Before receiving the transfer, I used to walk for a long distance looking for water but this is no longer the case. This is because I now have a water tank that I use in harvesting and storing rain water. Also, I was able to acquire a dairy cow using my transfer. Due to this, I am optimistic that I will no longer be buying milk daily very soon. In addition, I now have some assets like goats that I can easily convert to cash when faced with financial challanges like paying school fees for my children. Being able to accomplish all these has made my life different than how it would have been had I not received the transfer.

In my own opinion, GiveDirectly does well by sending aid directly to people and I do not see anything that they do not do well.

Walking for a long distance looking for clean water for domestic use had been my routine. As a result of this, I always wasted not less than one hour going to fetch it. When I received my transfer, I decided to purchase a water tank worth KES 22000. This will come in handy in harvesting and storing rain water for domestic use during dry season. Also, I bought two goats for rearing at KES 8000. These are assets to me that I can easily convert to cash when faced with financial challanges. In addition to these, I bought some beddings and two sets of seats at KES 11,000. I decided on this since the ones we had were old and worn out. Using the remaining amount, I bought some food stuffs and other household items.

I was at home when I received the SMS indicating that I had received the lump sum transfer from GiveDirectly. I was filled with a lot of excitement about seeing this. I felt a ray of hope in me because all the things that I have always planned were now going to be fulfilled.

The transfer is going to bring a very big difference in my life. I have been buying milk for consumption and getting this milk is quite hard. I have to go very far to get it and when I get it, it is being sold at a higher price. With this cow that I bought, I will be able to get enough milk for my family to consume and some for sale. The money that I will get from the sales, will enable me to pay school fees for my children and buy food for them. When the goats reproduce and multiply in number, I will sell some of them and use the money on other things such as starting a business or using it to build a house. The goats’ milk will also act as a substitute for the cow’s milk when it is not lactating. I will thus not be lacking milk that my family can consume. My children have also become happy because they no longer lack food to eat and they no longer have to take tea without sugar in it. Thank you GiveDirectly, may you continue with the same spirit of helping others.

The money from GiveDirectly has helped me in various ways. I was able to buy a cow and two goats with part of the money. I was also able to buy a chair, a woofer, and a bag of maize that will serve as food for my family. I plan to use part of the remaining money to buy a few chickens for rearing and the rest of the money on food. I have always wanted to have a cow of my own but due to lack of enough money, I have not been able to buy one. The little money that I have been getting, I have been using it to buy food and milk for everyday consumption. I have tried my best to save up bits of money to buy the cow, but it has been hard due to everyday needs. Thank you GiveDirectly for making this happen.