Currently, my family of ten resides in a cramped two-room house belonging to my mother, as we do not have our own home. My aim in the coming months is to acquire building poles to initiate the construction process. I have already obtained a few pieces of second-hand iron sheets in good condition. Establishing our own house will alleviate the congestion we currently experience, allowing us to allocate some of our children to the new dwelling. I am filled with joy and satisfaction knowing that the financial transfers from Give Directly are instrumental in improving the living conditions for me and my family. This support is crucial in our journey towards a better quality of life.

Before being enrolled in the program, my family, consisting of 10 members, endured extreme poverty exacerbated by consecutive seasons of hot and dry climatic conditions, which severely impacted our farming efforts. To provide for the family, I resorted to raising livestock for others, earning meager compensation equivalent to just 2 kilograms of maize flour per day. The enrollment in the cash program came as a tremendous relief for both me and my family. With the assistance of the transfers, I was able to enroll my eldest daughter in school by paying $15 for her school fees. While her younger siblings have yet to join school, I remain hopeful that they will soon have the opportunity to receive an education. A significant portion of the transferred funds was allocated to purchasing food, essential for sustaining our daily needs. Unfortunately, our family faced another challenge when my mother fell ill last month, leaving me and my elder sister as the sole breadwinners. Despite this setback, the financial support enabled us to purchase food and provide necessary medication for our ailing mother. Words cannot express the depth of my gratitude for how the funds have assisted our family in meeting our basic needs, including food and medical care. The support has been invaluable in alleviating our hardships and ensuring our well-being.

My house unfortunately collapsed several years ago, and since then, I have struggled to gather the funds needed for a new one. Throughout these years, I have relied on the kindness of neighbors for shelter at night. When I started receiving these transfers, I made a firm decision to save the money for purchasing essential building materials, including iron sheets and building poles. I am working towards acquiring a total of 13 iron sheets, and I am pleased to report that I have already purchased seven. My ultimate goal is to have a home with a sturdy iron roof, freeing me from the challenges of depending on the hospitality of neighbors for shelter.

I would like to express my gratitude to GiveDirectly for their recent support, which has been instrumental in providing essential care for my wife, who has been bedridden for nearly a year. Balancing the expenses of my six children's education and my wife's medical treatment has been incredibly challenging. With the recent transfers, I allocated approximately $30 towards my wife's medical bills, and I'm relieved that she received proper care and is on the road to recovery. Additionally, I used $20 to cover my children's school fees, ensuring they could continue their education. I am also in the process of acquiring building materials to construct a new home. I have been living in a neighbor's house since my own collapsed years ago, and I have been gradually collecting iron sheets and building poles. The remaining transfer was invested in purchasing more iron sheets, and I'm pleased to say I now have seven of them. I look forward to starting construction as soon as there are enough materials. It has been heartbreaking to see my children struggle to find a proper place to sleep, and the constant search for housing has been embarrassing. Having our own house will bring me great joy, providing a stable and comfortable home for my family.

I am grateful to GiveDirectly because, through their support, I am now in the process of building a new home. The structure that once provided me shelter collapsed, leaving me incapable of promptly starting on a new construction project. Currently, my five children reside with their grandmother, while I stay at a neighbor's residence. The unsettling sight of my children enduring such hardships disrupts my inner peace profoundly. My aspiration is to erect a spacious house capable of accommodating us all and reuniting my children under a single roof. Thus far, I have successfully procured the necessary building poles. My immediate objective is to secure the acquisition of iron sheets, thereby facilitating the progression of the house's construction. Having a good home where we can all reside in comfort and dignity is what I aspire to achieve.

I currently lack my own residence, and I am currently engaged in the process of erecting a new dwelling. Following the unfortunate collapse of my previous home, financial constraints hindered my ability to promptly rebuild. My longstanding aspiration has been to create a respectable home, that offers me a comfortable shelter. I express gratitude to GiveDirectly for their recent monthly disbursements, which have increased my savings. Consequently, I purchased enough building poles, marking significant progress in my new house's construction. Upon completing the acquisition of these poles, my intention is to purchase corrugated iron sheets, thereby advancing towards the realization of my dream house. Apart from purchasing building poles, I also spent a portion of the money on buying food for my family. I bought enough foodstuffs, such as maize flour, to ensure an ample supply of food daily and other provisions, as well as ensuring that my family was well-fed over several weeks.

My current priority is the education of my children. I want to make certain that they receive a high-quality education that will prepare them for a prosperous future. If they are successful, I will be assured of being cared for in my old age. This will only be possible if they are self-sufficient, and education is the key to self-sufficiency.

GiveDirectly excels at providing us with unconditional transfers. Many lives in the village have been transformed as a result of the transfers. Many have built magnificent homes, established businesses, and even sent their children to school. I am grateful because the impact is enormous, and it warms my heart to know that our lives are being changed for the better.

My mental illness caused me to part ways with my wife, with whom I had five children. She abandoned me and all the children to start her own life. Currently, my sister, with whom I live, assists me in caring for the children. Because I rely solely on charcoal burning with the assistance of my sister, I had no choice but to spend the entire recent transfer on food for the family. I did this because my children were so hungry that they were unable to attend school. I am grateful that we were able to get some food, and my children were as well.

Early in the morning, I sat under a tree, praying to God to grant me a job that would pay well so that I could support my family. My mind was pulled from my introspective thoughts and fantasies by the sound of a motorcycle approaching our home's compound. When a give directly officer came over, he inquired about my transfers. I shook my head in disappointment and acknowledged that I still hadn't gotten my transfers. The officer informed me that indeed $37.40 had been credited to my account after looking through my phone and speaking with my helper several times. I had a broad smile on my face and was extremely joyful. I gave my family members hugs and enthusiastically shook the officers hand. This was undoubtedly one of my happiest days ever.

The ability to support my family will be the biggest change brought about by the transfers in my life. I've struggled to support my family because of the meager wages I receive from raising livestock. Given that I intend to buy food in large quantities, this amount will allow my children to attend school and have a healthy diet.

Early this year, I quit my job as a livestock breeder. I used to receive a 2 kg packet of maize flour as payment at the end of each day. Given that I am the sole provider for eight children, the $2 price tag on the packet of maize flour was extremely low. For the entire family, my mother, a casual worker who sells charcoal and firewood, is the only source of income. I intend to use the funds to purchase a lot of food. A bag of maize, 2 kg of beans, some rice, sugar, and tea leaves are also included. This will ease the burden on my mother, who has worked hard to provide for my family members and I by making sure we have food every day.