GiveDirectly does well by ensuring that it helps the needy in the society. We are currently experiencing difficulties with lots of unemployment and climatic disasters such as the drought. This has made our lives difficult. Thanks to the transfer I am currently receiving it will be able to uplift the status of my life.

I previously sold some charcoal to earn a living. The little I earned supported my family through buying food, clothes and paying school fees. I am now aged and no longer in the charcoal business. I do not have a job and depend mostly on my sons to support me financially. My last-born son is in college and training to become a doctor. The best thing is that he works part time to pay for his school fees and I do not have to stress on where to get the money. Since I now stay at home doing no work, I bought a goat at KSH 2500 when I received my first transfer. I have plenty of time to look after the goat and that is the main reason I bought the goat. During the rainy seasons I used to work in the farms so I have some experience in rearing some cattle, which is an added advantage for me. Once the goat multiply in numbers, I can be able to sell some and attend to my needs and stop depending heavily on my son. I spent the remaining KSH 500 to buy food. This is because I did not have any food remaining in my house.

I received the message at 9 am. I was from fetching water. I had walked for almost 40 kilometers in search of water. While I was resting in my house the phone rang loudly. I picked it up and checked it. Since I do not know how to read, I decide to wait for my son who was in school at that time. When he arrived from school, he confirmed to me that I had received the transfer. I was very happy to hear that.

Yes, the money has made a big difference in my life. I have food in my house. Were it not for the money I would have food and my family would be currently starving to death. I am also that for the first time in many years I was able to buy myself some new pairs of clothes.

I spent KSH 1500 on buying food. The drought has made life hard for us. Getting food is an expensive affair. There is no food on the farms and we have to buy everything or else you starve. To avoid sleeping hungry I decide to spend that amount on buying food. I also spent KSH 1000 buying clothes for myself. It has been a while since I bought clothes for myself. The current pairs of clothes I was having were worn out and very few. This prompted me to add a few pairs for myself. I also spent KSH 500 repairing a wall of my house. The mud-wall had fallen and I had to repair it. I pain the mason and he quickly repaired it for me.