My goal is to revive my restaurant, where I used to serve a variety of dishes like chapatis, beans, tea, and ugali. Running my own business is more fulfilling than working for someone else, as it allows me to invest extra effort into ensuring its success. Currently, I am doing hairdressing at clients' homes for a small fee after having to close down the restaurant due to several challenges. I am determined to bring the restaurant back to life, fulfilling my entrepreneurial dreams. The prolonged drought led to a severe water shortage, forcing me to temporarily close the restaurant. The nearest water source was far from my shop, and water was being sold at $0.55 per 20-liter container, making it unsustainable to keep the business running. This situation caused losses and reduced customer visits. However, I am planning to reopen the restaurant soon. Until then, I am sustaining myself by offering hairdressing services to clients in their homes.

I have four children who are currently in school, so when I received my latest transfer, I set aside $60 to pay their fees. This was to ensure they wouldn’t be sent home over unpaid balances. I divided the amount among them to avoid any issues. Additionally, I spent $8 on food for our family since we were running low. With the remaining funds, I invested $23 more in groceries. Lastly, I used $11 to buy two chickens, which I added to my poultry project. This will act as a future investment once these transfers are no longer available.

My goal is to establish my own restaurant where I will serve a variety of foods such as chapatis, beans, tea, and ugali. I believe that owning a business is more fulfilling than working for someone else because it allows me to put extra effort to ensure its success. Currently, I work as a house help and care for children, but I also aspire to master hairdressing. Once I have perfected in my skills in hairdressing, I aim to open my own salon in addition to running the restaurant. I envision expanding my restaurant and hiring staff as the business grows. This dual approach will not only fulfill my entrepreneurial ambitions but also contribute to the community by providing employment opportunities.

During the rainy season, I saw an opportunity to plant maize and hired someone for $30 to plant one acre of land. Despite the great effort, the maize did not survive because the rain had stopped and the maize dried up. However, I currently own five goats and used $32 from my recent transfer to purchase another one. I believe investing in goats is advantageous due to their ability to multiply quickly and provide profit through sales. With the remaining amount of $30, I purchased food and with $10 some personal items. This brought joy to my family, and I feel positive about my future.

I enrolled in a hair-making college last year. Given my job as a house nanny, I can only study part-time as most of my time is spent at work. With this pace, I expect to complete my studies towards the end of the year. Upon graduation, I hope to have saved enough money to start a hair-making or salon business in my village. Such businesses are scarce there, so I would face minimal competition. Besides, setting up the business in the village would be cost-effective in terms of expenses like rent. The profits generated from the business will not only support my siblings' education but also alleviate the financial strain on my mother.

I usually spend the cash transfers on supporting the education of my four siblings and addressing any immediate needs I may have. For instance, this month, I had an infection, so I had to spend $26 towards my hospital bills. I am happy that I am progressing well with medication, and my condition has improved. I contributed $30 towards my siblings' education, which helped alleviate the burden on my mother. She sometimes resorts to making charcoal to provide food for the family but the little she makes can barely take care of the school fees. Speaking of food, I also contributed $30 towards ensuring there was enough to eat back home. As a house nanny in Nairobi, my salary is primarily directed towards my college fees, where I attend part-time hair-making classes. Therefore, the transfers provide me with an opportunity to support my family's needs while also nurturing my skills. I allocated the remaining funds towards purchasing my feminine products and toiletries.

My aspirations are centered around acquiring a skill that not only aligns with my passion but also offers a pathway to financial independence. Despite the absence of funds for formal education, I am determined to learn beauty therapy through the guidance of friends who have expertise in the field. This informal yet invaluable education holds the promise of opening doors for me in the job market, enabling me to earn a living and support myself. I see this journey as not just a means to gain skills but as a transformative step toward a more secure and fulfilling future. With dedication and the support of those who believe in me, I am confident that mastering beauty therapy will not only be a personal achievement but a practical gateway to economic stability.

I directed a portion of my recent unconditional cash transfer, totaling $29.7, towards purchasing essential foodstuffs for my family. We consist of my mother and two siblings, and life has been incredibly challenging due to unemployment and the persistent droughts we've faced for a while. The struggles we endured as a family, grappling with hunger and its impact on our health, weighed heavily on us. However, with the monthly cash support, we've finally found relief from the constant pangs of hunger. Our meals are more regular now, and I'm delighted to see our health improving steadily. The relief of not experiencing the gnawing hunger that plagued us before is immeasurable. With the remaining $5, I sought medical attention at the hospital after a nasty fall that left me badly hurt. The accident had left me in pain and discomfort, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to access medical care. The treatment I received has been instrumental in my recovery, and I'm glad to say that I'm doing much better now. Being able to address my health concerns promptly, despite financial constraints, is something I don't take for granted. It's reassuring to know that even in difficult times, there are avenues to seek medical help and recover from unforeseen circumstances.

