My new goal is to build a business premise for setting up a posho mill business. I had bought the posho mill before but I had not fully paid for it. So when I got the transfer from GiveDirectly, I decided to settle the balance. I want to start the posho mill business because there is no business as such in my village. The people hence usually go to a very far place to mill their maize. Starting the business will mean that the people in my village will no longer go to a far place to access the service and I on the other end will get income to help me in payment of school fees for my five children.

GiveDirectly did well in that they taught us well through the entry meeting that they held with the community members. The people got to understand in-depth the program. They also promised to send the transfers and they indeed honored their promise. I do not see anything that they need to improve since they are doing a good job.

I spent most of the transfer money on two important things. I took out KES 30000 and I used it in settling the balance that I still owed the shop that I bought the posho mill from. I then took out another KES 10000 that I used in buying chickens. With the remaining amount of money, I used it in buying food for the consumption of my family of seven. I want to start the posho mill business because there is none in my village and also because it is going to help me earn more income. I use to rear chickens but I had not constructed a house for them to stay. So, when I got the first transfer, I decided to construct one. The chickens are of great benefit to us since with the sale of eggs, we get money for buying small household items such as soap, sugar, etc, and paying school fees for the children. We also decided to buy some food with some of the money because in our area we usually experience a dry season and hence maize does not usually do well. We are so much grateful to GiveDirectly for the help because there is a very big change, our living standards have improved for the better.

I was at the market looking for some work to do when I heard a message notification alert. I decided to read it hoping that it was someone calling me for some work as I was in dire need of cash for food. Upon reading the message, I was overjoyed and immediately rushed to the Mpesa shop to cash out since I had already planned for it. Receiving this money made me know that I would finally fulfill my plans.

The additional asset to my homestead is the biggest difference in my life. It will be calving very soon and my family will have enough milk for consumption and sale to earn some money that I can use in meeting our basic needs. In addition, I will be alternating its breeding season with that of the one I already had so that my family will have a constant supply of milk throughout the year.

I am happy that I was able to purchase a dairy cow worth KES 30000 after receiving my transfer. Obtaining it has given me hope that it will soon give us milk when it calves and I will be able to save the money I would have otherwise spent buying milk from my neighbor since the only heifer that I own is still young. Also, I spent KES 15000 to build a chicken coop since I am planning to start poultry farming soon. This will be my alternative source of income and I will be using money from the sale of proceeds for basic needs. Using the remaining KES 9000, I purchased some foodstuffs to last my family for some time.