My goal is to start a grocery and salon business by February or March this year . I'm not sure how much capital it will need in total but I'm already saving the money I get from my casual jobs and hope that my husband will help me to top it up . I think that this village has good market since there are no many salons nor groceries yet . Especially salons , most ladies get difficulties in finding a place to make their hair and that is why I want to venture into it. Also these two businesses are usually very profitable , and I can be able to use the returns to buy basic needs for my family .

Give Directly does everything well . You have created a direct link with residents . You always come directly to the ground to explain to us about your projects and good intentions , which clears any fears and doubts that we could be having about you . You have given us non refundable money which has helped us to do several developments in this village . Personally I have bought a mattress , a bed and a cow , these are things that I never knew I would buy . There is nothing to improve on , just continue helping people .

I'm a casual labourer , I prepare land for people and also sell charcoal . My husband is a chef , he works in a good hotel in town . He is the bread winner of our family but his income is not enough to sustain us . When I received this transfer , I went direct to the market and paid $240 for 1 bull and $120 for 1 heifer . This had been my long term goal and I was so happy to have achieved it . I now use the bull commercially whereby it digs land for people and they pay . I also hope the heifer will start giving me milk in future , I can use some at home and sell the rest . I also spent $64 on 2 female goats . I just love livestock because it is an investment , after they multiply, I'll be able to sell some when need arise . Previously , I used to sleep on a floor mat , so I bought a bed worth $70 and a mattress worth $65 . Thanks to Give Directly , I can now witness what it is like to sleep comfortably . We had no food in the house , so I spent $60 on 1 bag of maize and used the rest of the money on small house hold items like soap and water .

While in the kitchen preparing breakfast at around 9 am, I saw a message icon on my phone screen. I opened it to see what was kind of message it was and to my surprise, I saw a huge amount of money. I became keener to know more about it and I realized it was the first transfer from GiveDirectly. My heart was filled with joy and thanksgiving for receiving a huge amount in the morning making the whole day bright.

Initially, I used to fight tooth and nail to make ends meet. I purely relied on making and selling charcoal which was an unreliable business but I had no alternative. Getting enough food was rarely due to lack of money. As of now, I am very grateful for the support I received from GiveDirectly. It helps me to provide for my family as well as enabled me to get a nice bed and a mattress. Currently, I sleep in a better place not as before.

On the very day I withdrew the money, I bought 10 pieces of iron sheets for KES 12000.00. The aim is to construct a new house because the one I have is very small and congested. So the 10 iron sheets marked the start of a construction journey. I also bought a bed and a mattress for KES 12800.00 because I was sleeping on a mat which was exhaustive. Thereafter, I bought a cow for KES 23000.00 for milk provision both for sale and family use. For the remaining amount, I bought a sack of maize for food and other food stuff for the family.