I had a dream to start college to study cosmetics and hairdressing this year, however this dream was cut short. I was doing business selling groceries and cooked food at my stall but the families basic needs outweighed my earnings and I had to find alternatives. My savings were used to prepare the land for planting when the rain began. I am hoping that my earnings from my new job, though not much will suffice plus once harvesting is done food will be available and I will have lesser needs to cover and I can save to go to school using my savings and start my business or find a job related to that in the city.

I have had a bad flu due to the weather that has been with me about a month now. I used my June transfers to try and seek treatment for this. I spent $10 at the hospital to see the doctor and used an additional $7.5 to get medicine. My transport to the hospital was $2.5. I also spent part of my April transfer to clear a debt I had acquired at hospital after breaking my arm at $5. I have also since relocated to the city to look for work and whenever I get this money I send a portion home for food and school fees for my younger siblings. To cover food in April I sent $15, in May $10 and June $14. For school I bought unform worth $10 in May, and I spent $8 for school fees in April.

Since I received my recent transfer, I have a noticeable improvement in my condition. Without the transfer, I would have not succeeded in seeking my medication. Once I fully recover, I hope to embark on my activities, especially cattle raising. It is a viable venture that can be profitable in the long run. As a result, getting additional income when the need arises will not be a major challenge for me.

Before the date of the transfers, I was so worried because I was unwell, but I could not seek medication. Therefore, when I received my recent transfer, I withdrew $15 and spent it on my medication. A month back, I fell and injured my left hand, and for a couple of weeks, I was in pain. I am glad that I have of late witnessed significant improvement. In addition, I spent $10 to acquire food for our family of eight members. I did that to support my mother since she is elderly and needs support.

I have been longing to do a hairdressing course. I believe it will help me to acquire skills that can help me in life. With it, I can start a salon that can be a good source of income for me. In addition, I have a goal of boosting my grocery business. I had started it earlier, but it collapsed because I had a lot of needs. I, therefore, spent all my savings to take my four siblings to school when schools re-opened. I felt it wise to do so because we are orphans, and my widowed mother had no income hence she was constantly struggling to raise fees for them. I am hopeful that when I start it again, it will be able to help us so much.

I used to own a small fast food restaurant in the village a few months ago. Finding water, which is necessary for cooking the food and washing the utensils, posed the biggest challenge to running the business. I eventually shut the store down because I was incurring significant losses by purchasing water at exorbitant prices. My income from my job as a househelp in Mombasa Town is currently insufficient to meet the needs of my family. When I got the money, it gave me a huge financial boost because I had to spend $10 to cover my three primary school-aged children's past-due school fees. As a result, they were shielded from being ousted for failing to pay their school fees. In addition, I spent $16 on food. This was sufficient to ensure that my family would have food for the forthcoming two weeks. I finally paid $8 for medical attention for my painful tooth. I had a severe toothache that kept me from working for more than two days. I'm doing fine, and I'm glad that it was removed.

GiveDirectly, as an NGO, does well in alleviating poverty through direct cash transfers. It ensures that all beneficiaries receive their transfers via Mpesa, which helps to ensure safety. Furthermore, as an NGO, it plays an important role in raising awareness about its program through sensitization. As a result, those who participate in the program are not coerced but do so voluntarily. Finally, GiveDirectly, in my opinion, discourages favoritism by ensuring that all potential recipients from the village are visited before enrollment. So far I have not observed what GiveDirectly does not do well.

I spent KES 1,200 on my college education fee as soon as I received my recent transfer. Raising fees had become extremely difficult for me due to my mother's widowhood and lack of employment. My learning has been made easier as a result of this transfer, and I thank God that I will be able to complete my studies I am grateful to the GiveDirectly transfer. Furthermore, I used the remaining KES 1,800 to start a vegetable-selling business. I chose this venture to provide me with a means of raising funds for personal support.

I was very excited when I received a text message confirming that I had received my first transfer on my phone. My phone was charging all day after it went off because of insufficient power. I screamed at the top of my voice because I was thrilled. I thanked God for the miracle because I needed money at the moment.

Enrolling in college was my only hope of learning a skill that would make me dependent and financially stable. I was very stressed when I was kicked out of school because I could not pay the school fees. The transfer has played an enormous difference in my life by enabling me to pay my school fees and resume my studies.

Three months ago, I dropped out of college where I was perusing a course on hairdressing and beauty therapy. The main reason for dropping out is due to lack of school fees. My parents are casual laborers earning income from selling charcoal. They earn very little (300 per day), which is enough to support my three younger siblings who are in primary school. Immediately after I received my first transfer, I started a business selling “Omena” using KES 500. This business will help raise my school fees and stop over burdening my parents. Besides starting the business, I paid a school fee debt worth KES 700 so that I can resume my studies.