When I got the first transfer, one of my goals was to start a hair-dressing business to supplement the occasional one I was doing in the village. I thought it would be a simple venture because I had all of the salon equipment, but other family pressing needs prevented it. My objectives shifted when the first cow I purchased became ill and I had to sell it at a loss within the first two weeks. Budgeting the remaining funds to meet all of our goals became difficult, and we were forced to postpone the start of a business. At the moment, I am still working on the same dream, hoping that realizing it will eventually help me achieve other goals.

The program's implementation was fair, and it aimed to elevate everyone in the village after providing equal financial support. I appreciate the prompt assistance provided by GiveDirectly. I have no complaints about the entire process, but I am pleased that GiveDirectly is still working hard to reach out to other villages in desperate need of similar assistance.

Previously, I worked as a casual laborer in Nakuru in various salons, earning a daily wage. Throughout that time, I made small savings that allowed me to purchase salon equipment that I am now using from home. I had to return home when my husband left for casual labor and I had to be with my children as they leave for school every morning. I am grateful that the transfer from GiveDirectly arrived just when I needed it and enabled me to purchase a $400 lactating dairy cow. This put an end to my expensive milk purchases of milk from the neighborhood for my family of six. With the salon equipment I have, I have been providing in-house hairdressing services to my neighbors for pay when they either come home or call me to their residents. I also paid $25 for my two children's primary school tuition, and $36 for food shopping, and transferred the remainder to my husband, who needed to pay rent at his workplace, among other household goods.

It thrilled me when I first received the transfer at around 7:00am. At that moment, I was at home with my children whom after unfolding the message that I had gotten; they could confirm it to have come from GiveDirectly. We were thankful to God, knowing that all the plans we had as we awaited the receipt were soon beginning.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the introduction of a dairy cow to my field that has given me hope of getting an adequate supply of milk in the future. I had been buying milk for a long time and it was expensive for my family. Even though it is not lactating at the moment, I hope that in the next eight months, it will have calved down since I served it a month ago.

It is expensive buying milk for my family of six for two years now. This was the case since my household had a cow that would have provided us with milk. On receiving the first transfer, I devoted KES 33000 to buying a dairy cow that was served a week later after arrival. I am glad to expect enough production of milk in the next 8 months when in calves down. Clearance of the debt that had been piling up in my friend’s shop had to be paid also and, after going through his records and comparing them with the notes I had, I parted with KES 6500. I was thankful to him for being that patient and helping my family with all the household goods when we needed. In addition, my husband also took KES 3000 and paid to my parents as part of the dowry that he has been flexibly paying in bits. I spent part of the remaining amount on securing a solar panel and pieces of lighting equipments for my household at KES 4000, clothing worth KES 2100 for my four children, reimbursed KES 2300 to my husband who had to travel home from his workplace to plan with me, and the last bit in buying livestock feeds and supplements for my dairy cow. I am thankful to GiveDirectly for this generous support and am looking forward to greater accomplishments when I receive the second transfer.