My farm extends to the main road at the centre with access to resources. This creates extensive business opportunities that generate income for the family. As a result, I hope to open a retail business since I will construct houses and lease out some for those who wish to explore business opportunities as well. I will be glad that my family of 7 will be financially stable through the rent and profits from the business.

Givedirectly has trained their staff to treat recipients with the utmost respect and I appreciate this. In addition, the lives of recipients have been uplifted for instance, Iron-roofed houses have been constructed, children are educated and the community has been boosted financially. I also acknowledge problems arise in families and disputes might arise, instead of pausing the transfers, the organization should talk to both sides to get the story and assist where possible.

Education is the key to success and every parent yearns for the best for his children. As a parent, I am glad to have achieved this after utilizing $2500 of the transfers on school fees for my children in grades 10 and 11. Although my family of 7 depends on farming for a living, I am saddened that my area has experienced periods of drought for the past 5 seasons and thus run into losses. Since life has to move on, I had to take risks. I used the transfers to cultivate the land and purchase maize seedlings in preparation for the rainy season. Furthermore, I purchased insecticides and food for the family. I was excited that my family is food secure.

It was around 4 pm when I left the house for the shop leaving my phone. While at the shop, I heard one of the customers saying that they had just received their first transfer from GiveDirectly. When I returned home, my wife told me she had heard a message tone from my phone in the room but since she was busy she did not check. From what I heard from the customer at the shop, I suspected I had received the transfer too. Upon checking, I realized that GiveDirectly had sent the cash transfer into my account. This news brightened my evening; I was happy. Being advanced in age, at least the money would allow me to fend for myself and also support the family.

The main difference that I can testify of GiveDirectly is that it enabled me to pay full first-term fees on the opening day for my children at once something that I had never done since I started educating my children. Most of the time my children used to be sent back in the first term contrary to what will happen now because of the empowerment from GiveDirectly. In addition to that, my wife is acquiring tailoring knowledge which will be a long-term investment in our family.

Educating my children has been my priority despite the ups and downs in finances. I have two children who are in secondary school; one is in form three and the other one is in form two. Since they were on holiday by the time I received the money, I opted to deduct $200 from the sent transfer and set it aside as their term full one fee. I did this to reduce the pressure of sourcing for fees once the year began which would result in them being sent back home. Thereafter, I saw it prudent to invest in my wife by equipping her with some knowledge. Therefore I took her to a tailoring college where she could acquire some techniques so that she could also assist in fending for the family as well as being independent. Based on that, I paid the full required fees in her college amounting to $230 so that she could have time to concentrate on her studies. I used $50 to buy some food for the family and the rest to complete a project of renovating a business house in terms of painting to make it appealing to clients.