Farming on a leasehold has proven to be a challenging task, as poor management practices often lead to significant losses. The harsh weather conditions, characterized by prolonged droughts, have made it even harder for me to irrigate my crops fully due to a lack of a generator. To address this issue, I plan to save up from my farm's proceeds and purchase a small but efficient generator that can pump enough water to irrigate my crops adequately. This investment will not only benefit my farm but also other farmers who may hire my generator for their farms.

I am grateful for the support I received because without it, I wouldn't have survived. After the lake water displaced us from our land, purchasing food became a difficult task, but the free and unconditional cash transfer made it possible. However, we wish that this support could continue for a more extended period because we are still facing many unsolved challenges.

In the past, I owned a large piece of land along the lake where I farmed and provided enough food for my family of eight. Unfortunately, a few years ago, heavy rainfall caused the lake to swell, submerging my entire land. The land was no longer safe, and we had to evacuate. Since then, we have been living on a temporary piece of land where I cannot farm or build permanent structures, and we have been relying on casual labor to make ends meet. Thanks to GiveDirectly, I was able to purchase construction materials such as iron sheets and nails to build a new house for my family. Additionally, I spent $6 on furniture, $9 on bedding, $74 on equipping my daughter who was joining a new school, $69 on foodstuff, and $78 on a solar lighting system from Sunking to replace candles and torches. The remaining amount was saved and used to buy household items to support my daughter and her newborn baby. Thanks to GiveDirectly, I am now able to rebuild my home, provide for my family, and create a better future for my daughter and her child.

I was alone with the phone in my hand when I received a message confirming the receipt of money, but I could not tell how much it was or who sent it. I could not read and had to call my helper, who informed me after reading that this was the most anticipated support from GiveDirectly. I was incredibly happy and grateful that the plans we had thought up would soon come to fruition. I informed my family members, who were delighted, and planned to collect the money the next day at a nearby shopping center.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the great joy of spending freely from my pocket on items that we had hoped to obtain for our household. For a long time, I would only buy enough food for that day, but GiveDirectly changed everything, and for the first time, I purchased a full bag of corn in cash, along with other household items. I am hoping that the second transfer will still do a lot for us, and that by the end of the program, I will have seen a lot of change in my home.

Our plans were clear from the beginning when we enrolled because we were already aware of the difficulties in our household. After collecting a portion of it in a nearby shopping center, I spent $55 on a sack of maize, $6 on 10 kg of beans, $6 on five kilograms of sugar, and $3 on transportation to my door via motorcycle taxi. Food had to come first because my husband and I were struggling to put food on the table without a steady source of income. Since I had some money in the account, I spent another $50 on Christmas celebrations, which included purchasing food and clothing for my children. In addition, I spent $10 on two water containers, $7 on two washing basins, and the rest on other household items.