Having built a main house with the first and second transfer, our new goal is to now build a new kitchen and to buy a piece of land in future too that can allow us practice more advanced farming. The kitchen that we are currently using is too old and in a delapidated condition. We hope to use proceeds from casual work that we do and partly from dairy to put this up. This is so informed because of my increasing size of family and the space they will need too in terms of a place to sleep and even have their privacy.

In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well by giving us the leeway to choose how to spend the money. The cow that I bought and the house that we built brings me so much joy seeing them complete.

I used KES 20000 to buy a heifer and used the remaining amount to complete the construction of my new house. For a long time we only had one small grass thatched house that was increasingly becoming too small for us. We had the desire to build a bigger and better house but the amount of income that we got from the casual work we engaged in was just enough to feed our family and pay the little fees in school required although with some struggle. It was a dream that I never imagined that it would soon be accomplished and it is fir this very reason that I am very grateful to GiveDirectly. We are looking forward to getting more money and being in a position to build a kitchen to make our home more comfortable.

I had left my phone at home and attended to my usual work when I received a message that confirmed the receipt of the transfer. It was not hard for me to read and understand the message since I had been using Mpesa frequently while paying for the solar panel installation I had obtained on credit. My husband came home late around 9:00 PM and was happy to receive the news. In the morning, I went out with my helper to withdraw the money.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the hope that I now have for a better future. Buying a cow and even initiating the construction of a new house that will replace an old hut was never easy till I get support from GiveDirectly. My children are happy and hopeful that we will soon be getting milk like any other household within the village.

I have always moved around the village every morning or late in the evening in search of at least a liter or two of milk for my family's breakfast. It has been hard getting them at times and would make my children go to school without a cup of tea. On enrollment, I had promised them that I will buy a dairy cow that will help us in milk production and I could not break that promise. Even though the cost of livestock rose right after the receipt of the transfer, I still managed to bring in a heifer at KES 22000 that we are currently rearing with the hope of getting milk in the next few months. I also needed to construct a new house after a long time living in a small hut with my family of six. I had to obtain 20 iron sheets at KES 15000 since I already had woods and other trees that I am yet to cut down. I spent the remaining amount on bedding and clothes for my family worth KES 8000, a sack of maize that we are still using as foodstuff at KES 3300, and spent the remaining amount on buying other household goods. I am happy to have been able to do a lot within a very short time and hopeful that the construction of a better house will bring more happiness to my family.