In 2023, thanks to GiveDirectly's support, I enrolled in a tailoring school in Kaloleni. This opportunity filled me with immense joy and renewed purpose because previously, the barrier of school fees had kept me from pursuing my passion. Using the transfers, I first settled my school fees with $45, ensuring that I wasn't sent home to prevent any disruptions to my studies . Securing a place to stay was crucial, so I allocated another $45 towards rent to prevent being thrown out to the streets. With the remaining $12, I invested in materials essential for my practical lessons, ensuring I could actively participate and learn effectively. This support not only enabled me to pursue my dream but also provided the tools necessary to excel in my studies.

Once I finish my studies, my goal is to set up my own tailoring shop. I have set my sights on purchasing a sewing machine, which I have discovered costs around $200 or more. Determined to achieve this, I intend to save diligently from my transfers until I can afford a quality machine. I plan to make gradual payments to clear any remaining debt, while using my savings to buy essential materials like fabric and needles. My business will focus on creating dresses, uniforms, and other fabric items, aiming to enhance not only my life but also that of my family. This venture represents a significant step towards securing a better future for us all.

I have been so happy since my enrollment in the Givedirectly program. I have 5 school going siblings who are fully reliant on my parents for their school needs. My parents have a grocery stall that earns them an income. They do not make much to ensure all of us get a good education. When I started receiving my transfers I knew I had been given a chance to get an education without straining my parents. I joined tailoring school and my transfers have been what I have used to ensure I am in school. I pay $15 monthly from my transfers for school fees which now totals $45 for the three months, I also buy materials which totaled to $32 for the last three months,I also pay rent of $15 which I paid for this month. I bought a pair of shoes this month at $4.

I have wanted to be a tailor for so long. I knew with the burden of responsibility on my parents it was a far fetched dream until Receiving transfers revived that dream. I would want to have my own tailoring shop where I make clothes for clients and earn an income. I know that for me the passion I have for the trade I will be able to make people beautiful clothes that will make them happy. I want to save for the sewing machine as well as rent for the intended shop and this is the goal I am planning to work on this year.

Prior to receiving transfers from GiveDirectly, I was not engaged in any productive activities at home. Our household income relied on my parents' small business, with my father selling vegetables and my mother selling pastries. However, the income generated from their business was insufficient to cover all our household expenses. Furthermore, I have five siblings who are currently in school, and they are entirely reliant on our parents to meet their basic needs. Thanks to the financial assistance from GiveDirectly, I decided to enroll in a tailoring training program to equip myself with the skills needed for self-employment. I now allocate $15 from the transfers I receive each month to cover my training fees. Last quarter, I set aside $38.4 to purchase materials for my tailoring training. Additionally, I spent $15.1 on purchasing food for our household, which has been instrumental in supporting my parents in meeting our family's financial needs. Furthermore, I used a portion of the funds to purchase a pair of shoes for myself, which amounted to $3.5. I am genuinely thankful for the transformative impact that GiveDirectly has had on my life.

I'm grateful for the transfers, my major plan is to acquire my own sewing machine valued at $200, by saving up. which I intend to begin towards the end of my course. After that, I will engage in cloth making for sale. I'm eagerly anticipating the completion of my course in December next year, which will mark a significant improvement in my financial situation.

I am currently a student training on tailoring and ever since I joined the college, getting money to pay for my school fees had never been that easy to the extent of me being sent home for school fees on some months. In the month of May, I had some arrears that I was required to settle before the month ended, and I was so worried about where I could get the money from, buy luckily GiveDirectly came to my rescue and I managed to pay $15 and I eventually cleared the balance. I also managed to buy 2 meters of material clothes that were required at school worth $8 and bought myself a pair of shoes and a dress since I had none that looked presentable. I felt a sigh of relief and I was so happy.

My goal is to set up my own business. After I shall have completed my tailoring course, I would not like to be employed by someone else and instead, I would want to set up my own tailoring sh and be my own boss. With the transfers that I would be receiving, I would ensure that I save at least $10 every month to enable me to buy a sewing machine worth $20 for my business.

