As a tailor, I take pride in running my own shop, offering tailoring services and selling tailoring essential items to fellow tailors. However, my work was hindered by a faulty sewing machine that desperately needed replacing. Unable to afford a new one, I reluctantly resorted to hiring a sewing machine and pay on monthly basis, eating away at my hard-earned profits. Determined to regain control, I invested $102 of the transfers from GiveDirectly in a brand new sewing machine as well as restocking my shelves in the process. Now, with a reliable machine at my disposal, I feel a renewed sense of joy and freedom, no longer shackled by hiring fees. The money saved from hiring will not only boost my inventory but also help me in acquiring another machine that I have longed to own.

I've always dreamt of owning a high-quality overlocking machine, despite its hefty price tag. My strategy involves diligently saving my profits and the transfers I receive, with the goal of accumulating enough to purchase the machine, priced at around $800. The prospect of owning this machine fills me with immense joy, and I wholeheartedly hope to see this dream come to fruition one day. Moreover, my current operational space lacks adequate security, requiring me to transport my belongings back and forth each day to prevent theft. Upon acquiring the overlocking machine, my plan is to relocate to a more secure facility, where I can confidently leave my equipment without fear of theft. This transition will alleviate the daily hassle of relocating my items, providing me with peace of mind and a more stable work environment.

I currently reside with my elderly mother, taking on the responsibility of caring for her. To tackle the financial challenges we face, managing without external support, I initiated a tailoring shop. Despite starting with limited capital, I am pleased that it has become a vital source of income for our household. To enhance the tailoring business, I utilized approximately $80 from recent transfers to acquire a substantial stock of textile materials. This timely investment proved invaluable during the back-to-school season, allowing me to cater to a significant number of clients and generate a commendable profit. The heightened demand for school uniforms further emphasized the importance of maintaining an ample stock of materials, significantly boosting my business. With the profits earned, I can now easily meet our household needs. Additionally, I allocated $16 to cover the rent for my tailoring shop. I invested the remaining portion in purchasing chickens, which I am currently raising alongside my tailoring business. I envision developing a poultry project that will serve as a supplementary income source, providing the opportunity to sell poultry products and generate additional revenue.

Running my tailoring shop has been my sole means of livelihood. Thanks to monthly financial support, I've successfully stocked it with ample textile materials, and it's thriving. While I can cater to a large clientele, the sewing machines currently in use are not as effective and efficient as I would like. At times, I find it necessary to rent machines from other tailors who have more advanced equipment. My aim is to accumulate sufficient funds to invest in a superior overlock sewing machine, surpassing the capabilities of my current ones. This upgrade will enable me to better serve my clients and elevate the overall efficiency of my tailoring business. Not only will it reduce dependence on others' machines, but it will also cut down on the expenses associated with renting.

I recently received financial assistance from GiveDirectly, and it came at good time. I operate a tailoring shop that had been struggling due to insufficient funds to expand. With the recent transfer, I invested $20 in my business by purchasing additional fabrics, and I'm delighted to see that my profits have started to rise. Moreover, I allocated $10 to expand my chicken-rearing project by acquiring three new chickens, which I believe will generate additional income in the future. The remaining $4.70 was wisely spent on purchasing essential food items. GiveDirectly's support arrived just when I needed it most, and I am immensely grateful for the positive impact it has had on my livelihood.

My primary goal is to transition from my current small, electricity-deprived tailoring stall to a permanent shop equipped with electricity, which would enable me to enhance the efficiency of my tailoring services by utilizing both manual and electric machines. Moreover, this transition would alleviate the constant worry of my machines being stolen during the nightly moves, providing a more secure work environment. To accomplish this, I am determined to save a portion of my earnings and explore additional income streams, such as selling some of the chickens I have, in order to accumulate the necessary funds for this significant improvement in my business infrastructure.

Running a small tailoring shop has become increasingly challenging for me in recent months. The main issue I've faced is fulfilling customer orders on time. To address this problem, I decided to acquire a second-hand sewing machine from a friend. Unfortunately, this machine has proven to be quite unreliable, constantly breaking down and hindering my efficiency. As a result, I lost a significant number of customers due to delayed orders. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, I took immediate action and used all of my May transfers plus my little savings from my business to purchase a new and modern sewing machine valued at $90. This investment will alleviate my struggles by enabling me to work swiftly and skillfully on the clothing, ultimately helping me retain my existing customers and attract new ones. With this improved setup, I anticipate achieving financial stability and meeting all of my personal needs effectively.

Expanding my business will be my greatest accomplishment this year and beyond. Thanks to the money from Give Directly, I have been able to purchase a new sewing machine, which has significantly eased my work. As a result, I anticipate attracting more business in the upcoming months. I plan to utilize the funds to acquire additional materials for my business. With the success I have achieved so far, I am determined to secure a suitable physical location that ensures the safety of my business's raw materials and tools.

I received my recent transfer when our extended family planned a Christmas festive party at home. Since I am a designer, there were specific outfits that all family members were required to wear, and I was hired to do them. As a result, I spent all of my transfee on tailoring material for my tailoring business. I am glad I realiazed more profits, which has boosted my business. I currently have extra stock, which is very encouraging. I used to struggle to make $10 in sales. However, nowadays I can make up to $20 in sales every day. As a result, because my mother runs a low-income business, it has been easier for us to assist my parents in meeting the needs of our large family of twelve.

I am currently operating a tailoring shop which has been my only source of income so far. My dream is to expand this shop and buy textile materials to run it. I am planning to buy a new sewing machine in months to come which cost Ksh.10000. I will be saving the monthly transfer for this purpose. With this new machine, I will be able to train others at a fee, thus earning more income.

I am a designer, and I have been doing a tailoring business to earn a living. However, this year, my business has been registering poor performance. From my recent transfer, I spent $30 on boosting it. Since I had a customer who needed some set of clothes, I opted to buy additional materials to facilitate the work. As a result, I witnessed an improvement in the performance of my tailoring business. Since I am living with my mother does a grocery business, I focus on offering tailoring services to earn additional money to subsidize the family budget.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well in giving money without imposing any conditions on us. The unconditionality of the cash has enabled us to spend the cash in a way that we deem more beneficial to us. Consequently, every recipient from my community testifies that they have witnessed a positive change in their lifestyle. I have witnessed improvement in business performance. However, I have not yet observed what GiveDirectly does not do well.

I opened up a tailoring shop recently in a nearby market center after I completed my one-year training. I did not have enough capital, so I only bought a sewing machine, and I am glad I have been making some profits from it. Still, the business can not sustain itself because I spend most of the profits on supporting my mother with our household expenses. Therefore, restocking the business was a challenge. When I received the first transfer, I spent KES 1000 on new fabrics for school uniforms and bought two chicks for rearing worth KES 200.

The biggest difference in my daily life is the improved profits that I earn from my business after restocking it. It has not been productive of late mainly because I have been supporting my mother to meet our household expenses. She is a single parent and the income she makes from casual work can not sustain all of our needs. I am glad the business has improved and hope to boost it more with the coming transfers so that it stabilizes.

My business was slow because it lacked most of the products. This led to low profits that could not sustain it. I was worried that it could fail because I had no means of raising capital to boost it. When I received the first transfer I was happy and felt motivated because I knew I had finally got the means to boost my business.