I was busy untying my goats to take them to the grazing field in the evening when I received a message on my phone. Since I cannot read the messages, I always ask my children to read them for me. Luckily, at that moment, my son came home from school, and I asked him to check the message before I could leave to graze the livestock. I was overwhelmed with joy when he confirmed that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. This was the best news to end my day, especially since I had been reflecting on how I had suffered while sheltering in a grass-thatched hut that was in very bad shape. I could only smile as I took the goats to the grazing fields, looking forward to the next day when I could buy building materials and start constructing a decent iron-roofed house.

Before I enrolled in the program, I had completely given up hope of building a decent house with an iron roof. As a widow, my only source of income for years had been burning and selling charcoal. Despite the health risks and exhaustion, I had no choice but to continue to support my family. The money I earned mainly went towards food, leaving no room for improving our shelter, which was a small grass-thatched hut built by my late husband. During the planting season, I also worked on other people's farms to make a living. Despite my hard work, I couldn't save enough to build a decent house. I also had four children to support, two in high school and two in primary school. With all these responsibilities, building a decent house was out of the question. It wasn't until GiveDirectly offered me financial assistance that I could make my dream of upgrading my house to an iron-roofed one a reality. I am extremely grateful that I was able to purchase iron sheets, building poles, nails, and timber to construct a two-room iron-roofed house with the money I received. This has greatly relieved me of the tiresome job of replacing the grass roof, and I feel at peace when it rains. Now, my two daughters and I share the same roof, while my sons have their own. Additionally, all four children are comfortably back in school, no longer facing interruptions to their studies since I cleared their fees with the money I received.

After my husband, who was the sole breadwinner in our family, passed away, I was left with the responsibility of taking care of our family. Even before his passing, we were facing financial difficulties. Despite this, he always made sure that the family's basic needs, such as food and our children's education, were taken care of. While he provided for the family, I mainly looked after them and did subsistence farming during the planting season. It has been a struggle for me to shoulder all the responsibility as I mainly relied on menial jobs and selling charcoal, which didn't pay enough to adequately provide for my family. Due to these challenges, my children were often sent home from school because I couldn't afford the fees, and they sometimes missed classes. Additionally, living in a small grass-thatched hut meant I had to frequently replace the old grasses on the roof and seek shelter elsewhere whenever it rained. However, when I enrolled in the program and received my first transfer, it made a huge difference. With the money, I spent $350 on building materials and built a spacious two-roomed iron-roofed house, providing a comfortable living space for myself and my three young children. I also used the remaining $200 to clear the fee arrears for my four children, two in high school and two in primary school, ensuring that their education wasn't interrupted.