Give Directly does well by helping needy people by giving them unconditional transfers. For a long time, I could not repair my house because of my poor financial status. I am using the money to repair my house and ensure that I am safe before the rain begins. I would recommend the organization conduct physical surveys to ensure they evaluate how much the money has affected the lives of the poor people in our Village.

I live in a tiny (1 room) house which is in a dilapidated condition. I am of age and not able to work and depend fully on my son who works as a casual laborer building people's houses in Mombasa. Because of my poor financial status, I could not make improvements to my house. The grass touched (Makuti) roof of the house is leaking after a large portion of it was blown away by the strong wind. The mud walls of the house have large cracks, making the entire structure very weak and can collapse anytime. I covered the wide holes on the walls with sacks to prevent cold air affecting my health from entering the house during the night. My son who I followed depends on cannot help me build my house because he earns very little from his job. Therefore, when I received my transfer. I spent KES 3000 on buying three pieces of iron sheets to repair the roof before the rainy season begins.

I remember my daughter-in-law asking me to confirm if my transfer had been sent. The amount of happiness I felt when I saw the mobile money message is immeasurable. I knew I would finally start saving for a new house since the current one has large holes on the mud walls. I look forward to initially accumulating KES 9,000 to buy iron sheets for the new shelter.

The transfer made my dream of poultry farming come a reality. Before, I could not afford to buy chicken due to lack of necessary funds. I took the financial aid as a perfect opportunity to progress in rearing chickens and expanding the flock. I now, more than ever, remain hopeful that this venture will grow to cattle keeping someday.

Lack of food is the biggest issue in my household. Sometimes, hunger strikes so hard that we starve for two consecutive days. When things get tough, I beg the shopkeeper to give us foodstuffs on credit. By the time I received the transfer, I was in debt of KES 300 at the store and the priority was to repay the same. Additionally, I bought three hens worth KES 900. The goal is to let the chicken multiply, sell the produce, and use the money to obtain goats and later cattle. I perceive cattle keeping as personal banking because the cash generated from selling cows is enough to settle one’s bills.