Yes, I have a new goal of buying some goats. I lost all the cows that I had because of the effects of drought. Buying the goats will enable start over again in rearing and accumulating wealth. The choice of buying the goats is because they can survive the harsh weather, unlike the cows I had.

Give Directly does well by helping the needy in the society. I am happy that through the unconditional funds, I built a bigger house and paid school fees for my children, which was a challenge for me. I would encourage the organization to ensure helpers and trustees assigned to recipient informed of their role and the consequences of them stealing recipient’s money. This reduce complaints from recipients about their money being stolen.  

I spent much of my first transfer in buying building materials (sand, iron sheets, nails, timber and poles) to be used in building a new house. My current house is very tiny and made of grass. I have to replace the grass after every three months because strong winds often blew it away. My family is growing big and we cannot all fit into the house. It is for this reason that I built a bigger and spacious house that can accommodate all my family (wife and 5 children). Besides building a new house, I spent part of the remaining amount to clear school fees arrears for my children. My job of selling charcoal does not earn me much money (200 per day) to cater for all my family needs, which includes buying food, clothes and paying school fees. Because of not paying school fees, they sent home my children. They felt bad that their colleagues were going to school while they remained at home because of the arrears. This pushed me to clear all the pending school fee arrears for them so that they would go back and continue with their education.

It was around 6 in the morning when I was heading to my daily hustle when my mobile phone started to ring continuously. At first, I thought it was an alarm, but upon checking the notifications, I realized that it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I had anxiously been waiting for this money and at first, I thought it was a dream. I couldn't hold my joy at the moment and I remember I opted to go back home and shared the news with my spouse and kids.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that through the transfers, I was able to construct a spacious modern house. Previously I used to stay in an inconclusive environment since the house was almost collapsing. As the breadwinner who solely depend on odd jobs, it was so tough especially in making ends meet. I never had a chance to shelter under one roof with all my family which is comprised of seven members. They have been seeking shelter from friends and family which at times it was so embarrassing. Some of my neighbors used to call us all sort of names like beggars and some even isolated us. I have always been hopeful that God will hear my cry and all the troubles in our life will come to an end. I am so thankful that my story is now different because I am sheltering with all my family members which have been my dream. As the head of the family, this has restored my dignity.

I spent part of my first transfer on buying the building maters which include iron sheets at KES 17000, the building poles at KES 8000, nails at KES 1350, and the labor charge of KES 5000. I had intended to build a new house because the previous one was a traditional temporary house which would collapse anytime. Also, I cleared school fees of KES for my children since their exam was approaching and I was worried they would miss. With the remaining amount of money, I bought enough food for my family and catered for some household items.