Upon receipt of this transfer, we lead a more satisfying lifestyle as a family. We have adequate freshwater for domestic uses. Also, we are optimistic of a prosperous future since our investment, the cow is doing well. Still, our self-esteem has improved due to the quality seats and beddings. We are more than ready and happy to welcome visitors to our home unlike before. Further, our health has probably improved since we are using more comfortable seats and beddings.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by keeping its promises without forcing recipients to incur any costs. This proves its mission of alleviating converting rather than promoting it. I find nothing that GiveDirectly is not doing well.

I spent 180 USD of my second transfer on purchasing a water tank because we have been facing acute shortage of the water for domestic uses. The nearest river is about 2.5 km yet our taps (piped water) could run dry for several days. Also, I bought a cow worth 120 USD as an investment because I have all the necessary resources for raising it. Finally, purchased some beddings and furniture using the remaining amount. I did so since the ones we had were inadequate, torn and of poor quality.

It was early in the morning and I had just woken up when I heard an SMS notification on my phone. I checked it and I could not believe my eyes when I saw that I had received the lump sum amount of 55000/= from GiveDirectly. I was extremely happy to see this and I informed my family about it. They were so happy too. We gave thanks to God and started planning together on how we were going to spend it.

This transfer has brought a big difference in my life and that of my family. I have been able to complete building the sleeping house for my boys and hence they will no longer have to move around at night in the cold looking for somewhere to sleep. The transfer has also helped me to buy a shelling machine. I usually do this business of shelling other people’s maize to earn a living. I have been hiring someone else’s shelling machine for quite some time. This has been challenging because repaying the machine has been taking up a lot of money and hence I end up having a little bit of money left. With this shelling machine that I bought, I will have gotten rid of the expense of paying the machine for hire. I hence will be able to get enough money that will enable me to pay school fees for my children and do other developments. The maize that I will harvest from my farm when it ripens will cushion my family from hunger for quite a while, I will hence not have any worry about what they are going to eat.

The money from GiveDirectly has helped me a lot. I have been able to complete building a house that I had left pending. The house that I have been building is the sleeping house for my boys and I had not placed doors and windows in the house. So when the money from GiveDirectly came, I bought two doors, two windows, and door locks that were placed in the house. It is planting season in our area and I did not have money to buy the farm inputs. The money hence helped in that I bought two bags of maize seeds and two bags of fertilizer. I have hence been able to plant just like the rest of the people in my neighborhood. The transfer has also enabled me to buy a maize shelling machine. I usually do the business of shelling maize and I have been experiencing some challenges because I usually hire someone else’s machine. I also bought two jembes, a d-light solar lamp, chair cushions, and with the rest of the money, I bought some clothes for ourselves and that for our children. I have always had the desire to do the above things especially to complete building the sleeping house for my boys and to buy the shelling machine but due to financial constraints, I have not been able to. I usually move around shelling other people’s maize but this has not been easy at all especially during this Covid-19 period. There have been travel restrictions to curb Covid hence there has been no business and hence no money. Thank you GiveDirectly for enabling this to be possible.