Having started my own saloon business has made my life to be totally different. Previously, I was employed at the closest saloon and the commissions on a daily basis was little to support me in terms of providing for my family. GiveDirectly, transformed everything since I used the money to put up my own saloon business which is now running smoothly and the profits helps me meet my needs with ease. In addition, I purchased a pair of oxen to aid in farming. Having these pair to me is more effective and economical compared to using hoes which I had before . I am certain when the time for cultivation comes I would be able to prepare my farm early enough and fully utilize the whole acreage within the shortest time possible. Therefore, I will also be assured of food security in my household after using the required inputs in the land preparation.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by giving money which is not refundable and every beneficiaries had the freedom of using the money depending on the needs he or she had. This resulted to a massive improvements in the living standards of members in my village since everyone spent on what they lacked the most.

I spent part of my second transfers on buy some of the livestock which included a pair of oxen and two goats. These were the well thoughtful assets that I have been longing to keep for a long period of time and seeing them in my compound gives me a sense of satisfaction. I bought a bag of maize for my family's consumption and decent seats. The remaining amount I have saved in my Mpesa account.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am now a self-employed person. I had yearned to start my own business for so long but I had not been able to achieve this due to lack of finance. Having my own business will enable me to help my spouse to cater to some of our needs. Also, I will be able to invest more part of my income. I thank God for GiveDirectly since the organization has helped me to achieve my hearts wish.

I realized that I had an unread message at around 5.30 am when I wanted to use my phone's torch. When I read its content, my heart was filled with happiness. I gave thanks to God for the blessings that had just come in. This money marked a new beginning in my life as I knew that I would use it to achieve so many things.

I spent part of my first transfers to buy some building materials to use in building a house for my family. Also, I paid a mason the full cost for this work. I settled on this so that my children would have their own separate house when they grow up. Previously, I had been employed by one of my friends as a hairdresser in her salon. As a way of making myself self-employed, I opened a salon in our nearest shopping centers. I used some of this money to buy some requirements which were needed for the start of this work. I used the remaining amount to buy a heifer. I decided to buy it so that I will be relieved of the cost of buying milk daily when it reproduces.