Firstly, I am resolute about acquiring comfortable and cozy bedding for myself and my family. For too long, I have endured restless nights on worn-out mattresses and tattered blankets, and I yearn for the simple luxury of a good night's sleep. Secondly, I envision expanding my livelihood through livestock, specifically goats. Their resilience makes them a wise investment, and by raising them, I can secure a steady source of income and improve my overall living conditions. As the days pass, I am committed to working tirelessly, saving every penny, and exploring every opportunity to turn these dreams into a reality for my loved ones and myself.

Thanks to GiveDirectly's unconditional money, my life has taken an incredible turn for the better. For so long, I had been struggling to make ends meet, sleeping in a small and cramped house with no means to improve my living conditions. But now, with the financial support from GiveDirectly, I was able to invest in building materials and finally construct a spacious and comfortable home. I am incredibly grateful for what GiveDirectly has done, and I know that this new home is just the beginning of a brighter future for my family.

I am an old widow, and it has been a challenging journey since my spouse passed away two decades ago. Though I make and sell charcoal, the labor is quite exhausting, and I earn around $50 per month. My living conditions have been terrible; I live in an old, almost collapsing house. Whenever it rained, my two grandchildren and I would huddle together, getting wet and cold. The need for a safe and secure shelter became my top priority, so I decided to use a large fraction of the recent unconditional cash transfer to buy building poles and iron sheets. With the help of some kind neighbors, we constructed a new house, and I can't express how relieved and grateful I am to finally have a dry and sturdy roof over our heads. The remaining amount of money was spent on buying food. Having a stable source of food is crucial for my family's well-being, and I wanted to ensure that my grandchildren and I would not have to worry about hunger. The new house and the availability of regular meals have brought a sense of comfort and security that I hadn't experienced in years. Despite the hard work I continue to do, I can now face each day with renewed hope and strength, knowing that my family has a place to call home and enough to eat.

I was busy attending to my crops when a neighbor passed by and asked whether I had received money from GiveDirectly. I had my phone but I couldn't comprehend the messages. When I finally went back home, I called my helper who checked and confirmed that I had also received the transfer. I was greatly overjoyed because I never expected to get such a huge financial support that GiveDirectly sent. I could now think of building a new decent house after living in a grass thatched hut for years.

Before I got enrolled into the program, I was staying in a small grass thatched hut, had no plan of upgrading to a better house. It was also leaking when it rains and at times I was forced to look for shelter elsewhere and my belongings would be soaked by the rains. When I received the transfer, I managed to buy iron sheets and building poles and built a new decent iron roofed house. This has been my dream which I couldn't fulfill at my own cost. I couldn't afford to buy even a single set of the building materials. I am no longer worried of rains now since I am staying in an iron roofed house like my fellow villagers.

I spent a bigger portion of my first transfer on buying building materials which include building poles and 25 iron sheets in order to build a new house. I have been living in a grass thatched house that was in a bad shape, and leaking uncontrollably whenever it rains. Also, I was replacing the grasses every month which was tiresome. I am at peace now that i managed to build a decent iron roofed house, which has greatly relieved me of the stress of replacing the grasses every month. Apart from the house, I also spent Ksh 4000 and purchased a goat. I had some but later I sold them to settle my financial needs, and I am glad that starting again. I am keeping this goat and let it reproduce and have many of them. I can readily sell the offspring to settle my financial needs. Lastly, I bought foodstuffs such as maize flour and paying for daily household expenses. This ensured that we do not lack food, since I bought enough that could last for more than a month.