My current objective is to generate more money to support the academic endeavours of my three children. They are in primary school right now, and my goal is to make sure they get the education they need. In contrast to those of us who never had the opportunity to attend school, I want to see them flourish in life. I will therefore need to save every month for me to accomplish this from my cosmetic businesses.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly has proven to us that it is a game changer. The initiative of helping the neediest individuals stood out because, for now, I can confidently cater for my family's basic needs without bothering anyone like before. I appreciate their huge support. Also, I do not see anything that went astray that needs to be changed.

As a result of unpaid school fees, my eldest child, who is in grade five has been attending school irregularly. Being a mother, this caused me a lot of stress, therefore after receiving the money, I had to lighten the load and pay the required $100. She is currently excelling in school without any disruptions. Additionally, I've been running a cosmetics shop in a nearby town, but it was on the verge of collapse. To revive it, I had to spend approximately $200. The fact that I can currently turn a profit of at least $50 from the business, rather than the $10 it used to generate, shows how nicely things are progressing as we speak. My goal is to expand this business and generate sufficient income to be able to support my family of five comfortably. I prepared and planted maize on my two-acre farm using the final $150. I believe that once the maize is harvested, my spouse and I will be relieved since we won't have to spend money on food purchases anymore; instead, we'll utilize that cash towards other household commodities.

In order to maintain a productive farming operation that generates a significant income, we rely on the seasonal rivers nearby for water. However, the demand for water from other farmers can sometimes lead to the rivers drying up, resulting in significant losses for our tomato crops. To support our farming activities, I plan to grow my cosmetic business in the coming years, since its profitability is not solely reliant on weather conditions. During planting season, I hire a shop attendant to manage the store, ensuring that customers have access to the cosmetic products even when I am occupied with farming duties.

The support provided by GiveDirectly is remarkable and has brought stability to many households, especially those that were previously struggling with poverty. The fair selection process ensured that everyone had an opportunity to participate in the program and receive an equal amount of money. As a result, we have been able to purchase enough food, improve our farming operations, and even expand our businesses, which were on the brink of failure. All of this was made possible because the money was unrestricted and we were free to spend it as we deemed appropriate.

My family of five relies on subsistence farming, and we sell the surplus for income. Currently, I am preparing land to plant hybrid tomatoes, which have proven to adapt well to the local weather conditions. With the second transfer from GiveDirectly, I spent $70 on preparing an acre of land for planting and $100 on managing the already-planted tomatoes on an acre and a half of land. This included purchasing foliar fertilizer and herbicides and pesticides, enough to last until harvest. In addition to farming, I also have a cosmetic business in the nearby shopping center, where I sell beauty products and human hair to local hairdressers and individuals who do home plaiting. After receiving support from GiveDirectly, I invested $200 to expand my business and increase my income. This business has consistently been a source of income, even during times when crop farming is impacted by adverse weather conditions. I am grateful for the support that has allowed me to improve my income and sustain my family.

I was in my nearby shopping center's cosmetic shop when I received a Mpesa message notification. Curious as to know who had sent it and how much it had cost, I was surprised to learn that it had come from GiveDirectly. I wasn't expecting it that day, but I was grateful that the promise we made during enrollment was kept on time. I called my husband and went home without cashing out the money because we needed to align our spending decisions first.

The most noticeable difference in my daily life is the revival of my cosmetics business, which was on the verge of closing before GiveDirectly stepped in. It was shrinking by the day because we would spend all of our money on food without replenishing the exhausted items. I am glad it is now functioning right, with the possibility of expanding further in the future.

Since March 2022, I have been running a cosmetics business, which has always been the basis and primary source of income for my family. Overdependence on it had reduced the stock to the point where I was about to close it down. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for rescuing me with the first transfer, whose $100 replenished the rapidly shrinking stock. The business is now doing well, and I hope to continue expanding with the proceeds I am currently receiving now that I am no longer struggling to feed my family. We decided to pool our resources with a family friend who is also our neighbor to lease an acre of land that is currently under tomato cultivation after a careful discussion with my husband. We spent $50 each and later purchased seedlings, from which we anticipate a bountiful harvest in the next two months. I am hoping to get good market prices and thus use the proceeds later in a new construction project that we plan to start on another piece of land we purchased in a different village. In addition, I spent the remaining $50 on groceries for my family of five.