I would really love to set up a mini mart business in Ganze Centre. This would improve my finances greatly and thus allow me in future to be able to build a bigger house for me and the kids. I would sell flour, soda, cereals and dry food, and actively use that money towards ensuring my kids complete their education .

There were countless debts, including the chama, my roof was in shambles, I couldn't feed nor educate my children comfortably .If it was not for GiveDirectly I would have been in that state for God knows how long, or if at all I would leave it. GiveDirectly excel at empathising with those less fortunate and finding tangible, real and lasting ways to transform their lives, leaving them with their dignity intact and goals met.

I quickly contributed to a chama that I am a part of and whose payout time had come. I then progressed to repairing the roof that has been in tatters for the past year and a half. I then prioritised stocking up on food and the likes for me and my three kids. The GiveDirectly transfers came when needed most. It had been rough, with my wife living in Kilifi where she's a teacher, with our third born and only both coming to see us over the weekend. I work as a tout at Ganze Centre, operating during the day shift. My wife brings home $120 a month teaching at Mindset Academy, while I make $10 a day. With the usual recurring bills, $15 a month for my first born tuition and $ 5 for the second born , both of whom go to Ganze Primary, my wife's expenses in Kilifi, not to mention school fees for the 3rd born who studies where the mom teaches, we are barely left with enough to save. The funds from GiveDirectly allowed us to do things that would have taken us decades if not years to achieve on our own

It was exactly 6 in the evening when I was at my daily hustle when I realized that I had received my first cash transfer. I was overwhelmed with joy and felt blessed at the same time. I even decided to go back home and shared the great news with my family members. This will forever be a memorable day in our lives since we knew that our lives will never be the same again.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am sleeping in a decent shelter. It has been my dream to build a modern house for years but because of financial issues, I could not afford it. I had however started building a three-roomed house but I was stacked at some point and was forced to live in my brother's house together with my five family members. It has never been easy at all because this situation lowered my dignity at some point. Being a casual labourer and the breadwinner it would take so many years for me to complete constructing my house using my cash. As the head of the family, I felt I had failed my kids and wife by not being responsible enough especially on the issue of housing. Currently, we are so happy and thankful as a family because we shifted to our new house recently. There is no more stress and frustrations like before.

I spent part of my first transfer on buying building materials such as thirty pieces of iron sheets at KES 34500. This was purposefully for the completion of my house which I had initially started the foundation but I was stuck at some point due to financial hardships. Also, I paid school fees of KES 7000 for my three children who are in primary schools. I am happy they will finally be able to sit for their end-of-semester exams. With the remaining amount of money, I bought foodstuffs for my family and other household items.