I aim to diversify my income sources by starting a business and opening a shop at home. This decision stems from the desire to reduce our overreliance on the unpredictable farming my husband and I currently engage in. Given that there are only a few shops in our village and our home's proximity to a school, there's promising potential for attracting customers. This new venture will provide a steady income stream and help sustain my family more effectively.

What truly impressed me about receiving support from GiveDirectly was the direct and uncomplicated nature of the assistance. The fact that the cash transfers are unconditional and arrived at the perfect time made a significant difference. This timely support enabled children from underprivileged backgrounds to attend school, demonstrating the impact of such aid. I hope GiveDirectly continues with this approach, as it is making a meaningful difference in people's lives.

Upon receiving my second transfer from GiveDirectly, I allocated $100 to celebrate Christmas, ensuring everyone in the family had new clothes and maintaining our festive tradition. Additionally, I spent $50 on food to mark the occasion joyfully. Prioritizing education, I used $200 to cover the school fees for my two children in high school, securing their continued learning and bright future. Recognizing the importance of health, I invested $100 in medical insurance for my one-year-old child, who has been diagnosed with a heart condition, and insured my other children as well. This strategic move will safeguard us from the burden of medical costs. We engage in small-scale farming with my husband, focusing on maize and beans. We rely on rain-fed agriculture, but the unpredictability of rainfall challenges our harvests and, consequently, our ability to meet our household needs.

I thanked God when I received an SMS notice on my phone from GiveDirectly confirming the receipt of my first transfer. I had a lot going on in my life at the time, with my 9-month-old child being hospitalized to a neighboring hospital owing to heart difficulties. Aside from that, I was trying to pay my children's school fees, which were piling up. I was in the hospital with my husband, caring for my child, and because I had the phone in my hand, I could not miss a message, given that I had been trying to contact friends and relatives for money to aid with my baby's discharge. We were overjoyed when we heard the wonderful news and did not waste any time in going directly to the Mobile money shop to receive the money. We paid in full and left the hospital on the same day.

The biggest difference in my daily life since receiving the GiveDirectly money is the payment of my child's hospital cost, who was admitted at the time. I had been in the hospital for three days and could not be released because I could not pay the mounting debt from my child's treatment. It was a relief to receive the funds that aided in making the payment and returning home with my husband and child content.

I have five children, four of whom are in school right now. My youngest child, who is now 9 months old, has been suffering from heart problems, and I have spent days in the hospital seeking treatment for her. Recently, I have been visiting a referral hospital in Eldoret and buying expensive medicines from a nearby pharmacist, which has stretched my family's finances and prevented me from looking for additional casual jobs because I have been spending most of my time caring for my daughter. With casual labor being scarce and subsistence farming being unsustainable owing to severe weather conditions, I was desperate for any support and was relieved to receive it from GiveDirectly. I made a total payment of $120 on the same day of receipt, which allowed us to be freed from the hospital with some medication that has been helping my child recover since then. I also paid $40 to clear school arrears for my secondary school child, who had been at home for quite some time after being sent to collect the money, which I did not have at the time. I used the rest of the money to buy groceries for my family of seven.