I used to work in a food-selling kiosk, and the experience I gained there enabled me to start my own kiosk using transfers I received from GiveDirectly. I was drawn to running a food business because I saw how profitable it could be. Currently, I earn a daily profit of around $15, and I’m genuinely happy with this venture. My goal is to expand my business, and I plan to use a portion of the transfers along with some of my profits for this purpose. Watching my business grow to the point where it can fully support itself and my family is my greatest desire, as I have always longed for financial stability. My children and I still live with my mother, and I have always dreamed of having our own home. To make this dream a reality, I've been saving part of my transfers and some of my business profits in our local savings group. Once the funds mature, I intend to combine them with the building materials I have already purchased to start constructing our house. This home will provide me and my children with a sense of belonging. I am truly grateful for the transfers, as they have allowed me to establish a business and will ultimately help me provide a home for my children.

With the experience I gained from working at a food-selling kiosk, I always dreamed of starting my own. I'm thrilled to say that I've successfully launched my own food kiosk, and thanks to recent transfers, I'm now in the process of expanding it. I invested $21 into my business to acquire some essential items that were missing. Additionally, I have two daughters in school, and I spent $20 on their school fees to ensure they wouldn’t be sent home. I also purchased a new uniform for one of my daughters for $4, as hers was worn out, and spent $2 on shoes for another daughter to make her feel happy. It fills me with pride to see my children going to school well-dressed. To make sure my family doesn’t go hungry, I allocated $15 to buy food for us, supplementing what we already had. I also bought a guinea fowl for $5, hoping it will multiply so that I can sell them in the future when needed.I saved $22 in our local savings group, planning to use those funds to build a house for myself and my children since we currently live with my mother. Lastly, in preparation for this building project, I purchased two iron sheets for $12 from the remaining transfers.

After working in a local hotel for a year, I've gained skills that inspired me to start my own small hotel business. Using the money I get from transfers, I've been buying equipment and supplies, and I plan to get the rest soon. I'm attracted to running a hotel because I've seen how profitable it can be, and it doesn't need a lot of money to start. Having my own business will boost my income, which will help my children and family. I aim to keep growing the business with the transfers, hoping to achieve financial stability for my family by the end of the project. This isn't just a personal goal but also a way to ensure a stable future for my family.

When I received my recent transfers, my children were opening school, so I used $25 to pay their fees to ensure they could attend without any issues. With no food at home, I spent $26 on groceries to feed my family. I also bought a phone for $34, combining it with some personal savings to reach a total of $50.. Additionally, I allocated $12 from my transfer to buy uniforms for my two children who started school. Lastly, I invested $5 in buying a chicken to rear, hoping to sell them for profit as they multiply.

After working in a local hotel for a year, I have acquired valuable skills and experience that have inspired me to start my own small-scale hotel business. I have been gradually purchasing the necessary equipment and supplies with the money I receive from the transfers, and I plan to buy the remaining items soon. I am drawn to the idea of running a hotel business because I have seen firsthand how profitable it can be, and it does not require a huge investment to get started. By having my own business, I will be able to increase my income, which will benefit my children and my entire family. Using the transfers, I. intend to steadily improve the business over time hoping that by the time the project ends, I shall have achieved full financial stability for myself and my family. This endeavor represents not only a personal aspiration but also a means to provide greater support and stability for my family's future.

As a single mother with a low income and two children, the transfers I receive are incredibly helpful in meeting our basic needs, especially when it comes to school supplies and foodstuff. When my children are in school, I allocate a portion of the transfers to pay their school fees, which amounts to $22. I To manage this financial responsibility effectively, I make these payments in installments, allowing me to allocate funds to other pressing needs, such as purchasing food items for our household. In addition to supporting my own children, I also extend assistance to my younger siblings who are attending school. Whether it's contributing towards their school fees or purchasing essential school supplies, I strive to alleviate the financial burden on my widowed mother, who relies on her small business of making local brew to sustain our entire household. Through proper financial management and the support provided by these transfers, I am able to navigate the challenges of single parenthood and contribute to the well-being of my family, ensuring that education remains a priority despite our financial constraints.

My primary goal is to complete the construction of my house. With the support of these transfers, I believe I will be able to accomplish this plan. Once this is completed, I will open a hotel within our village, which will be the first of its kind. As I work towards these goals, I'm hopeful that success in building my house and establishing the first village hotel will lead to a new chapter in my life. The cash transfers have provided me with an opportunity to better the future of my family.

My family and I live in a cramped and overcrowded space with twelve siblings and our children. The living conditions are far from comfortable, and I long for a place of our own. With the support of the cash transfers, I used $60 to purchase iron sheets, which is the first step towards building my own house. I'm filled with hope and excitement at the prospect of living in a more spacious and comfortable home.In addition to this, I spent $10 on new clothes for my children, ensuring that they have decent clothing to wear. Education is also a top priority for me, and I used $20 to pay my child's school fees, providing them with the opportunity to learn and grow. Furthermore, I contributed $10 to support my mother, who had been the backbone of the household. This cash transfer has been a life-changing blessing.