I'm presently enrolled in college to study tailoring. Currently, there are eight of us living together; six of us attend school, some of us in secondary education, and others in primary. My mother owns a little restaurant, and my father is an imam at the mosque, but neither of their businesses brings in enough money to support them. Due to this, it has been difficult to raise enough cash to cover all of our home needs. We typically skip classes because we don't pay our tuition on time. I'm relieved that this isn't the case anymore because, ever since I started the program, I've been paying $15 a month to cover the costs of school. In addition, I invested $11 in three hens to be raised as a future investment to increase our household income. I spent $8 on some new clothes because I didn't have any respectable ones. The majority of the $32 I had left was spent on meals for our family. We are grateful that the organization helped us raise the standard of living in our home.

In November of last year, I signed up for a tailoring class to learn the trade that will enable me to support myself. My parents work as casual laborers and make meager profits from the sale of charcoal. The responsibility of providing for me and and my five siblings is a huge burden on my parents. I therefore intend to use the transfers to pay for a tailoring course over the course of the next three months. I will finish the course at the end of the year, which will allow me to start my own business and help my other siblings as well.

I hail from a humble family since both my parents do not have a steady source of income. What they earn through casual jobs can only support us in terms of buying food and paying for my young sibling's school fees. As a result, my dream of sharpening my skills in tailoring courses could not work out because they were unable to support me. Immediately after I received my transfer, I spent KES 2,100 to pay part of the fees I owed. I am glad that currently, I can proceed with the tailoring course, which I could not do before I was enrolled in GiveDirectly's program. I look forward to gaining skills that will help me to start my own tailoring business.

For a couple of years, I have been aspiring to be a fashion designer. However, I had to struggle to raise the fee even after being successfully enrolled for some training. Previously, I was fully dependent on my mother for paying school fees. This had financially weighed down my mother who solely depend on selling cooked food to support her family. When I received the transfer, I spent about KES 3,000 on paying part of my fees. I am glad that this support has relieved my mother from much struggle.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly as an NGO does so well in alleviating poverty. It promotes the campaign against poverty by offering unconditional cash transfers. In all its enrollment processes, there is no element of discrimination hence everyone in the village stands an equal chance to benefit from its program. Due to the financial aid from GiveDirectly, I have been able to pay my fees with ease and continue with my tailoring tutorials. In my view, there is nothing that GiveDirectly does not do well.

I am taking up a course in tailoring where I pay a monthly fee of KES 800. Since I am unemployed, I depend on my father (who sells groceries) and my mother (who is a street food vendor) for financial support. This, however, has been quite a challenge and before I got these funds, I had been at home for around 3 weeks due to fee arrears of KES 3000 that they could not raise. I also do not have decent clothes. To help support my parents, who are also fending for my 5 other siblings, I started a poultry farming business using the funds I received. I then used the balance to buy myself some clothes. My parents helped reduce the arrears to KES 1600, which I will settle using my next transfer.

Before I started receiving these funds, my parents, whom I depend on, had financial constraints as their businesses (grocery selling and street food vending) never earned them much. Other than not being able to pay my fees on time, they also could not afford to buy me some clothes to replace the old ones that I had. Now that I'm receiving this money, this will be improved. To create some financial independence, I have started a poultry farming business and I have also bought myself some clothes. Above all, I feel happier and calmer.

It has been stressful not going to school for 3 weeks as it made me lag behind in my tailoring classes. When I was introduced to give directly, my plan was to use the funds to pay my fees. Nonetheless, I would want to have a consistent cash flow to support my studies and help me progress in order to avoid these eventualities recur again. So, when I got the message confirming the receipt of the money, I felt hopeful and inspired. I saw it best to start a poultry farming business that will not only kill the idleness whenever I am not in school, but also bring in more earnings to add to what my parents make from their grocery selling and street food vending business.