My main focus now is making sure I start and finish building my house so that I can finally move in. Thanks to the support from GiveDirectly, I have a chance to turn this dream into reality. It's my goal to create a home where my family and I can feel safe and comfortable. With determination and hard work, I am eager to see the walls go up and the roof in place.

In my view, GiveDirectly is truly awesome. The support I received from it made a significant and positive impact on my life. Its direct assistance allowed me to address important needs and work towards my goals. The simplicity and effectiveness of its approach make it stand out, and I appreciate how it directly contributes to improving the lives of individuals and families. I am grateful for the positive change it brought into my life, and in my opinion, its work is truly commendable.

Losing my house to the heavy rain left me restless, and I had been relying on my son's place for shelter, which didn't bring much peace of mind. When the second transfer from GiveDirectly came through, I spent $360 on 30 pieces of iron sheets and some building poles, determined to invest in the construction of my own house. The prospect of having a place to call my own filled me with hope and a sense of security. In addition to rebuilding, I allocated $40 for medication after falling ill, and I'm grateful to say that I am now well. Being a widow dependent on my son's earnings as a casual laborer, I used a portion of the money to buy a sack of maize, ensuring we had food at home and allowing him to save some of his hard-earned money. The remaining amount was wisely saved, patiently waiting for my son to accumulate more funds so that we could kick off the construction project and finally have a home of our own.

My initial intention for the cash transfers was to use the money to build a new house. After my own house collapsed years ago, I moved into my son's structure where I've been staying ever since. I have always desired to build a new house, but I did not have the financial means to achieve that goal. Being advanced in age, I solely depend on my grandson, who works as a public service vehicle driver, to provide for his sister and me. However, the income he makes has only been enough to cover basic needs like food and medication for my epileptic condition. I am very happy that the cash transfers have given me a chance to build a new house. I would be delighted if, by the end of the transfer period, I could have a two-room structure made of mud walls and a tin roof. This is why I spent $300 from the cash transfer to buy roofing materials like iron sheets and nails. Also, at that time, I needed to refill my monthly medication, and I spent $50 to buy the medicine. I'm glad that this monthly refill has helped contain the episodes I usually experience. I spent the remaining amount of the cash transfers to contribute to the household's food needs for the last month and beyond. We were yet to harvest our crops by that time, and I am happy to have contributed, thereby lightening the burden on my grandson's shoulders.

The ability to finally build a new house is the most significant change that has happened to me since I received my first cash transfers. For a long time, I have been staying in my son's house ever since mine collapsed years ago. My longstanding wish was that one day I would be able to build my own house. The cash transfers have helped me take a step towards that dream. I used the funds to obtain roofing materials like iron sheets and nails. Now, I'm hoping to spend the next cash transfer on building poles and labor compensation. If it were not for the cash transfers, I'm not sure how much longer I would have had to stay in my son's house, which always made me uncomfortable.

I was at home with my granddaughter when I received a message notification on my phone. Since I cannot read due to my advanced age, I did not know what the message was about. I asked my granddaughter to review the contents of the message, and she confirmed that Give Directly had sent the first cash transfers. Honestly, that was one of the happiest days of my life. The amount of joy that filled my heart was beyond words. I knew that the money would help me build the house that I had long desired to construct.