I was sitting under a tree with my auntie, my grandmother, and my nieces when I heard a notification on my phone. I quickly checked it, and to my surprise, it was the GiveDirectly cash transfer. At that exact moment, everyone I was with also received their transfers. We all screamed in joy, hugging each other tightly, completely overwhelmed by the excitement and disbelief of this unexpected blessing. For the first time in a long while, I felt a deep sense of hope—now, I could finally rebuild my house, which had been destroyed during the floods.

The biggest difference I've seen in my life since receiving the transfer from GiveDirectly is the hope I now have of building my own house. Before, it seemed like just a dream, but now, having bought 4 iron sheets, I feel like I'm finally taking the first step toward making that dream a reality. My business was so unstable before that I never thought I could afford to start construction any time soon. But with this cash, I've been able to make a milestone I didn't expect to reach so quickly, and it's given me a renewed sense of possibility for the future.I will forever be grateful to GiveDirectly for making my dream a reality.

When I received the cash transfer, the first thing I did was buy four iron sheets for $48. My house had sunk during the floods, and I’ve been wanting to start building a new one ever since. The excitement I felt in taking the first step toward having a house of my own was immense, especially because the one I currently live in belongs to my grandmother. This was my way of slowly but surely rebuilding our home and future. I used another $120 from the transfer to restock my small shop. I realized that having a steady source of income would be critical while building the house. The shop will help cover our daily food expenses, which means I can channel future funds—especially the second transfer—toward the construction. Having the shop stable is essential, and it gives me peace of mind knowing I won’t have to rely solely on cash transfers for food and basic needs. With the remainder of the money, I bought household food items to ensure we had enough to eat and remained food secure. It was important to me that while focusing on long-term goals like the house, my family’s immediate needs were taken care of. Thanks to the cash transfer, I now feel more prepared to face the challenges ahead.