When I separated from my wife ten years ago, life took a different direction. I was left depressed and it took me time to get over it which affected my well-being. I have never smeared the one-roomed grass-thatched house I live in and when it rained recently it partially collapsed. The money I earn from casual jobs is only enough to purchase food. I will use the transfers to build a two-roomed iron sheet house for $400. I am thankful to Give Directly because it has given me a chance to live a dignified life after losing hope. The rest of the money will go into livestock purchases ( goats and sheep) for my future investments.

Six months ago, I planted tomatoes on a quarter acre near the river. I made $80 in profit which I used to clear debts that had been in arrest for a year. This gave me happiness since I was never peaceful with the loan. I also bought enough food that lasted me a month saving me the agony of doing casual jobs.

Food insecurity is the greatest challenge die to the prolonged drought. I do casual jobs to earn a living, and this earns me an average of $9 a week. With the high cost of living, it's not enough to sustain all my needs including food. Sometimes I am forced to take one meal a day and this has deteriorated my health. If I had a well-paying job, I would be able to purchase enough food, and also with consistent rain I can harvest enough maize from my small farm.