After a huge investment of my second transfer on starting up a business for my spouse where she sells petrol, I now have a new goal of boosting the business. At the moment we purchase the petrol in jerry cans and use measuring containers whenever we sell to customers. I find this risky considering how explosive petrol is. Even though we still do not earn much, but I am planning to save some of the profits we make from the business and add to the income I earn from my other sources to raise money for boosting the business. My goal is to be able to have a tanker delivering the petrol to our shop station and have a pump. With this, we shall have not only ensured our safety and the safety of people around us but our sales will improve hence improved income.

The great transformation in my household would not have happened at all without the intervention from Give Directly. This has been the best support ever in my life and even to any other member of the village who received the transfer. Having been allowed to choose how to spend my transfers enabled me to get back my family that I thought I had lost forever. I have also seen a great improvement in most households in our village. There is nothing to complain about this organization but I wish they could accept the little gifts of appreciation some of us have for them. I will forever be indebted to them.

After spending my first transfer on constructing a house which was my main goal, I was glad to receive the second transfer that I spent a bigger chunk (51000 KES) on opening up a business for my spouse where she sells petrol. I stayed single for a whole year after my spouse flee from our marriage because I could not provide for her needs due to the financial crisis I was facing at that time. I would not wish to lose my family again for failing to provide for them. This is what motivated me to empower her financially so that she can be independent. Give Directly reunited me with my family, this is one thing that I do not take for granted. The remaining 3500 KES I spent on five chickens. I am in the process of getting my life back after losing everything including the poultry I had.

It was at night and I was just relaxing in bed as I hadn't slept yet when got the SMS confirming that I had received the money from GiveDirectly. I was so happy and I immediately shared the good news with my sister who had been afraid that I could end up being rejected like how others were. Therefore, I was so grateful when I got the money because that meant I had been accepted by the program, and I was able to address the challenges that I was facing, especially, building a bigger and better house.

The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving money from GiveDirectly is I now have a bigger and better house which is a testament of the financial assistance I received. We also now have food regularly, something that wasn't possible before as I used to depend on occasional jobs as a cook that were not regular or reliable. I am so happy and grateful that I can even save a little of the money I get to make on some days, all thanks to GiveDirectly.

I spent most of the transfer which was KES 25000 on making the first dowry payment for my wife who had had to be taken back to her parents home because I hadn't gone to introduce myself as per our community's culture and customs' requirements. I did this because, we had a child together and I didn't want my him to be raised far from me or by another man since it's my blood. Also, I didn't want to make the bad decision of remarrying after gotten money and end up making it a habit and endless cycle of separation and remarrying. Therefore, I am happy for I have my wife and child at home, all thanks to GiveDirectly. I also spent KES 19000 on building a bigger and better house for what was now my little young family because the house that I used to live in previously was so small as it was just a boys' house and not suitable or spacious enough for a family.