I completed my tailoring studies in 2012 and had a tailoring shop before I got married. After marriage, I moved to my husband's house and stopped operating the shop. Now, I am eager to start my own tailoring shop again. Currently, I work from home with a sewing machine, but having a dedicated shop will help attract more customers. Being easily accessible will increase convenience for clients seeking tailoring services, ultimately reducing my dependency on my husband. I am saving diligently towards this goal and believe that with my savings, I will soon be able to establish my own shop. This venture will not only empower me professionally but also contribute to our household income.

As a mother of four children, ensuring their education remains uninterrupted is my top priority. Recently, I spent $10 to pay their school fees, ensuring they wouldn't be sent home. Additionally, I spent $30 on food so they would have something to eat when they returned from school. In an effort to invest in our future, I allocated $14 to purchase two chickens. I believe chickens are good investment due to their rapid multiplication and potential to generate income through sales. Currently, I have five chickens and I am hopeful they will multiply quickly. Furthermore, I have started saving in a bank account, setting aside $10 to grow my savings. This financial discipline is aimed at eventually starting my own business and ensuring I can provide for my children's needs without any difficulties.

This year, my goal is to establish a permanent shop for my tailoring business. Currently, I run the business from my house, which limits its visibility to potential customers. I aspire to finish constructing the shop and expand my stock, offering a wider range of clothing materials for customers to choose from. To achieve this, I plan to utilize my upcoming transfers, hoping that they will enhance my business and increase profits. I'm pleased with the progress I have achieved this far and look forward to the future improvements ahead.

I work as a tailor, but recently, my business has not been doing well. Despite my husband's job as a driver in Mombasa, his income is not enough to support our family of six. Previously, we faced hardships, unable to afford school fees or provide enough food. However, with these transfers, our situation has improved significantly. Now, I can plan our finances, cover school fees, purchase food, and even invest in livestock and poultry. Out of the transfers received, I allocated $12 to buy uniforms for my children, who had none. Then, I invested $10 in purchasing two chickens which I will keep and sell later on in case of a need. I saved $37, which I plan to use to build and improve my tailoring shop. Additionally, $30 was spent on buying food for our family when our supplies were running low. The remaining $13 went towards settling pending school fees for my children. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this program, as I have witnessed positive changes in our lives.

As the festive holiday approaches, I plan to use my upcoming transfers to purchase new clothing for my children and enjoy celebratory meals. Additionally, I have set my sights on establishing a business structure by next June. Once accomplished, I will begin saving towards acquiring materials for my business. I am deeply appreciative of the transfers, which are empowering me to improve my financial stability through prudent investments.

I currently operate a small tailoring business from my home, generating income to support my family. However, I aspire to establish a dedicated business structure to expand my services and reach a wider customer base. I have managed to save $40, which I intend to use for constructing the business facility next year. Additionally, I allocated $14 to clear my children's school fees after they were sent home due to arrears. I am grateful that they were able to sit for their exams without any outstanding fees for the year. Furthermore, I invested $18 in purchasing food for my family, ensuring we had an ample food supply. Finally, I acquired a goat as a long-term investment, considering its potential to multiply and provide financial security in times of need. I am delighted with the financial assistance that is helping me progress towards my goals.

Equipped with a passion for sewing, I pursued formal training at a tailoring school, primarily focusing on crafting garments for women. While my expertise in sewing for men is limited, I have excelled in creating beautiful clothes for ladies. Previously operating my business from home, I realized the potential of having a dedicated shop. With a physical storefront, I can enhance visibility and accessibility, making it easier for customers to find and engage with my services. Transitioning to a shop not only expands my customer base but also allows me to showcase my skills and diversify my offerings, catering to the needs of both men and women seeking top-notch tailored clothing.My goal is to have my own shop where I can easily showcase my skills and will only attain my goal by proper saving and having a great plan with the monthly transfers that I normally receive.

