Old age sometimes denies one the energy to fend for the family, and therefore one has to think of alternative sources. Since I am now old, I cannot walk for long distances so as to fetch water for the household, and therefore, I plan on purchasing a 3000 liter water tank for $200 to harvest and store rainwater. I have not been able to save enough money from the milk sales, as all of the $0.8 goes toward household food and there is no surplus to attend to other needs such as this water tank. Currently, my family uses the water from the water pan to attend to all the household chores, including cooking. This water is sometimes unfit for human consumption as it predisposes one to waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and typhoid. Furthermore, even the animals drink from these water pans, and other people wash their clothes and pour back the dirty water into the water pan. If I own the water tank, then my health will not be at stake, and I will utilize the energy that I use to fetch the water to attend to other family needs.

Since the transfers are unconditional, many families have attended to their most pressing needs. The transfers have brought peace and harmony to families, and those that had unaccomplished tasks have had the chance to complete them. Alternatively, immense change has been witnessed in the community as houses have been constructed and people no longer live in dilapidated states. Personally, I am grateful,for I now live comfortably without fear of contracting diseases due to colds.

Raising a family of three singlehandedly is somewhat stressful. When my husband passed on, I resorted to raising livestock so as to support the family, and I am now grateful that the $0.8 I earn daily from the milk sales has made my life simpler. Through this, my family has gotten food, and part of the school fees have been paid. I am glad the transfers made it even simpler for my 11-year-old to study without interruptions. I was able to pay $50 of her school fees, and now a financial burden has been dropped. Furthermore, I spent $400 on finishing up my two-room iron-roofed house, therefore giving up on the old one-room mud-floor house that had become difficult to maintain at my age. For the rest of the transfers, I purchased food for the family. I am thankful that the transfers have made my financial life easier, and now I can concentrate on raising the livestock while attending to family needs with fewer financial demands.

I received a message popup that, while I couldn't easily understand the source, I suspected was from GiveDirectly because its content had the exact amount I was expecting. I was convinced when I received a phone call from a friend who confirmed receiving the same amount. I was overjoyed and grateful to God because I had a lot planned and hoped to carry it out with the same amount. I informed my children, who were equally pleased, before collecting the entire amount from the nearby shopping center that evening.

The most noticeable difference in my daily life is the significant boost from the purchase of construction materials that have nearly completed work. I am glad that I was able to accomplish so much on the construction site thanks to GiveDirectly's financial assistance. I am eager to see it finished in the coming weeks so I can get out of the kitchen, which has been filled with fumes from the cooking area.

When I received the first transfer from GiveDirectly, I was working on a construction project. It was a relief for me because I had been struggling for months to obtain the missing materials that would have completed the construction. I spent $450 on additional materials after my first transfer, which included iron sheets, 12 bags of cement, gravel, and sand. Transportation was also an issue, so getting them home was difficult. In addition, I purchased metallic window panes and glasses, a steel door, some timber and frames for roofing and wall furnishing, and later paid the labor force $50. Even though I have not yet moved in, I am relieved that a large portion of the work has been completed. I am looking forward to painting the interior walls before installing the ceiling board and finally moving in with my family of five. The remainder was spent on Christmas celebrations with my family, where we purchased foodstuffs as well as new pairs of clothes for the four children, who were extremely grateful for the support.