As the days go by, age is catching up with me. There will be a time in the future when I will not be able to continue with my livestock trading job since it involves a lot of market travel to places such as Kapkwen, Mulot, and Kapkatet. Therefore, to relax indoors and be productive as well, I hope to venture into retail business, as I plan on constructing a canteen so as to stock maize and basic commodities to sell to the villagers. I will gladly use the profits to support my family of six through food and education.

Even though I am old, I will never abandon my family duties. I appreciate GiveDirectly for lifting my family out of poverty by providing unconditional cash transfers. Through this, my children's school fees have been catered for, and they have had food on the table as well. Previously, my life had stagnated for lack of finances, but I am now happy that came to pass. I really hope the organization will emulate this in other communities that do suffer from poverty.

Food, shelter, and clothing are the basic needs each parent should provide for his or her family. As a parent, I need to fulfill this desire. When I received the transfers, I spent $125 on manufacturing 150 pieces of timber that I hope to use in adding 2 rooms to my current 2-room timber-walled house and constructing a canteen that I hope to open in the future. In addition, I saved $200 towards cementing the floor of my two-room mud-floor house. Since I am now elderly, I am at risk of respiratory diseases from the dusty floor; therefore, I hope to prevent this before it happens. I have previously not been able to raise this fee as the income I earn from the livestock trading business all pays for school fees and food for the family of 6. In addition to this, I also spent $70 on purchasing barbed wire that I hope to fence my compound with.

I received a message notification, and after reading it, I remembered the information I had gotten in the initial meetings, as well as the name of the stated sender. I was incredibly happy, and the first relief was the burden I was carrying for my son at university. I was tending to my livestock on my farm and immediately called my spouse, who was equally pleased and grateful for the generous support from GiveDirectly. When we got home, we made plans and started working on our goals.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I no longer have to worry about my children being sent home from school due to unpaid fees. It has allowed them to focus on their studies and gave them hope for a brighter future. I am relieved that the eldest son will soon have his medical license, which I hope will help him find work in one of the hospitals. The free cash transfer program saved my family and me, and I will be eternally grateful for its impact on my life.

One of my sons had completed his clinical nursing studies but could not be hired by any hospital because he was not yet licensed. He needed money to get the license, which I could not afford before receiving the first transfer. I was also struggling to meet other financial obligations for his siblings. I gave him $13 immediately after receiving the first transfser, which facilitated his application for the medical license. I also sent $12 to my other son, who is a university student who needed to finish his project before his presentation deadline. Furthermore, I spent $87 on a sack of maize and 10kg rice, which we are still using with my family. I am planning to build a fence around my property to control the movement of my livestock, and I have already spent $12 on two rolls of barbed wire and have yet to cut down some trees to make the fencing poles. I used the remainder to pay my hospital bill following an accidental scratch on my leg from our domestic cat. I am relieved it was not a serious attack, and I have been going to a nearby hospital for a daily $10 injection since then.