I hope to raise enough cash so that I can be able to pay for school for my children once they transition to college. This has been my major challenge since I rely on casual jobs with poor wages. Therefore I believe that once I will get enough cash, it will be a relief for me. I have always been aspiring to see all my children go to school so that they can take good care of me as well as their families in the future.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by coming into our village and helping the neediest individual. The idea of sending the unconditional cash transfer was the best since everyone has a chance to select what they wish to purchase according to their household needs. I do not see anything that needs to be changed so far.

I spent $47000 of my second transfer on paying school fees for my two daughters who are in years two and three respectively. Being a cause laborer, it has never been easy paying their fees of time because I also had other basic needs to cater for. Therefore clearing the arrear means a lot to me since I no longer have the burden also, I am certain that my children are now having peace of mind which shall lead to good performance. Once they will excel I am positive that our lives shall never be the same again because they will be in a good position to grab lucrative jobs. Also with the remaining option, I have been buying for my family which is composed of four members. I am so thankful because I no longer borrow meals from my neighbors like before which was sometimes so embarrassing.

It was around 3 pm while I was repairing my pit latrine when I heard a message tone from my phone which was in my pocket at the moment. I did not hesitate to check. Upon checking, I saw the first transfer that we were promised by the GiveDirectly staff. My heart melted with happiness since I was not sure of getting the money even after the registration. Since I had so many pending issues that required money, I knew that they were going to be settled. This was the source of my happiness.

The biggest difference in my life is that I own and live in a nice iron sheet-roofed house like others in the village. I feel happy and more secure since I am no longer worried about my safety like before when my house was collapsing. Additionally, I managed to start livestock farming which serves me as an investment. I believe it will aid me to cater to my family's needs in the future since they will multiply.

When I withdrew the money, I opted to demolish the house I had to construct a nice one since it was on the verge of collapsing. Therefore, I spent around $150 on constructing a mud-walled two-room house. I managed to use little amount because I did most of the construction by myself to reduce the cost. Apart from the poles and rafters which I sourced myself from the forest, I bought eight iron sheets for $60. These iron sheets were just an addition to the ones I removed from the house I demolished. Currently, the house is complete and I am happy that I sleep in a secure house unlike before. I also spent $240 to buy seven goats. I opted to buy a high number of goats since I wanted to start livestock farming. The reason for choosing goats over cows is that they withstand the harsh climatic condition of our area. Not only withstanding drought but also they are cheap to purchase and maintain as well as easily convertible to monetary value due to their ready markets. For the remaining amount, I used $100 to take my son to a driving college and bought a mattress for $54 since I used to sleep on the floor.