For more than ten years, I have been living in a grass-thatched house, which has not been easy. As a small-scale farmer who occasionally takes on casual jobs, my income has always been limited, and I have been the sole provider for my four children. I am planning to use part of my final transfer to build a better house, even if it means starting with just one room. What matters most to me is that it will be made of iron sheets, providing a more secure and durable shelter for my family.

GiveDirectly has truly impressed me with the way they conduct their work. The officers were consistently humble and respectful during the enrollment process, making us feel valued and appreciated. One aspect I particularly love is that enrollment is optional; no one is forced to join, which creates a sense of empowerment among community members. Additionally, the follow-up support helps ensure that recipients use their cash transfers appropriately, leading to positive outcomes in our lives. I suggest that GiveDirectly continue with their current approach, as it is clearly effective, and, in my opinion, there are no areas for improvement.

We currently live on less than an acre of land where I manage all our activities, including keeping goats, sheep, and chickens. Unfortunately, these animals often ruin my crops, making it difficult to sustain our farming efforts. Since our land is near the river, it’s ideal for crop farming; however, I realized I needed to buy another piece of land to build our house and keep the livestock separate. I paid $200 for half an acre of land, and I plan to clear the remaining $100 with my final transfer, ensuring I can dedicate our original land purely to crop production. Additionally, our living situation had become quite uncomfortable; we’ve been sleeping on old maize bags because we did not have a mattress, which made our nights rough. The bed board has hurt our backs for years, so with part of my transfer, I purchased two mattresses, one for me and one for my children, each costing $50. Food has also been a challenge since I lost my maize to floods earlier this year. I had to rely on casual jobs and charcoal production to provide for my four children, so I used some of the funds to buy maize for $38 and condiments for $30, addressing our immediate food needs. To further support our food security, I rented half an acre of land for $25, where I plan to plant maize. I hope this will help us reduce our food costs in the future. Moreover, I realized how long it had been since we bought new clothes, as we had been relying on secondhand items. I spent $50 on new clothes for my children, and their joy was noticeable. The remaining $7 went toward transporting these items home from town.

It was on a Sunday, the 14th of July, after a long day of work, and I was just relaxing at home with my phone by my side. Suddenly, my phone beeped, and when I checked the message, I could not believe my eyes—it was the GiveDirectly transfer! I could hardly believe it. I quickly told my neighbor, who was just as thrilled because she had received her transfer too. In that moment, I knew my plan to buy two sheep would finally come true.

Since I moved here in 2009, I have never ploughed my farm, which is just 0.4 acres. I never had enough money to make it happen and for years, I watched that land sit idle, knowing it had potential but feeling helpless to do anything about it. But then GiveDirectly came into my life, and everything changed. With the unconditional cash I received, I ploughed my land. Before this, my life was a constant struggle just to get by. The casual jobs I took on only paid me $3, which barely covered the cost of food for the day. I never had the luxury to think beyond my immediate needs. But now, things are different. I planted beans and vegetables, and I’ve started selling them for extra cash. It’s amazing how much my life has turned around. I finally feel like I’m moving forward, not just surviving but living.

When I received the cash transfer, the first thing I did was purchase two sheep for $136. Sheep are calm creatures and well-suited for my small farm. We were running low on food, so I used $35 to buy a bag of maize. Maize is versatile; we can grind it into flour or cook it whole, which has sustained us for a month and a half. Knowing that I needed to prepare for the next planting season, I spent $13 to plow 0.4 acres of land and set ridges on it, planting vegetables and beans that would soon provide us with fresh produce. Watering the crops was essential, so I allocated $10 for generator fuel to pump water from the river to my farm. This ensured that my crops would thrive even in dry conditions. Finally, with the remaining money, I bought clothes for my children. They had been going without proper clothing because most of the money I earned from casual jobs went to buying food. This cash transfer has not only met our immediate needs but also given us hope for a more stable future.