I had been living in an old kitchen with my children and my spouse before he died two years ago. In our culture, the death of a primary male in a family necessitates the demolition of a cooking place and the construction of a new one to commemorate his passing. I should have done this a few months after my husband died, but the financial constraints I have faced in providing for our children prevented me from doing so. At the moment, I am hoping to sell some of the harvests and pay off all of my school fees before beginning construction on a new kitchen. The surplus maize from my three-acre plot of land will be enough to pay the school fees and purchase construction materials that will be useful during the construction.

The arrival of GiveDirectly in our village brought about many changes that would not have been possible in such a short period of time. I am grateful that everyone was given the opportunity to join the program during the enrollment stage. The information in the enrollment was clear, and the officers who returned had a complete understanding of the project. This gave us confidence in enrolling and appending the required signatures without fear of later conflict.

When I received the second transfer, I had a lot to do on my farm to ensure that my family of six had enough food. I spent $120 preparing my 3-acre plot of land and later spent $140 on seeds. Maize has been doing so well on our farms in good seasons, and even though the weather has been challenging, I am pleased with the harvest. I also paid $60 in primary school tuition fees for my two children, and I spent some of the remaining funds on food. Because I couldn't buy a lot of food at once, I spent $48 on a sack of maize and saved the rest. Subsistence and livestock farming have been the source of our income, and despite the fact that there are many uncertainties due to bad weather, we believe it has been the better option.

On receiving the message, I was happy to confirm that it was my first transfer from Givedirectly that we had been promised a few weeks ago. I was much grateful and planned on withdrawing the amount the following day since we had already planned on how to spend it.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the purchase of a heifer which is an addition to the livestock that I have. This means more milk production and hence can sell to provide other household items for my family.

With the first transfer, I spent KES 25,000 on buying a heifer with the hope of soon starting to enjoy milk production which is in addition to the one I have. The two cows that we now have are not only for milk production but we can also sell when we have an emergency. I also spent KES 15,000 in payment of school fees for my son who was joining form one and also spent KES 5,000 on buying school shopping for him as well. I am glad he is fully settled in school for the entire term. With KES 4,000 I spent in tilling my one acre of land in preparation for planting. The remaining amount, I spent on buying maize and clothes for my family members. I am grateful to Givedirectly for the timely support.