My main goal for the coming year is to expand my farming, both livestock and subsistence, in preparation for the purchase of a dairy cow. I had been buying milk, and when we don't have any money, we sometimes miss out. I am breeding my goats in the hopes that they will multiply so that they can be sold in the future to purchase a good breed of cow that will provide us with enough milk. My spouse is doing subsistence farming, which has been feeding my family, and with the plans we have, he has been encouraging me to also take good care of the goats as he improves farming activities in order to support the purchase of a dairy cow.

GiveDirectly did an outstanding job in our village and continues to do so in the other villages where they are currently enrolling. I am grateful for the significant change that occurred in my household as a result of the transfer. The officers who came to see us were eager to assist and were always willing to explain and clarify the process. I have no complaints, but I am grateful for the support and hope to see similar support in other villages.

With the first transfer, I successfully completed building a new house for my family of three and had to keep buying household goods that were missing in the old house. I spent $100 after receiving the second transfer to buy a bed, a mattress, and other bedding that we are currently using. Previously, I had been sleeping on the floor with tattered and uncomfortable bedding. Buying new ones was a relief because I can now sleep soundly every night. I also spent $160 on four goats that I intend to breed and sell the offspring to purchase a dairy cow. I am hoping for a future where I don't have to buy milk and instead produce enough to sell. In addition, I spent a portion of the remaining funds on food for my family and saved the remainder for use in paying other household bills and replenishing food when our current purchases were depleted.

Since the time I was enrolled in GiveDirectly's program, I had been longing for my transfer to be sent. Although I was assured that this would barely take two weeks, this seemed too long for me. But as a confirmation of the genuinity of GiveDirectly's program, my transfer finally came. It was in the mid morning and I was away from home. I first heard an SMS notification but I was reluctant to check what the message was about. However, I felt a strong urge to check my SMS and to my surprise, it was an Mpesa message notiffying me that I had at long last received my transfer. What a joyful moment? I could hardly control my happiness because I was sure that I would definitely buy a bed, build a nee house and buy a cow and some goats to begin rearing livestock.

The biggest difference in my is a noticeable improvement in my living standard. Initially, l did not even have a bed. I used to spread my small mattress on the floor on one end of my house while my children could sleep on the other end. Currently, I have a new bed and a new mattress. I therefore sleep more comfortably than before. I really thank GiveDirectly for its financial support.

For several years, I had been living in an abject poverty, a situation that forced me to always live in a small single roomed house with all my children. As a matter of facts, I had never owned a bed in my lifetime. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I spent a total of KES 20,000 on buying 24 Iron sheets which I shall use to build a new spacious and two bedroomed house. The additional bedroom will comfortably serve my children. I also bought a bed at KES 4,000, and this act greatly restored my dignity and self-esteem. I am glad I currently own a bed.