My life is very different in that I managed to clear fees arrears for my brother who is in secondary level. He was known as a person who could drop out of school anytime as poverty was obvious and the order of the day. He was almost losing hope in education as he was being kicked out of class due to lack of school fees. This made him lose lessons and exams as well and really discouraging. For the first time, he was congratulated as one of the students with responsible parents to have cleared fees arrears in advance. I feel honoured as well of being a responsible brother and always gets encouraged when I see his improvements in academic performance. I am an investor and not a casual labor when it comes to sugarcane farming which is the main and rewarding economic activity in this region. The two hectares of sugarcane farm that I own give me hope for financial flow and economic empowerment for the better. Thanks to GiveDirectly transfers.

GiveDirectly has given people the power to make choices in their lives for the better. The unconditional cash transfers has reduced stress and worries in peoples lives. There is food security in households as people stocked well, nobody goes begging for food as before. I have not observed anything worth mentioning that was never done well.

It has always been my ambition to own sugarcane farm. Give directly made this dream come true through the unconditional cash transfers as I have managed to plant two hectares that would mature in the next one and a half years. Sugarcane does very well here with reliable markets provided by the sugar processing factories around. I have been offering cheap labor in other peoples farms with no return but instead benefitting the farmers and making them rich. At least my life will change for the better when I harvest. I shall be able to pay school fees for my siblings who are in secondary school education and even to university level. Due to extreme poverty I never had an opportunity to pursue education to college level and this has kept my family behind meaningful development for a long time. With this investment, the vicious cycle of poverty shall be reversed. Thanks to GiveDirectly for giving us hope for a better life with living.

The biggest difference is that I no longer ride a borrowed motorcycle hence all the profits I make I use for my family needs. Before, I would find it very hard to make ends meet with the little I used to get after giving motorcycle owner his income. The remaining amount was too little to meet all my family demands but since I started riding my own, I have been able to provide for the family and even save the rest which has improved my financial strength.

I was extremely happy when I saw the Mpesa message indicating that I had received money from Give Directly. I never knew in my life I could ever get such amount of money being that I have always depended on motorcycle business with very little income.

I do motorcycle taxi business. Initially, I used to do the business with someone's motorcycle and it was a real hustle but upon receiving my first transfer, I purchased a second-hand motorcycle that now motivates me and I have realized financial improvement in my life because I have always saved part of my daily income to help me support my family.