My primary aim is to grow my tailoring business, which I've been passionately working on for the past few years. By expanding my clientele and enhancing my skills, I hope to save enough money to buy a piece of land. Owning this land is crucial to my dream of building a house of my own. Currently, I live with my parents, and while I'm grateful for their support, it is my wish to have a place of my own where I can be fully independent. The sense of freedom and responsibility that comes with having my own home is something I deeply desire. To achieve this, I plan to diligently save the profits from my tailoring business. I am confident that with hard work and perseverance, I will be able to save enough money to buy the piece of land by the end of the year.

The process was seamless; everything was well explained, and the officers were very respectful and professional. They took the time to ensure that we understood how the program worked. This respectful approach meant a lot to me and my family, as it showed that GiveDirectly truly cares about the dignity of the people they help. One thing I would suggest, though, is if GiveDirectly could check on us after some time to see how the projects we started with their assistance are progressing. Knowing that someone is invested in our success would give us additional motivation and help ensure that the projects we started, continue to thrive. Overall, GiveDirectly has done an excellent job, and I cannot be grateful enough.

With $350, I was able to kickstart a tailoring business, something I had always dreamt of. I already had a sewing machine, so I used the money to buy fabric and pay the rent for a small space to operate my business from. This gave me a stable base to work from and allowed me to start taking on more clients. It was a huge step up from hawking pastries, which never brought in enough money to cover our household expenses. My primary motivation for growing my business was to ensure that my daughter, who is in pre-school, gets the best education possible. I used $100 from the transfer to buy a new mattress, some essential food items, and new utensils for the household. Before this, I used to sleep on a mat, which was uncomfortable and not ideal for my health. Additionally, I used $30 to pay my daughter’s school fees, ensuring her education continues uninterrupted. With the remaining money, I bought clothes and other essentials for my newborn son. These purchases have relieved some of the financial pressure on me and allowed me to focus on expanding my business.

Around 6 pm that evening, I had just finished fetching water and settled down to catch my breath when a notification chimed on my phone. Curious, I reached for it and discovered a message from Mpesa. It was my first transfer from GiveDirectly! My heart leaped with joy. At that moment, relief flooded me because I knew the money would finally enable me to pursue my dream of starting a tailoring business, which I had longed for.

Yes, I see a difference, a big one for that matter. The impact of the transfers has been monumental, particularly for my eldest daughter, Margaret, who is in kindergarten. Before receiving the transfers, I struggled to afford her school fees, often forced to budget my $1 daily income between buying food and paying tuition. Consequently, she would miss school for at least two days every month. However, recently I bought a sewing machine and started a tailoring business. I've begun to witness positive changes. The $5 weekly profit from my tailoring, coupled with daily $1 from selling donuts, instills confidence in my ability to sustain her education. This brings me relief, knowing that my daughter can continue her education uninterrupted, just like her peers.

I purchased a sewing machine valued at $190 to start my tailoring venture. Four years ago, I trained in tailoring college but I was yet to obtain the equipment due to financial constraints. Previously, I had a second-hand machine that eventually broke down, leaving me without the means to continue my business. Despite earning daily profit of $1 from selling donuts, saving enough to buy a new machine seemed impossible. With the sewing machine in hand I started doing small tasks like repairing clothes. Weekly, I can earn at least $5 from this endeavor, supplementing the income from my donut sales, which improves my ability to provide for my two children. Moreover, the state of my house had been dire, with its mud walls collapsing. It had gotten to a point when the space would dampen during rainy weather, making it unbearable for my two children. Therefore, I allocated funds to purchase building poles for wall repairs, covering labor and water charges, totaling $150. Additionally, I allocated $70 to buy two mattresses—one for my grandmother and another for myself. Previously, we endured uncomfortable nights, with her sleeping on a mat and me on an old mattress. The remaining funds were used to purchase more utensils for the household and buy more food for my children. We were almost running out of the maize produce we had harvested, and so the transfers came in perfect time. I could never be more grateful!