As a widower whose partner died and left behind with five children to care for, providing for them has best a great challenges since I have no proper income but depends on casual labor that is unpredictable and tedious with meager earnings. I lived in a traditional house of one room that served as sitting room ,bedroom, kitchen and a store. It was old with leaky roof and tilted walls. I was forced to sleep in it with my children as begging for sleeping spaces in the neighborhood was prohibited by our tradition in that a widower must not sleep in other people's houses. Today I have build a better house with enough rooms for to accommodate us comfortably. I stocked enough food that will push us though to the next season of harvest. I have also invested enough in sugarcane farming which is the main economic activity in this region. This gives me hope for the future as in the next one and a half years, they will mature for harvesting and this will boost my financial security. I will be able to pays school fees for my children with ease to the level of their wish. I also intend to buy a dairy cow with earnings from sugarcane harvest. A dairy cow will eventually provided me with milk that will improve on the nutrition of my family. I shall sell the surplus of milk and save the money to buy a solar light system and chairs. I feel happy and satisfied with what I have done with the opportunity that GiveDirectly gave me.

GiveDirectly has given power into the hands of people that has never happened before in this side of the country. Making decisions without any conditions for a better life is like a dream to many, a dream that was dreamt during the day and night. Economic power to the poor has rewritten a different story in the lives of many. Those who never had good shelter have built houses that are smart and modern. Many that lived in rental houses have established homes through GiveDirectly funds, children are in school with full fees paid for the first time in history. Investments in small scale businesses including farming can be seen all over, most of the fields that lied fallow are all tilled and planted with crops of which food security is promising. I have not observed anything that was not well done worth mentioning.

I spent the transfer on sugarcane farming. I have managed to plant three hectares of land that will mature in one and a half years time. This will empower me financially after harvesting and I shall be able to educate my children without any stress. I shall be more financially stable to provide for the basic needs as well including food, clothes and a better house than the one I am living in currently. I also intend to buy a dairy cow from the sugarcane earnings that will eventually provide me with milk.

I am staying a happy life because I am staying in a more spacious and decent house that is not leaking when it rains.

When I received my transfer I was very excited. I woke up dressed up knelt down and prayed first for God to help me use my trasnfer in the correct way.

I bought building materials like iron sheets, polls, nails and also paid labour that I used to build my new house because the one I was initially staying in was too old and it was also leaking.I also bought maize for family consumption.