GiveDirectly does well by sending us the unconditional cash transfer. With the money I can plan according in line with my most pressing needs. The money will also help me come out of poverty by investing it in money generating projects. This is a thumb up for the organization.

I have earned a living for the better part of my life by working on other people’s farms. When the drought set in, I lost my source of livelihood. I opted to make brooms for sale. One broom goes KSH 100. The materials required to make the broom come from the coconut tree leaves. Because of the drought, the coconut trees do not provide enough materials to use in making the brooms. This then means in a week, if lucky, you can make three brooms only. The money is not enough to feed my family and also save some to invest in other projects or pay school fees. When I received the transfer I saved KSH 1000 in a chama. The reason for saving is to gain a loan that I will use to build my house well. Because of the strong winds and the weak poles used to build the house, there are fault lines on the walls and the house can go down. In addition, I bought a chicken at KSH 700. I want to venture into poultry farming so that I can have an additional source of income. I also spent KSH 600 to start a small business for myself. I bought some Omena that I have sold to my neighbors. This will earn me profit and use it to cater to my needs. With the remaining amount of KSH 700, I spent it on buying food. The food stock in the house was getting finished and, to avoid starving, I opted to add more stock.

I was back home sitting and thinking about my day when I recieved the transfer alert. I was overjoyed when I did receive the money. I knew this would mean I would have food at home as well as have enough money to put back into my business. I also knew that this meant that as long as I received transfers I would have a chance to finish biulding my house which is now a rugged structure with an unfinished wall of straw.

As at now their isn't much of a difference experienced in my life as my life is as it was. However I do believe this transfer will have it's advantages in my life long term. Now I was able to focus on sorting out food in the house. I hope that I will use some of the money and have a much better house since I live in ununfinished structure with straw as a wall on one side. I hope to put a mud wall all through which would mean that my house will.be more habitable. I will also add afew things to my house which would mean it will look much better. I.hope to use the rest of the transfers in expanding my fish business as well as put some of it back into table backing for long other long term plans that may arise as well as have money to help in times of illness or other unforeseen circumstances.

My first transfer has been of profit to me as I was able to put into my table banking group some of the money which was 500 shillings. I have a small business of selling the small fish, locally known as Kumbu to try and help myslef. I usually use 200 shillings to buy the small fish which after selling for a period of four days I make 50 shillings in profit. I was able to put 200 of this transfer into their purchase. This is however not such a profitable business and so I also double up in casual labour and I usually dig for people in their farms and farms that would take me 4 days to finish I make 200 shillings. My first transfer also allowed me tu put food on the table as their are times I may not have food. I spent 300 shillings buying maize flour, while 100 shillings went into buying vegetables. I also spent 100 shillings to purchase sugar to put into tea.