My biggest wish is to remain healthy. Medical conditions at my age are common, and I am no stranger to them. Being able to remain healthy, to work, and to till the land would be my greatest wish. Then I can start a business selling my produce around.

GiveDirectly provides people with hope! It came into our village and our lives in general and completely transformed everything in an instant. I am grateful for the way they treated us with dignity, respect, and empathy, and I hope they continue to bless countless others.

Certain things always iked me. Made me feel like I was less than. So, when the funds from GiveDirectly reflected  on my phone, I attempted to make things right. My first priority was to build a pit latrine. It was difficult for me and my children to defecate in the bush, but at least we now have a clean and permanent solution. My children were without beds or mattresses, which I quickly remedied. As we added three female goats to the flock, we quickly and tastefully selected utensils for the house. GiveDirectly funds enabled me to cross items off my wish list that had previously seemed out of reach due to financial constraints. I went grocery shopping and made sure we had everything we needed. Part of the money was also used to pay for my grandson's medical bills at Makadara Hospital. He is one of my seven children's 12 grandchildren. My older six are all adults, married, and have at least one child, whereas my seventh just finished Form 4 last year and has only one. With my husband long gone—he died three years ago—it has fallen to me to till our three-acre farm and fend for myself while also being the sole support system for my children and grandchildren. I would not have grown by leaps and bounds if it hadn't been for GiveDirectly.

I can still remember very well it was exactly 8 in the morning when I was at my daily hustle when I heard a loud vibration from my phone. I was curious to know who it could be since it was unusual to hear from anyone at that time. However, because I am illiterate, I had to go back home and request my son to check where the messages were coming from. Upon checking, he realized that I had received the cash transfers from GiveDirectly. I had anxiously been waiting for this cash to sort out all the pending bills and start new businesses. I felt so happy together with my family and thanked God for the fortune.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am now hopeful and happier. The idea of constructing a rental house has been there for so many years but I did not have the required money to purchase the materials needed. In my village, such houses were scarce, and people had to travel to the town center whenever they wanted to rent a house. I am now pretty sure that once the house is complete all rooms will be occupied, currently, two tenants have already shown interest. Therefore I have got no doubt about this business and I am sure it will be of great help to my entire family. As a widow of five who relies on temporary jobs, it has been tough all along. In a few days to come, I will no longer have to strain in providing for my family's daily needs like before. I will forever be thankful to GiveDirectly for transforming my life in a positive way.

I spent part of my first transfer on buying building materials such as iron sheets, nails, and timber at a total of KES 35000. This was for the construction of a new rental house in the neighboring village. For now, I do not have any reliable means of earnings and I trust that this is a well thoughtful business since the rental houses are in high demand. Also, I bought a modern bed at KES 4000 and I am happy that I am now sleeping on decent beddings. I no longer experience the pains like before. In addition to that, I constructed a pit latrine and it's now a relief that we will not be going to the bush again like before. With the remaining amount of money, I have been buying foodstuffs for my five family members and clearing all the bills.