I had just been released from jail after serving a three-year sentence for robbery. When I came back from jail, I had nothing or nowhere to live as my family had relocated to our native home years back due to their old age. Life was very tough since no one was willing to welcome me considering my terrible past, so I had to sleep in a Cinema hall made of second- hand iron sheets which was not in a very good condition and would be extremely cold at night. Eating was not easier having no source of income forcing me to go hungry on most occasions. When I received money from Give Directly, I got an opportunity to have a decent life by renting a house which at least guaranteed my safety and have a better living by buying the basic household requirements. I also got to set up a business that earns me some money for my daily upkeep and I no longer have to beg. Give Directly has given me the second chance in life that nobody was willing to give me because they all judged me by my previous acts. I am more than grateful to this organization because I am more than certain that without the financial assistance I received, I might have slipped back into crime to fend for myself.

One of my uncles has a very huge piece of land back at home which is lying fallow which I wish to use for tomato farming. But before I can do that, I want to venture into tomato business here in the city so that I can know more about the business. In case it turns out to be a good business, I will then venture into farming when I have already secured a ready market to avoid losses.

I have been selling sugarcane and other fruits using a mobile cart that I hired on a daily basis. My biggest dream was to buy my own cart so that I could eventually save a bit more. When I received the second transfer, I purchased a new cart with part of the money then bought more stock of the items I sell. I spent the rest of the money on other household items such as a bed, a mattress and television, all which I did not have before.

I am currently employed by a food vendor who sells roasted meat and broth to bachelors who are also mostly alcoholics that prefer not to cook in their own houses but at the same time not too keen on eating healthy. Having worked with her for a while, I have realized how profitable this kind of business is and I would like to set up my own of this kind near my area of residence. I have experience in making the broth and perfectly roasting the meat because all this time it has been my main duty at my workplace, which makes me very confident that once I have the necessary equipment, I can successfully run my own spot.

My house was in a very bad state before I received the transfers and I was sleeping in an open area which was very cold and uncomfortable. This house was left to my friend and I to live in at a very little cost each month but then the condition was that we take care of any necessary renovations ourselves. Due to our low income, it was very hard for us to renovate the house when we realized it had weakening signs and it later got worse with even the roof coming off after heavy windy rainfall. The money I received helped renovate the house by fixing most of the open areas and am happy that I am now living in a better-secured place.

I used most of the money I received to renovate my house which was in a very dilapidated state before I received the money. The roof had been carried away by strong winds and part of the walls had collapsed, so I was literally sleeping in an open area. I used part of the money to buy the required materials to renovate part of the house to make it better as I waited to get a good amount to renovate it entirely. I then cleared some debts had then gave the rest of the money to the mother of my child who is currently living on her own to help her boost her business and buy other household requirements such as foodstuff.

Receiving the money was like a dream because, in the Ghetto where I come from, no one ever sends you such an amount for free and it is an amount I have never received in my life before. It was such a happy moment for me seeing that much money in my account, but I could not celebrate because I had to keep my cool so that no one else would realize I had that amount on me as that would put my life at risk. I this slum, even your closest friend would not think twice about formulating a plan to steal from you if they realized that you had something worth taking because only the fittest survive in this environment.