I majorly depend on farming and casual jobs to earn a living and provide for my family. I had to struggle extra hard to make sure that the ever-rising household basic needs are met in my family. I lived in one grass-thatched house that I used to spend most of my time maintaining it regularly to prevent cracks and peeling off the grass to make our lives better since I could not build another one due to the scarce resource I had. I had felt ashamed of sharing a room with my grown-up children and making it worse was the efforts that I did not have to change the situation. My life is currently different than it would have been if I had never received the transfer in that I currently live in an iron-roofed house that has boosted my self-esteem in society since I am like anyone else and more so, I have a different room for my children to spend their nights in hence we are comfortable as the parents. I am able currently to harvest clean water from the roof of my house hence can't go anymore to ask for clean water from my neighborhood like before. I have bought a cow to add to the one I had thus I feel I have gained more wealth that with time will reproduce to give us more as a family that will stand as our security for any financial needs arising and the milk we will get from for both household use and sale hence generating more income. I currently have enough food in my store that I would not have gotten if it was for the GiveDirectly transfers.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly has done well generally, since fulfilling the important basic needs like accessing to decent housing, food and education was a real struggle to many of us. Currently, our lives have changed and improved because we are living in iron-roofed houses, have enough food, we have paid for our children school fees we have invested some money in farming both livestock and agriculture which will, in turn, give us food and income through sales of surplus products.

I had run short of food in our stores since I had sold some of our yields to get money to pay for my children school fees and the one I had remained with was over hence I spent KES5000 of my transfer on food. I depend on farming and low paying and hardly found casual jobs to provide for my family daily needs. Like anybody else, I had a goal to bring more wealth to my family to help me meet the family needs during my old age but the scarce resource and the little I could earn from my causal jobs could not allow me to realize my goal. When I received my second transfer I took KES20000 to buy a cow. I am happy that I currently I have added an asset that will help me generate more income to my family and also give us milk for household consumption and sales. I used KES10000 to settle a debt I had accrued after my husband was hospitalized and I am happy that currently I am free from debts hence can work for my family. I used the remaining amount of my second transfer on my household daily basic needs and goods.

The biggest difference in my daily life is having a house to live in and paying school fees. My children are not sent home to collect school fees anymore or for not putting on school uniforms. I now concentrate on having to work on providing basic needs especially food. My children look good in their new uniform complete with shoes. They even look healthier because they feed well and happier and this is the biggest joy in my life.

The child I was with asked me if I was running mad. My happiness was overwhelming as I clapped uncontrollably after reading the message showing that I had received KES 55000. the money came at a time when my children were wearing torn school uniforms. They were wearing some clothes that resembled the school uniforms and I didn't have a choice as long as they had something on. My teachers used to bother them and this stressed me a lot but I could not afford it. I could not hide my joy as I clapped in amazement.

I spent the money I received from GiveDirectly on building a house. I bought roofing materials and paid for construction labor. I used to live in an old grass thatched house. It was so old that I could not harvest rainwater from it. I can now do that in my compound because of the new iron sheet roof. This makes me happy. I have even attempted it call Givedirectly juts to express my gratitude but I don't how to get to a representative on the line. In addition to building a house, I also paid school fees and bought uniforms for children in primary school. I then bought clothes for everyone in my family.