Starting a business is one thing and growing it is another. As a person who has witnessed the transformation of my second-hand clothing business since the inception of the financial aid, I would stop at nothing expand it or at least keep it running. The business has become a crucial source of income, which covers the basic needs like food and education for my family over the period. I hope to continue flourishing the venture, through upcoming cash transfers. 

Thanks to previous cash transfers, I own a second-hand clothing business in my village. Over time, this business has put food on the table and kept my children in school by paying their tuition fees. Rather than using the cash aid on my basic needs, I usually inject every penny into growing the business. This is exactly how I spent the recent three cash transfers. As the stock increases, so as my returns from the sales. It is through these profits that I buy food for my eight children and settle school fee balances for the two who are still studying. I could never be more grateful! 

I began a second clothes business when I started getting my monthly transfers. I'm pleased that business has been booming consistently. However, for this year, my primary goal is to expand it by investing a portion of my subsequent transfers back into the aforementioned business. That will enable me to raise funds to help with my children's school fees. I will be happy to see them make good academic progress. I will also use a portion of the transfer to help me buy food for my family. Because of crop failure in the previous season, we are currently going through a severe famine.

I was really excited after I got enrolled into the program because to me it meant that I could finally start a business and be able to cater to the day to day needs of my family. Lucky for me I was able to start my business off after the third transfer and I decided that I was going to sell second hand clothes for babies, teenagers and even adults. This time around I decided to use KES 3,000 out of the funds that I had received to buy more stock for my business so that I could keep it afloat. I was left with a balance of KES 400 which I sent to my daughter to use as pocket money since she was in high school.

My daughter and I started a small business of selling dresses, skirts, and blouses a couple months ago. Since we are both unemployed, the profits from this business will be put towards covering household expenses such as food and school fees. The ultimate goal is to grow it and make it our primary source of income even after Give Directly's cash transfers cease. That is why I increased the stock with the entire transfer amount. With a larger stock, one of us can sell some of the clothes at the trade center during market days, while the other stays behind to run the shop.

The training that the GiveDirectly staff underwent was good. They delivered quality services to me and this motivated and convinced me to be enrolled in the program. If possible, I would like the organization to increase the amount so that we can be able to beat the heavy prices of food and other items.

Together with my husband, we have struggled to cater to basic needs (food, clothing, and school fees) for the family (8 children). I work as a casual laborer (burning and selling charcoal) whereas my husband earns a living by raising cattle. The major challenge I have faced is not being able to provide food for my family. This has forced us as a family to reduce the number of meals we eat per day from three to one meal a day. When neither my husband nor I have earned anything, it forced us to sleep on empty stomachs. As a result, my children are malnourished and often fall ill because of eating less food and an unbalanced diet. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I opted to start a business selling second hands clothes in the village. Trying out this new venture gives me an opportunity to raise my level of income and use the profit to take care of my family (buying good food that will improve the health of my children)

The drought period had hit us really hard to the extent of starving for three consecutive days. The transfer from Give Directly melted my heart with joy, because it meant my family would acquire enough food for the next few days. I remember purchasing some snacks and preparing tea for my children, that morning, to share the excitement and make them happy as well.

Before the transfer, my responsibilities were weighing me down. Having one child in secondary school, two in primary school and one in kindergarten put a great deal of pressure on my husband and I. As a result, we were never happy. The transfer, by far, eradicated the pressure, removed the sadness in our hearts. I can confidently state that the happiness and peace in my house is the greatest difference I have realised from the transfer.

Most of the money was spent on buying food and paying examination fees for my children. After I withdrew the money I purchased 3 packets of maize flour for KES 375 and a kilo of sugar at KES 90. During that time 3 children had been sent out of school to collect examination fees and I gave KES 100 to each. I used the remaining amount to buy some snacks and only managed to save KES 10.