administration needed proof that I completed my studies. Therefore, I took KES 20000.00 to clear with the college and I was given my certificate. Thereafter, I renovated my house which was collapsing on one side. The renovation cost was KES 10000.00. Renovating the house was a better option since it assured me of my safety because the house was not safe to dwell in fear it might collapse. I also bought two beds and two mattresses for KES 22600considering that my children and I were sleeping on poorly made traditional beds with tone mats. Currently, we sleep on nice modern and standard beds and we are comfortable, not like before.