Upon receiving my transfers, I immediately took action to fulfill various aspects of my life. Recognizing the importance of education, I allocated a portion of the funds to support my children's schooling. With $10 I divided between my two children, I prioritized their future and invested in their learning. Simultaneously, I pursued my own dreams by setting aside $10 to construct a dedicated workspace. Moving away from sewing at home, I aspired to create a professional environment that would enhance my craft and inspire creativity. Knowing the significance of nourishment, I allocated $10 for food, ensuring that my family's well-being remained a top priority. This enabled me to plan and provide nutritious meals that sustain their bodies and promote overall health.With $4 remaining, I made a delightful decision to invest in four chickens. This not only added vibrancy to our surroundings but also presented the opportunity for fresh eggs and potentially investment in the future, further enhancing our self-sufficiency.

My plan for the next year and beyond is to have the permanent business premise for my tailoring business. I would wish to complete the construction works and buy more stock so that people people would have a variety of to choose from. I known that in the near future, I would be the most known tailor in the entire region.

The transfers that I received was of great help to me. I have been struggling to put up my tailoring business into a better place but I had never been in the position to do so due to the lack of money. I have been in ownership of a sewing machine and currently, I am doing the tailoring work in my house since I do not have a business premise. With the transfers that I received, I spent $11 on buying materials to construct the tailoring shop because I had a plan to complete it in the next few months. Getting money for food was also another challenge and therefore, I also bought food for my family worth $10. With the remaining amount, I decide to buy 2 chicken worth $6 to start off the chicken-rearing project and also paid school fees amounting to $7 for one of my children who had some arrears. I was so grateful to GiveDirectly for the support.

I plan to build a structure on our parcel of land for the purpose of operating my tailoring business in order to enhance it and make it more marketable. I currently sew at home, but I seldom ever have customers because few people, outside a few neighbors, are aware that I do it. This has prevented me from experimenting with more trendy looks, and as a result, my productivity has been constrained. I already have some money set up for the construction, and if I combine it with the monthly payment, it will be completed by the end of June. I'll start selling fabrics and other business-related items in addition to sewing. Hopefully, there will be lots of sales and lots of money made.

I set aside half of my monthly income for savings each month with the goal of constructing a shop where I can launch my tailoring business. Two years ago, I bought a sewing machine, but I haven't been able to launch the business because I don't have enough cash to buy clothing or rent a shop . My husband, a "matatu" tout, makes a pittance ($5 per day), which is not enough to cover all the expenses for the family. As a result, when I got my transfer, I spent $5 to cover my son's class 3 Bengoni Primary School tuition. In addition, I saved $15, which I used to set up the structure for my new business by purchasing iron sheets and building poles. I then used the $14 that was left to buy food for the family. Due to his meager income, my husband, who is currently the only breadwinner, struggles to support the family on a daily basis. Purchasing this food helped to ease the heavy burden of providing for his family.

I appreciate that the organization is helping the less fortunate in society by giving out unconditional transfers. The funds play a big role in empowering and uplifting our lives from the jaws of poverty. I would recommend the organization to enroll more people coming from poor villages.

I earn a living working as a tailor. My business is not doing well because I work from home. My competitors have an age in business because they have shops strategically placed by the roadsides where customers can reach them quick. I work with a few customers and earn very little (KES 200 per day) from the business. When I received my transfer, I paid school fees for my daughter, who is in primary school and was at home due to school fee arrears. Besides paying school fees, I bought food for the family, amounting to KES 2400. My husband and I had no money to buy food, and the situation worsened to the point of sleeping hungry.

I was sitting inside my house full of thoughts about where I would get money to buy food for my children. While seated, my phone rang and I quickly checked it out. It overwhelmed me with emotions as I realized I had received my first transfer. Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks as I knelt and murmured a short prayer, thanking God for the miracle.

The biggest difference the transfer has made in my life is to enable me to buy food for my family. I was stressed and full of thoughts on how to provide for my family. I am grateful that I have plenty of food to last my family for the next week as I work out plans to get money and more stock of food in my house.

I own a small tailoring business along the roadside. The business has been on a downward trajectory for the past four months. I have lost many customers who are blaming the tough economic conditions. My husband is a public service vehicle driver. The rise in fuel prices has not spared his job. As a result, he earns much less than he used to last year. The tough economic conditions have affected our capability to provide for our family (three children). Having three meals a day is no longer possible, as we currently survive on one meal per day. My children have suffered a lot as they often stay home due to a lack of money to pay their school fees. Therefore, when I received my first transfer, I spent it all on buying food for my family. My husband and I could not earn any money the previous week, hence unable to buy food.