I'm planning to get myself a cow, as I don't currently have one. Having a cow would be transformative for my family. It means we could have a steady supply of milk for our tea and for the children, something we've only been able to enjoy once in a while, buying milk on days when we could afford it. With the small piece of land I have, I plan to manage this cow well. Not only would the cow provide milk for our daily needs, but it also opens up an opportunity to sell any surplus milk. This extra income could make a significant difference for us. As the cow multiplies and we have more milk to sell, I dream of using the income to pay for my children's school fees, especially when they reach high school. This cow represents hope for my family's future, offering us a way to become more self-sufficient and secure a better education for my children.

GiveDirectlys support has made a positive impact on my life, giving me hope for a brighter future with the possibility of a bigger, improved house. What stands out in their support is how the officers conducted themselves during enrollment; they don't ask for anything in return, not money or food, which really helps save costs. The entire process is free and fair, showing their genuine commitment to helping. I hope they continue the same approach.

Living in an old, one-room house with my family of five has been challenging, especially as our children grow older. My eldest child is about to turn 12 years old, and the need for privacy grows, particularly for my husband and me. Our home, with its muddy walls, is helpless during the rainy season. The walls often weaken and leak, making repair strenuous. Additionally, the limited space makes hosting visitors nearly impossible. For the past few years, my husband and I have engaged in small-scale farming to support our family. Unfortunately, changes in rainfall patterns have led to three consecutive years of failed harvests. Renting land near the river for irrigation, to address this farming issue, was beyond our financial reach. Furthermore, building a new home seemed like a dream we couldn't afford. Receiving support from GiveDirectly was a relief. With the $450 transfer we received, we prioritized improving our living conditions. We invested the money in purchasing building materials, including iron sheets and timber, and we are waiting for the last transfer to buy the remaining materials needed and start the construction of our new 2-roomed house. We are thankful for the support from GiveDirectly. It has offered us a path toward a more secure and comfortable living situation for our family.

I was at my workplace when I received a message from GiveDirectly, and after reading it, I realized I had received my first transfer. It was an exciting moment not only for me but also for my co-workers who had received similar messages simultaneously. After confirming that the messages were indeed the confirmation of the receipt of the first transfer, we celebrated and reminded ourselves of the promises we had made to our families about what we would accomplish once we received the transfers. After work, everyone headed home, and I was eager to inform my husband, who was equally excited about the news he had been eagerly anticipating. We had planned everything, and without delay, we withdrew the money the following morning from the nearby shopping center and started purchasing the essential household goods we had listed. We were grateful to see the immediate impact of the transfer within the first two days of receiving it.

The biggest difference in my daily life since I received the first transfer is the complete transformation of my household. The new pieces of furniture have given our home a fresh look, replacing the old setup where my children had to sit on the floor due to the limited seating. Additionally, the comfortable bed and improved bedding have made a world of difference. The money spent on these items not only changed how my husband and I felt but also upgraded the quality of sleep my children were getting. Previously, they were sleeping on sheepskins with some rags spread over them, but now they have a small, old mattress that they can share, resulting in better sleep compared to the previous months when they had to sleep on the floor. This change has brought relief and happiness to everyone in my household, and I am grateful for the opportunity to further improve our lives when we receive the subsequent transfers.

My husband and I immediately allocated $10 to buy essential foodstuffs for our family of five as a top priority after receiving our transfer. We had previously relied on sporadic and hard-to-find casual labor for income. This cash support was a significant relief because it meant we could ensure a stable food supply while continuing to seek employment opportunities. In our home, we had just two plastic chairs, one primarily used by my husband. The remaining chair was up for grabs, often taken by whoever found it first, even visitors. This left my children sitting on the floor during meals and while working on their school assignments. We decided to invest $50 of the transfer in a three-seater sofa, providing comfortable seating for our three children and an extra person. We used $70 out of the remaining funds to replace our old, uncomfortable bed, which we had used for a decade, with a new and larger one, along with a new mattress. This has significantly improved our sleep quality and relieved the back pain I experienced due to the old bed's inadequate support. Finally, we set aside $30 to pay casual laborers who were helping us weed our one-acre maize field. We are grateful for the ample rainfall, which we hope will result in a better harvest, reducing our need to purchase maize from the market. This harvest will also decrease our reliance on casual labor as we focus on our own farming and livestock activities.