I wish to establish a more stable source of income that surpasses my current earnings. Currently, I operate a small potato-selling business that only yields approximately $3 per day, which is barely enough to cover our daily food expenses. With the increasing cost of living, relying solely on this income to support my children's education would be extremely challenging. Therefore, I have devised a plan to start a more sustainable business, specifically a vegetable-selling stand. To initiate this venture, I estimate that I will need an initial capital of at least $60. My strategy is to save money through a self-help group, gradually accumulating the required amount to kick-start the business.

Being a single mother of two children comes with its challenges, especially when it comes to finances. My business of selling fried potatoes provides me with a meager income that barely covers our daily food needs. My oldest child is currently in kindergarten, and I often struggle to raise his school fees. The unpaid tuition fees sometimes result in him missing school until I can clear the debts. Therefore, when I received the recent cash transfer, my priority was to settle these outstanding fees, which amounted to $15. I am relieved that my son has been able to continue attending school without interruptions. I also used $6 to purchase a set of school uniforms for him, as it was important for him to have the appropriate attire for school. Seeing him attend school regularly and dressed properly fills me with joy. The remaining cash was allocated towards buying food, as our household had run out of maize flour. As a mother, it was essential for me to ensure that my children had at least one meal a day. I am incredibly grateful for the support provided through the cash aid program.

It has been difficult to feed our family, especially during the past six months after my mother and father's separation. I had no choice but to move my two kids and I to my mother's parental house. The $5 I make each day from my modest kiosk selling fries is not enough to cover all of the costs of the home, including my two children's schooling. As a result, since the day we were accepted into the program, we have been using some of my transfers to buy food. My mother and I each contributed $30 from the transfer from the previous two months and purchased groceries for our home. Due to the celebratory nature of December, I spent $34 on new clothing for myself and my kids so that we would all look respectable on Christmas and as we ushered in the new year. Being a single parent to two kids is chaotic and difficult, but I am grateful that we have been able to support our family with the money we have been receiving from GiveDirectly. Contrarily, my mother runs a little business, but she doesn't make much money from it, so I typically have to support the entire family. I'll put half of this month's transfer toward my kids' tuition and put the other half into restocking my business when I get it.

I am a mother of two, Purity and Peninah. Even though I am a single mother, I still stay with my mother, and our household is constituted of 12 members. We all depend on her as the family breadwinner. However, she sells alcohol to support the family since she does not have an alternative source of income. With the recent transfer, I bought ten 2kg packets of maize flour at $18 since, on that day, we did not have food. I also used $7 on new cloth since I had been over-relying on my mother to get some. I spend the rest on school fees for my daughter Purity. She is currently in PP1.

GiveDirectly does well in offering us direct financial support without involving any intermediary. This in itself ensures that even the most vulnerable and people with low status in our communities are not sidelined from receiving its support. As a result, most of us have been able to realize noticeable changes in our living standards. Some who were at first struggling to pay school fees, currently find it so easy to support their children's education. I have not yet noticed any gap in the ways GiveDirectly operates.

Because I am a mother of two and I am not yet married, I always assist my mother in her mixed crop farming. So, with the transfer, I decided to spend KES 1,800 on food that lasted us about 3 weeks. As a result, we have had an easy time as a family because we have not been in lack for nearly a month as opposed to the month preceding my enrollment in the program. Furthermore, I spent KES 1,500 on a new phone because the one I had was defective; this has aided my communication. Finally, I spent KES 700 on new clothes for two adorable children. I am extremely grateful to GiveDirectly for its generous assistance.

I was at home resting when I got the message confirming that I had received funds from give directly. For this reason, I felt relieved. Since I depend on my mother, a traditional wine brewer, we often lived from hand to mouth due to her inconsistent earnings. On this day, she had not made enough and I was worried that we would not have anything to feed on just like the previous day.

3 years ago, I lost my father who was the sole breadwinner of the family. My mother had to take up the role so she started brewing traditional wine. This is what has helped us put food on the table for my six siblings, my two children and I. There are times when the business does not perform that well so we are forced to go to bed on an empty stomach. Now that I'm receiving these funds from give directly, there has been a great difference in my life as we can now afford a decent meal and I believe in the future using the funds that I am receiving, I plan to start up a grocery business that will help sustain us.

I had a faulty phone that had been a hindrance when it came to communication. So, the first thing I did when I received these funds was to repair it. Once I did, I bought some food for my family. Since there wasn't any food in the house. This had forced us to sleep hungry the previous day. Since I am yet to build my own home due to limited resources, my 6 siblings, two children and I still live under my parent's roof and we mostly depend on my mother, who is a traditional wine brewer.