What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Within our household, my wife and I reside with our 7 children. 4 of them are my biological offspring, while the remaining 3 are children of my late sister, who passed away 4 years ago. I assumed guardianship of my late sister's children, as they had no one else to care for them. Among the 7 children, there are 5 girls and 2 boys. Currently, they all share a single room, which is far from ideal, particularly as some of them are entering their teenage years. Providing separate rooms would afford them the privacy they need as they continue to grow. My wife is currently unemployed, while I earn a living as a local palm wine vendor. However, my earning are barely enough adequately provide for our family and building a house. Therefore, I allocated $420 of the transfer to construct a 2-bedroom house, as our current dwelling is insufficient for all of us. Though the house is still under construction, once completed, it will afford our family the necessary privacy. Seeing the house in progress excites all of us and we are eagerly waiting for its completion so that the kids can move in have their privacy. Additionally, I spent $130 to connect water to our home. Currently, we do not have running water, and my wife faces considerable challenges in fetching water from a distant source.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Due to the limited income from my local palm wine vending, I faced challenges in providing for my family and saving for both water connection and a house. This burden weighed heavily on me, but GiveDirectly lightened it with their transfer. Now, as the house construction progresses and we await approval for the water connection, my earnings comfortably cover our family's daily essentials. This brings us immense happiness, and we are deeply grateful. Soon, my wife will no longer need to trek long distances in search of water, freeing up her energy for more constructive activities that contribute to our family's well-being
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had traveled to a nearby town, approximately a 2-hour drive from my home, to undertake some casual work for the day in hopes of earning a little extra money for my family. Around 5pm, while engaged in my tasks, a notification appeared on my phone. Upon opening it, I discovered that GiveDirectly had sent us money. Immediately, I called my wife to share the wonderful news and she received them with immense joy. It had been quite some time since we had encountered such uplifting news, which rekindled our spirits and reminded us of life's wonders. In our household, I live with my wife and 7 children. Among them, 4 are my biological children, and 3 are the children of my late sister, who passed away 4 years ago. I assumed responsibility for my late sisters' children as they had no one else to care for them. Among the 7 children, there are 5 girls and 2 boys. They currently share a single room, which isn't ideal, especially considering that some of them are entering their teenage years. Providing separate rooms would afford them the privacy they need as they continue to grow. My wife is currently unemployed, and I earn a living as a local palm wine vendor. However, our earnings are modest and do not suffice for adequately providing for our family and building a house.