I have a new goal which is to start a new business (selling fresh vegetables, fruits, and cereals) in the neighbouring town centre. I believe that once I will acquire enough capital to open this business I will no longer strain especially in meeting my family's basic needs more so paying school fees. Also, I feel it's high time to take a break from the charcoal business which has been affecting me heathwise.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly did a great job for all of us in the entire region. Also, the plan of giving out cash transfers was the best decision ever. This is because we all have different needs in our households therefore, everyone could choose what to purchase. Therefore, I have not seen or heard any negative action they have done in my community.

I spent part of my second transfer on clearing fees of KES 30000 for my two grandchildren in college and secondary school respectively. Being their guardian has never been easy for me at all because I relied on the charcoal business which was not that profitable. As a widow, I have been taking up all the family's responsibilities which were so challenging. Therefore I have been seeking help from different organisations and friends which was not a guarantee. Therefore they have been on and off which could equally affect their academic performance. I am now thankful and happy for this support because they are now settled in schools. I am hoping that once they graduate, they will change our living standards together with their generations. With the remaining amount of money, I bought food for my family of six members which took us almost a month.

As I was approaching home after fetching some water at around 7 am, I heard a message tone from my phone which rang twice. I did not bother about it because I do not cow how to read. When I settled at home I consulted my daughter-in-law to confirm the message and what it was all about. She screamed in happiness and hugged me; I wondered what could have happened. Thereafter she informed me that I had received KES 55000.00 from GiveDirectly. My heart was engulfed with happiness and we rejoiced together for getting such a huge amount of money at once.

The biggest changes in my life that I managed to do with the help of the transfer from GiveDirectly are the placement of a door to my house which had stayed over a year without a door. The second one is food security at home. Initially, we used to sleep hungry for several days due to lack of food but currently, my family has a guarantee of getting meals every day. Thanks to GiveDirectly for enabling me to provide for my family.

Since my house had been without a door for over a year, this was the first thing I bought when I withdrew the money. The door cost KES 3500.00 and I also bought a bed and a mattress for KES 8000.00. Before getting the transfer, I used to sleep on a small traditional bed covered by a torn mat, but after getting the transfer, I bought a modern standard bed and a mattress. I also paid school fees for both my secondary and primary school children of KES 10000.00 and KES 2000.00 respectively. Since my children had overused school uniforms, I bought a pair each which cost KES 2600.00 for all of them. For the remaining amount, I bought some food for my family and kept the rest for the family’s upkeep.