Because I am still working on paying for the land, I hope to begin fencing around it once I have completed the payment. The ticket's vast land has few noticeable boundaries, but because mine will be a small piece in the middle of the bigger land, I intend to fence it and begin planting trees around it. I am also working hard to keep my younger son in school, with the help of my older son. Paying his school fees can be difficult at times, but I am grateful that my elder son has a beekeeping business and has been supporting me with the proceeds he gets.

GiveDirectly did an excellent job in our village, lifting me out of the deplorable poverty I was in. I am hoping to start a better life with my current family of three as soon as possible. I'm no longer in pain after building a new house that I hope will last a long time, and once I finish paying for the land, fencing around it will be my next goal.

Living with many uncertainties on a well-wisher's piece of land has been difficult and has never given me peace of mind with my two grown sons. Meeting all of the household's obligations has been difficult for me as a single mother who has been internally displaced from our original home by the neighboring community. I am grateful that GiveDirectly enabled me to build a new house and move out of the old, dilapidated hut I was living in. When I received the second transfer, I was relieved to resume the land ownership process because the owner of the parcel in which I was living was willing to give me a portion of it. I paid $100 as the first installment and intend to pay the remainder when I am able. I have two sons, one of whom is in school, and I had to pay $5 in arrears to allow him to continue his education without interruption. In addition, I spent $165 on food, which included dry maize grains, beans, rice, and sugar, all of which I still use today. I gave $10 to each of my three daughters, who live with their families in nearby villages, purchased an additional goat to add to the existing five, and decided to save the remaining portion for any upcoming emergencies before receiving the final transfer. I am grateful for the overwhelming support and hopeful that the final transfer will complete the payment for the land.

At about 4:30 p.m., I received an SMS notification letting me know that the first transfer had been received. I had to ask my close neighbor for help because I was unable to read and understand the message, and Kevin, my helper, wasn't at home. My neighbor confirmed that she had also gotten the same message. Being a Friday, I had to wait until Monday—market day—when I sent my helper to collect and purchase the building materials.

The building of the new home I moved into right away has made the most difference in my daily routine. Due to a snake and mosquito infestation, as well as roof leaks during wet seasons, the dilapidated hut I was staying in was intolerable. I am relieved to be living in a warmer space with a smooth roof that doesn't have any cracks or leaks. My health will improve, and my risk of contracting malaria and other wild animal diseases will be reduced.

After receiving the funds, I made construction my top priority. I spent $208 on 15 iron sheets to add to the five I already had, and I built a cubicle room that I moved into immediately after the roof was replaced. To pay the labor fees, I had to sell one of my five goats. I had to utilize the only material that was readily available—iron sheets—on both the walls and the roof, despite the fact that our climate is characterized by a scorching sun that maintains the temperature high throughout the whole year. I am relieved that the very cold evenings are behind me, as well as the annoying mosquitoes that used to keep me up at night. I no longer have to worry about having a higher risk of contracting malaria, and I will have better protection from an invasion by crawling animals. My standard of living has increased to that of other villagers. I am hoping to buy some land in the future and also assist my son's beekeeping pursuits, even though I am still dependent on the illegal burning and sale of charcoal to feed my family of four and am still residing on my neighbor's property.