In the coming year and beyond, I hope to support the education of my 6 children who are still schooling both in primary and secondary school. This is because they are frequently out of school due to fee arrears something that is bothering my mind. Additionally, with a family of 14 members providing for the basic needs especially food has been a great burden for me. Having sufficient food for the family is another goal then I have.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well in sending cash transfers to poor households in the village. First, the training that they gave us during the early stages helped us to better understand the program. I feel the program was well conducted and there is nothing I can recommend for improvement.

I spent $150 of the recent to purchase 5 goats a future investment for the family. Previously, I was depending on crop farming which has been greatly affected by climate change. I had desired to venture into goat rearing as an alternative since they are profitable and easy to raise compared to cattle that are greatly affected by drought. Furthermore, I used $204 to purchase proper modern bedding for a family of 12 children. This is because we had been sleeping on the floor using mats which were uncomfortable. Lastly, I spent the remaining amount constructing a decent house for my kids. They were spending their night in a small-grass thatched house that was leaking.

While in the field preparing charcoals at around 7.30 am, I heard my phone vibrating and upon checking, there was an envelope-like on the screen. Since I do not know how to read, I opted not to tamper with it till in the evening to show my daughter. When I reached home in the evening, my daughter confirmed to me that I had received the first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was filled with joy for getting a huge amount at once, knowing that my life desires were going to be met even if they are not all.

Before GiveDirectly came into my life, I used to struggle to make ends meet and at most times things did not work out well. Getting daily meals at home was not a guarantee, sometimes we had to skip some meals to be able to use the little money in solving other issues that required immediate action. As of now, we are happy as a family since the time we received the first transfer from GiveDirectly. We are getting daily food not as before.

When I withdrew the money, I desired to keep some livestock at home knowing that that can be converted to monetary value at any time if the need arises. Concerning that, I bought a cow for KES 20000.00 and 3 goats for KES 7400.00. I also bought 10 pieces of iron sheets for KES 10900.00 intending to build a new house and give out the old ones to my children. Being a parent of 5 primary school children it was not my pleasure to see them being sent out of school due to school fees. Thus, I paid KES 2500.00 in advance for them so that they could concentrate in their studies. Thereafter, I used the remaining amount in buying some food for my family.