My biggest concern before receiving the transfers was to ensure that I paid school fees for my five children especially since they kept being sent home every single day and I kept making false promises to the school so that they would not stay home. But I feared I was running out of luck because I still had no money and yet I debts to pay. My other concern was that if I got enough money then I would go ahead and construct a better house for me and my family since the one we lived in was a small mud house and yet the kids were growing and eventually they would need their space.

Did GiveDirectly has done lots of great things for me especially since I managed to clear all the debts I had that concerned my children's education. I have not yet any any harm done GiveDirectly and I am glad that was among the people who took part in one of its life changing programs that has impacted me positively.

After receiving the money the first thing I decided to sort out was the debts in tuition fee that I had. Therefore I went ahead and paid KES 9,000 for five of my kids who were in primary school and my eldest daughter was in college studying how to be a hairdresser so I also paid KES 9,000 in her fees. My previous house only had one room so I decided to build a new house and ensured that it had two rooms instead because our family was big and yet the previous house was small for all of us. So I bought twenty pieces of iron sheets and other building material like nails for KES 20,000 and bought a hundred pieces of timber for KES 10,000 then spent an extra KES 5,000 for the transportation fee.

It was in the morning hours when I heard people saying that they have received their first transfers from GiveDirectly. I became curious thinking that I have been left behind and I immediately reached out to my helper for confirmation. When I was informed that the money was in my account, I was over excited since I knew I was going to settle some debts that have been bothering me.

Initially I was living as a slave. I had no freedom to move out of my compound fearing to meet some people whom I still have their money and I didn’t have the means to settle them. So the defensive mechanism was to remain indoors. But when I received the transfer, I settled all the debts and I am now a free man. My peace of mind is back.

When I withdrew the money, the first thing I settled was school fee arrears of KES 9000.00. This money was giving me sleepless nights because my children were just at home because of lack of school fees. Thereafter I paid other debts at different shops where I used to take maize flour and other food items. I also bought 4 goats at KES 3500.00 each. Having done that, I decided to start a new project of building a house. Initially the house I was living in was very old thus its safety had some doubts since it wasn’t a permanent house. I bought some building materials and I am waiting for the second transfer to proceed with the construction process.