My new goal is to be able to buy a water tank. I am getting old and travelling for long distances to fetch water from streams and rivers is quite an uphill task for me. Right now I rely on my grandchildren to go fetching for water for me since I cannot travel for such long distances to fetch. With the first and second transfers, I was not able to buy one since I had more pressing needs like improving my place of stay. I do not expect to get money from anyone or any such huge support from anyone but I remain very optimistic that I will be able to raise or get enough money that will see me achieve this dream. It will definitely be one of the happiest moments in my life.

In my opinion GiveDirectly did well by giving us the freedom to choose what to spend the money on. This freedom gave us an opportunity to invest the money in ways that we at individual level saw it fit to invest. I am personally very happy seeing my brand new house and what it means to my health and age. I feel so much privileged as a person.

I used most of my recent transfer to improve the floor of my newly built house and used just a little that remained to buy clothes and food for my family. I had been able to put up a timber walled house with my first transfer but had not been successful in cementing the floor of the same house. The second transfer enabled me to finish up with the floor. I had eye problem and after visiting a doctor, I was advised to stay away from dust and smoke since I was allergic to them. I had been unable to raise enough money to be able to improve my house until recently when I received my transfer from GiveDirectly. I am so happy that I have been able to do this and so grateful to GiveDirectly for enabling me do it. With my age I can do very little to make enough income to do such and as a matter of fact, I have been relying almost entirely on support from my children to get money for most of my needs.

I do not know how to read or write and it is for that reason that I left my phone with my daughter. I had instructed her to let me know when the money was sent to my account and on that day, she did not take long before she could share the news with me. She came full of joy to just let me know that there was money sent to my account from GiveDirectly. I honestly felt very happy. I was overwhelmed with joy because I knew all the plans that I had been unable to accomplish were finally going to be realized.

The biggest difference that came about because of these transfers is the newly built house that is almost coming to completion. I cannot imagine that I will no longer struggle with the tedious maintenance of a mud house. I feel so much relaxed and at peace knowing that I can have my visitors anytime and host them comfortably without having to be embarrassed like in the past. The newly built house will also give me an opportunity to take care of myself in the best ways I can especially my eyes which have developed allergies towards smoke and dust. GiveDirec tly have changed my life a great deal. I am an old woman and I can hardly engage in any form of profitable business to earn income now. I therefore feel lucky to have been part of this life changing program.

I used almost the entire transfer that I got to build the new houses that you see now. I bought everything from the iron sheets to the frames and all the timber needed. This took almost KES 50000 and the KES 5000 that remained was used to buy food which we are still eating to date. The house that I was iving in was too small, old and worn out. It looked like it could collapse anytime but I did not have the means to put it down and build another one. The house is now fully complete and I am happy because I will not have to put up with dust again. I feel so happy and grateful to GiveDirectly for enabling me realize this dream.