I intend to begin building a new home, big enough for my family of eight, in the next weeks after acquiring all the necessary building supplies. Right now, everything is prepared, and after my husband returns home for the December holiday, the contractor and other workers will start working on the project. We have settled on the price of the construction, and I am still doing the occasional labor, which has always brought in at least $5 per day.

We are grateful for the great job that GiveDirectly conducts in our community and beyond. The initial transfer I received and the ability to decide how to spend my money made it simpler for me to achieve my goals, even if I had never envisioned achieving such a tremendous success in such a short period of time. Many people built brand-new homes, while others, among other things, invested in animals. This was made possible by the GiveDirectly free cash transfer that each villager received. I appreciate how well GiveDirectly's staff communicated all the necessary details, which gave us the confidence to use the full amount to deal with our immediate problems.

When I received the second transfer, my first priority was to spend some of it on buying trees in order to build a new house for my family of eight. We are currently living in a small house with a separate kitchen that needs to be renovated as well since its roof is made of grass. On trees, I spent $200 and later paid $120 on the cost of cutting into timber. I am relieved that all of the preparations are finished, and I am looking forward to my husband's return from work after the December holidays, when we will start the construction process. I had already identified the contractor, agreed on the construction cost, and double-checked all of the materials needed to complete the project. I had already decided on the builder, agreed on the price, and double-checked that I had all the materials needed to finish the project. After getting my spouse's approval, I also used the remaining $200 to purchase a heifer. We had been buying at least two liters of milk every day for the entire time, and on days when we were all at home, we would spend more than $3 on milk. This has been very costly, and purchasing a heifer gave us hope that when it gives birth in the future, we will have a plentiful supply of milk. Despite the fact that the majority of my husband's income goes toward paying the school expenses for our six children, I have had to rely on the casual work that involves helping out on other people's farms and his support.

I was at home preparing an evening meal for my family when suddenly, I heard my phone ringing. I was so happy and overwhelmed with joy the moment I saw a text message indicating that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I knew that I would be able to accomplish my goals. My children and l celebrated throughout the night. Lastly, I shared the good news with my husband who was equally happy and grateful.

The most significant difference in my daily life is that I was able to purchase a dairy cow with the support that I got. This is the happiest thing that has happened to me and my entire family is happy and relieved because we would have a surplus. Secondly, I was able to pay school fees for my children. I am forever grateful for the support that brought a total transformation to my life.

The moment I received my transfer, my husband and I opted to purchase a dairy cow worth KES 32,000. This is because I had borrowed a cow from my neighbour, owning a cow has come as a blessing in my life because my children would have enough milk. I was unable to purchase one before due to financial constraints because I depend on farming in earning an income yet it's no longer productive due to harsh weather conditions, my husband works as a security guard in Nairobi and together we are blessed with six children. Secondly, I paid KES 6000 school fees for my children and KES 12,000 for my husband's driving course. I am grateful for the support that lifted my living standards amazingly.