I didn't get a good harvest last season and being that farming is my main source of income, it would have been challenging to raise money for meeting my family's needs. I'm glad I was able to comfortably feed my family despite the great disappointments that resulted from the poor harvest. I still managed to provide food for my family through the transfers I got from Give Directly. Were it not for Give Directly, I would have found difficulty in raising money for purchasing food and meeting other basic needs for my family.

My kitchen was blown off by wind two months ago. Since then, I have been cooking in the open air which is so challenging especially during the windy and rainy season. During such seasons the cooking area gets messy and in most cases, the food gets filled with dust. Therefore for the next four months, I have an additional goal of using the coming transfers to purchase building materials that I will use to construct a kitchen. I will no longer be restricted from cooking by the weather. My family will also not sleep hungry because of this.

I have been at peace for the last four months despite the poor harvest due to the poor climatic conditions we experienced this season. This is because through the transfers I received from Give Directly I was able to purchase food for the family without challenges. Providing food for my family would have been very difficult without their help. We would have been forced to sleep hungry on several occasions.

Currently, I only rely on farming as the main source of income. It's normally challenging when the crops don't do well. I, therefore, have an additional goal to use the remaining transfers to start up a small business so that I can have an additional source of income. The business will be like my back up plan on seasons that I get a poor harvest. I thank Give Directly for giving me the means to start this business. I would still be depending on the unpredictable outcomes of farming

My life is currently different from how it was in that, I am more peaceful and ambitious in life. I have my monthly payments which I can use in my daily upkeep. Nowadays, I find it easy to keep my savings in our merry-go-round. Saving had been a problem before because I used to earn very little but spend most of the hard earned money to cater for the basic needs. Since I get my income through burning and selling charcoal and at times could not sell anything during the sunny seasons because people preferred using other cheaper sources of energy. This could not able me to give out my monthly contributions due to low sales. I could be forced to pay a fine which was double the normal rate. I could struggle back then since all in all I had to give out my contribution.

My new goal is to build a new kitchen. The current one had been destroyed by winds, therefore, I am normally forced to cook in the main house. This has created the possibility of contracting respiratory diseases due to the smoke from the firewood. I am normally forced to leave the door open which is normally risky at night and this is why I am determined to ensure the kitchen is newly built before picking up any other goal.

The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months is that my food security issues have been solved. I managed to buy maize in bulk which is cheaper and more efficient. Even though I did not get good produce in the last harvesting season, I do not feel the pain of buying food daily at a higher price since the money that I received helped me to buy food in bulk. This time around I upgraded my farming techniques by buying fertilizers and seeds. I also managed to hire labor, therefore, I could plough a bigger area of land. I will take advantage of the good weather and plant the seedlings in good time. I know that if all goes well I will get good produce.

In the next six months, I will have started a business. I want to have something stable which I can depend on even after completion of the transfers. I once had a business which could earn me income every day. The business collapsed because my supplier ran out of stock. This time I am more careful, I have ensured to take contacts from many suppliers. Since it was a good business I am thinking of doing a similar one. I want to diversify my sources of income so that I will be able to meet my life goals.

My life is currently different from how it was in that, I no longer worry of how to settle my bills because nowadays I budget well using my transfer. I also do not pester my neighbours by borrowing items like salt and sugar which I can easily buy on my own.

My new goal is to build a kitchen because the current one is in a bad condition. whenever it rains, I have to cook in the main house and this is normally uncomfortable because of the smoke which is normally emitted from the fire and it could be embarrassing especially whenever I have a visitor around.

The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months is that I managed to fix a new door. Previously, I had an old one which had been detroyed by insects. I was forced to literally cary it when closing the door and with the fear that I could be attacked , I decided to place the table after closing it just to ensure that someone doesn't get inside at night. This was hectic because I had to repeat doing the same thing every single night. Today, I feel good after fixing a new one since I am no longer scared when sleeping at night.

I expect my life to change in the next six months in that, I will have built a kitchen. When this happens, I will enjoy cooking inside my kitchen even on a rainy day because currently, I have been looking for an alternative place because of its bad condition. I will also have started a business probably operating a shop and from the profits, I am sure of taking care of my needs even better .

My life is stress free as I have money I depend on at the end of every month and do not have to worry about where to get money for family upkeep and I can now rear goats which I can sell whenever I have financial emergencies.

My new goal is to buy more goats to rear to get more income for my family.

The daily different is that I was able to buy some building materials that I used to build a shelter for my goats which were getting rained on most of the time.

By then, I shall have plastered my house which is not yet finished and I am still planning on buying more goats for rearing as it is my family's source of income.