I was resting late in the evening after a day of activities, and I had given my phone to my helper. At that moment, she approached me and informed me that I had received an M-Pesa message. Upon checking the contents, I discovered that it was my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt happy and thanked God for the blessing. For years, I have longed to build a decent house for myself but could not achieve this dream due to lack of funds. This was now the opportunity for me to change my life by building a new iron-roofed house, and I couldn't wait to withdraw the money the next day.

Before GiveDirectly intervened, I couldn't afford a better shelter due to financial struggles. I was unable to save enough to buy the necessary building materials, so I had to continue living in my small, weak house with a leaky roof. Upgrading seemed impossible because I couldn't even afford to buy a single piece of iron sheet. As I didn't have any income, I relied heavily on subsistence farming and the meager earnings from my son's casual jobs. However, thanks to GiveDirectly's financial support, I was able to change everything in a very short time. With the first transfer, I finally managed to buy iron sheets and building poles, and built a spacious two-room house for my family. Now, even during heavy rain, we have a good place to stay. I also bought four goats, which I see as valuable assets to help with my financial needs, as I can sell them as they increase in number.

The first transfer was a lifeline for me and my family. It brought a huge transformation that I never imagined would happen in my life. For many years, I struggled with shelter because the house I lived in was a small, one-room house. It was not spacious, weak, and its roof was in disrepair due to the old iron sheets. I did not feel at peace living in this house, especially during heavy rains, which sometimes forced me to seek shelter elsewhere. I planned to build a new house and partly bought some building poles, but due to financial constraints, I could not progress with the construction. Consequently, I had to continue living in my old house with no hopes of upgrading to a better one. However, when I got enrolled in the program, my first priority was the house. I felt empowered and could now afford to buy the necessary building materials. So, I spent $430 on buying 25 iron sheets, building poles, timber, and nails, and built a spacious two-roomed house. I am now living in my new house without worries about rains. If it were not for the transfers, this goal would have taken years to achieve, and I am grateful to GiveDirectly for providing the financial assistance. I spent the remaining amount on buying four goats, which I also consider a good investment that I can rely on to generate some money. Since I do not have any source of income, I am breeding these goats to let them multiply and then sell them to meet my financial needs.