Going forward this year and beyond, my goal is to continue farming. I want to make it a sustainable venture by consistently reinvesting in it. This will help me meet my family’s food needs and generate extra income. I plan to save money from farming and, hopefully, open a business in the future. The thought of achieving this excites me because it will truly transform my life.

What stood out to me about GiveDirectly is their response to the floods and how they helped us recover and get back on our feet. Their support has been crucial in helping us rebuild after the disaster. I would recommend that they consider providing us with additional money even after the third transfer. This would further help us continue recovering and improving our lives.

Recently, I received $450 from GiveDirectly, and I immediately allocated $200 to pay school fees for my two children in secondary school. This lifted a huge burden off my shoulders, as I had been stressed about how to find the money for their fees. I used $100 to restart farming after the floods had destroyed my farm. With this amount, I bought maize seeds and began farming again on one acre of land. This will help my family have enough food, and I can sell the surplus to pay school fees in the future. At the time, we had no food at home, so I knew I had to address our immediate need for food. I used $50 to buy enough food for my family, and now we are no longer worried about going hungry. I am very grateful to GiveDirectly for this. I also used $40 to buy a goat, which I can raise to help me in case of future emergencies. Lastly, I spent $60 to purchase essential household items that we lacked, like a table, which has greatly improved the look and comfort of our home.

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon around 4 PM, and my wife and I were sitting at home, weighed down by worry and stress. Our two children had been sent home from school to collect fees, and we were completely out of money. The pressure was immense; the next day was Monday, and they were supposed to return to school. We racked our brains, trying to figure out where we could possibly borrow the money.As our discussion spiraled into deeper concern, my phone suddenly vibrated. I picked it up, and to my surprise, there was a message from M-Pesa. My heart raced as I opened it—$200 had just been received from GiveDirectly! The wave of relief and excitement was overwhelming. I quickly shared the joyful news with my wife, and her face lit up with happiness. In that moment, we made a plan: the next day, we would give our children $100 for their school fees, ensuring they could return without delay.

Before I received the money from GiveDirectly, I was severely affected by floods. The floods destroyed my entire maize farm, which I had been eagerly waiting to harvest, and took away all 14 of my chickens. I felt so embarrassed because I had been relying on that maize to sell and pay for my children's school fees. But I am deeply grateful to GiveDirectly because the money I received became a source of hope in my life. My children had accumulated huge arrears at school and had been in and out of school every term. Now, I thank God because they are peacefully studying, and for the younger ones, there is enough food at home when they return from school in the afternoon.

Since then, I have been working as an ECD teacher, earning only $80 per month, which is not enough to meet the basic needs of my seven children. I have been struggling to ensure they have everything they need. So, when I received the transfer, I used $100 for school fees to make sure my kids could stay in school until the end of the term. I also spent $70 on food for my family, as my wife mainly does casual jobs and burns charcoal to help us get by, while my small salary goes toward covering school fees. With the remaining $30, I bought clothing for my children, as their old clothes were worn out, and they needed something new for visits or vacations.