In the coming years, my attention will be devoted to cultivating our quarter-acre plot of land situated near the river. Despite the dry nature of our area, our proximity to the river enables us to practice irrigation effectively. I intend to utilize this advantage by planting maize to fulfill our family's consumption needs. Subsequently, I plan to venture into tomato farming for commercial purposes, capitalizing on the availability of water for irrigation. This strategic approach aims to ensure our family's sustenance while generating income through agricultural endeavors.

In my perspective, GD has done well by giving us a transfer in the form of unconditional cash, as this has proven to be incredibly helpful. It played a pivotal role in alleviating the financial stress caused by the school debt that had been looming over my family. With the burden lifted, there was a newfound sense of relief and hope for my child's education. Additionally, during a time of food scarcity, the transfer provided a lifeline, ensuring that my family did not have to endure hunger. I am deeply grateful.

At the beginning of the year, I faced a daunting challenge. My child was about to begin Form 1 for her secondary studies, and the combined costs of school requirements and fees amounted to a staggering $800. To secure my child's secondary education, I had to borrow $900 from a local table banking group. The weight of repaying this loan loomed large over me. However, with the arrival of the transfer, a glimmer of hope emerged. I paid off $80 of the debt using the third transfer, in addition to what I had already paid, leaving a more manageable balance of $200. Furthermore, I spent $50 to clear some fee arrears for this term, guaranteeing that both of my two children could concentrate on their studies without disruptions. This brought me peace, knowing that they could focus on their academic pursuits. I also bought a 250-litre water storage tank worth $35. This eased the struggle of going long distances to fetch as much water as I could during the rainy season and reserve it for dry periods. I also used $100 to purchase essential food supplies for my family of six. This ensured that my family had enough to eat, and this allocation helped us maintain a stable and nourishing diet. I saved the remaining amount as an emergency fund, offering a sense of security to my family.

In the coming days and beyond, my plan is to lease a one-acre of land conveniently located near a river. This will allow me to engage in both maize and bean farming for both commercial and domestic purposes. The proximity to the river guarantees a consistent water supply, ensuring the sustainability and increased productivity of the farm. By pursuing this venture, I aim to create a valuable income that complements our existing goat business.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly has truly excelled in their approach by providing unconditional cash aid. This approach not only fosters trust and transparency but also empowers us as recipients to make decisions that best suit our unique needs and circumstances. The freedom to utilize the funds as we see fit allows for greater flexibility and ensures that the assistance provided has a meaningful and positive impact on our lives.

Receiving the GD transfers has been a significant relief for our family, especially when it comes to our two children's secondary education. Earlier this year, we faced a difficult situation and had to take out a loan worth $250 to pay for their school fees. The burden of the debt and the accrued interest were adding to our financial struggles. At some point, we were forced to sell four goats to settle around $100. I am happy that with the help of the transfers, we were able to clear the remaining debt balance of $180, and now we are free from that burden. Furthermore, I used $80 of the transfer to pay for the second term's school fees for both children. This means they can now focus on their studies without worrying about being sent home due to fee arrears. Additionally, I invested $70 in purchasing one sac of maize to ensure that our family of six will have sufficient food. The remaining $120 went into restarting our goat business, which we had to abandon in the past due to a lack of capital. With this new investment, I am hopeful that the goat business will become a reliable source of income for our family, allowing us to face the future with greater financial stability and confidence.

I vividly recall the day when the transfers from GiveDirectly arrived. It was approximately 3 p.m. in the afternoon, and I was deep in thought about how I would get food to eat in the evening because we had not eaten anything since the previous night, and I was with my son, who is in Form 3, who had not reported back to school despite it being an opening day that day. When I read the Mpesa message, I jumped up from my seat and dashed to the local shopping center to buy food for the day while I waited for my husband to return home and tell him the wonderful news since he didn't have a phone with him.

The most noticeable difference in our home is that there is food in the house; previously, my children would walk inside the house and search everywhere, hoping to find even a small bit of ugali somewhere, but they couldn't find any. We've been working hard to keep this family going. We're a family of six, which may appear small in the eyes of our neighbors, but it's a huge family to us. We are deeply grateful to the GiveDirectly office for remembering people like us and coming through in an enormous way.

We spent $40 on food, which meant that we would not go without food for the next month since it had always been the norm for us to go without because we didn't have it. Also, we could now comfortably send our son to school the following morning, and we gave him $90, which relieved us greatly, especially me as the mother, who had been disturbed by his presence at home, knowing that the sister had already reported back the day of the opening, and for her to go on this day, we had to borrow $50 from our neighbor so we could return it once we received the money, and as soon as we received the givedirectly transfers, we had to honor our promise and pay back the amount.