Since I already purchased land by the roadside, I hope to construct business premises and rent it out to investors which in turn will earn income for my family of 7. In addition, I will open up a petrol station to serve the entire population of the Mafingoni area who travel up to Vitengeni to purchase fuel hence cutting their travelling cost. Having identified this business opportunity with less competition, I believe I will get enough profits to expand my business and support my family.

Ever since the recipients here received their transfers, life has changed by a big margin. Many people have been uplifted from poverty as they can now afford meals through the income they earn from the businesses they opened up with the transfers. This fascinates me and I never wish Givedirectly to change a thing.

Before Givedirectly's transfers, my family of 7 depended on charcoal burning to earn income. However, after the government's ban on this practice, we opted for my husband's income from house construction. Regardless, the income here is unpredictable as a few people build houses lately thus we stay without any income for even months. As a result, we resorted to purchasing goats as an investment that will support the family in future. We also purchased a parcel of land at $250 which we intend on constructing business premises to rent out. I believe this will be a perfect fit because it is by the roadside and my affinity for business will be top-notch. I am excited because my life has been uplifted since I foresee financial stability through the transfers.

It was a windy evening when I was in the kitchen doing some preparations for making an evening meal when I received a message on my phone. Since I was busy with the preparation, I did not bother till 7 pm when I was done. Upon checking, I saw the transfer message from GiveDirectly. My heart was filled with joy and happiness after receiving the promised transfer from GiveDirectly.

The vivid differences that I can attest to before and after receiving the transfer are the availability of food at home and the peace of mind I got after managing to renovate my house. Initially, we could go for up to two days a week without food something that we no longer experience since receiving the transfer. Again, I have been living in fear that one day my house would collapse since the poles were destroyed by termites. Looking at how life was, I had no means to renovate it any time soon, thanks to GiveDirectly. Through the organization, I was able to renovate my house and it is now firmer and almost permanent. This could not have taken place if it were not for the transfer.

Upon getting the first transfer, I had already planned how to spend the money. Renovating my house was the priority. Since it was a mud-walled house, the poles had been damaged by termites and I wanted to build some pillars all around the house to make it firmer. Therefore, when I withdrew the money, I bought 12 bags of cement for $78, hard corals plus transport for $60, and the labor cost was $56. Thereafter, I decided to settle some school fee arrears for my four primary school children. In that case, I paid $76. As of now, they have cleared all the arrears plus the current term fees. I also opted to buy a grill door for my house for security purposes. The door cost $70. After that, I bought a mattress for $55 and two bales of maize flour for $48. I did this to ensure there is food security at home. Using the remaining amount, I bought five goats to kick-start a livestock farming investment. I opted to invest in goats because they are cheaper compared to cows and they have ready markets.