My initial goal was to use my transfer in building a new house. The house I was living in was relatively small and old. A situation that made it to be supported by some pillars from behind. Upon completion of this major goal of building a house, that has made me restless for a year, I had plan to add a new goal of raising a flock of goats. Although livestock do well in our area, goats have proven to be the most viable livestock to keep. Since livestock are perceived by my community as a symbol of wealth, raising at least 5 goats will increase my wealth hence I shall be able to have them as ready assets that fetch me some money when I am in need. From a flock of goats, I shall be able to support my children's education without much struggle.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly does so well in offering financial aid to its recipients. The staffs played a key role in enhancing transparency and none-discrimination in enrollment of community members in the village. This has greatly improved on our lifestyle thus our lives will not remain the same. For instance, many recipients have built new houses thus they live in more descent houses.

I spent part of my recent transfer of KES 40,000 to build a new house since the previous one was in a pathetic condition, and could collapse any time. My current house has two bedrooms and a spacious sitting. I am glad that the additional bedroom will be sufficient for my younger children hence they will not be squeezed anymore. The rest of the transfers helped me in paying school fees for my 3 children in primary school as well as acquiring food for the rest of my household. As a result of GiveDirectly's transfer, I have been relieved from the financial burden that I was undergoing previously.

I remember very well it was around 9:30 AM when I was doing laundry together with one of my daughters then I heard a message tone. Being illiterate, I requested my helper to check and read the contents for me. She confirmed that it was an Mpesa message that we have patiently been waiting for. I was so happy becsue I actually knew that I was going to meet most of my needs like building a better house, paying fees among others. I later decided to share the news with the rest of my family who were not at home.

I have been married for over ten years and it hasn't been easy at all. Not because I have a bad husband but because of the hurdles we have been facing together. We used to live in an old grass-thatched hut. Most of its walls had holes all over and one could clearly see what was happening from outside. That was not even our main concern, my nightmares occurred during the cold seasons because my children could be attacked by all sorts of diseases like pneumonia, asthma due to the cold weather. I used to spend a lot on their treatment hence straining our budget even further. Since I had a big family( 8 members), there was an urgent need to build another one. Some of my children who are now adults were forced to spend their nights in their friend's houses, which was quite far from the village we lived in. Apart from that, the said friends did not have good morals and I was worried my children would be influenced by the ill-mannered children. The meager earnings I got from the odd jobs were not enough to cater to all these needs. At some point to open a small business where I used to sell vegetables which would earn me a profit of KES 100 a day since the odd jobs were not reliable. I am glad that with the help I got from GiveDirectly I was able to build a spacious modern house which makes the biggest difference in my daily life. I didnt know I would own one this soon. Through their help I am no longer worried about the diseases or even the security of my family

I spent a big portion of my first transfer on buying twenty-four pieces of iron sheets at KES 21120, building poles, nails, and threads at a total of KES 7500. In addition, I gave the mason KES 8000 as his labor charge for his job well done. Building a better house for me was a priority because the previous one was very small with just a single room and see if my kids had to seek shelter frim their friends. To add to that, I cleared school fees of KES 3500 for my five children who are all in the neighboring primary schools. I am glad they are no longer classes as they used to do. With the remaining amount of money, I am using it in buying foodstuffs like maize flour, reals, and other household items that I am lacking.