When I got enrolled in this program, my primary goal was to create something sustainable that could provide long-term stability for my family. With my first transfers, I started a store, recognizing the lack of nearby shops in my village and the potential it presented. This store became a source of income for my family, where I sold items like cereals, stationery, and detergents. When I received the second transfers, I decided to reinvest $450 into the business, purchasing more stock, including beans, flour, cooking oil, detergent, sugar, and pens. This additional inventory helped expand the store’s offerings and attract more customers. With the remaining $82, I paid tuition fees for my two children to ensure they would be ready for the next school year. Education is a priority for me, and I wanted to ensure that my children wouldn’t fall behind in their studies. Starting this store and investing in their education have been significant steps in creating a better future for us.

I commend Give Directly for its incredible work and for providing life-changing support to people like me. This program has truly elevated my family’s quality of life and given me the means to create sustainable income. However, I believe there’s an opportunity to further support those who have started small businesses by offering additional resources or guidance to help them grow. Providing access to sustainable capital for budding entrepreneurs could ensure their businesses thrive and remain a dependable source of income. This improvement would help more people like me achieve long-term success.

In the coming year, I hope to expand my poultry farming venture, which I started a few months ago. My plan is to grow this business by purchasing more poultry, as I see it as a viable and complementary source of income alongside my store. Diversifying my income streams will ensure financial stability for my family, even if the store faces challenges or a slowdown. I aim to fully invest in both the store and the poultry business, creating a solid foundation for my family’s financial independence and growth. Accomplishing this would mean greater financial security and peace of mind for my family. It would ensure that my children’s education remains uninterrupted and that I can provide for them without relying solely on external work. Building these businesses would give me confidence in our future and a sense of pride in the progress we’ve made.

While living in the village, I typically take on casual construction jobs, such as building mud houses and doing roofing work. This has been my main source of income for the majority of my life. Although this work has helped me provide for my family's basic needs, including food and education for my children, it has become less reliable recently, and there are times when it's difficult to secure jobs. To supplement my income, I started a small shop in the village with limited funds. Unfortunately, the shop wasn't generating much profit because I couldn't stock it with a wide variety of products that could reach many customers due to my lack of capital. When I received my first transfer, I decided to prioritize restocking the shop with new products. As a result, I spent $510 on various products, and my shop is now fully stocked. I'm hopeful that having a wider range of products will lead to increased profits, as I am now able to cater to a larger customer base. I used the remaining $40 to pay school fees for my two children, ensuring that they can continue their education without any interruptions due to fees.

I used to run a small shop in my village before GiveDirectly came along. Unfortunately, the shop wasn't doing well because I needed more capital to stock a wider range of products for my customers. As a result, some customers left disappointed when they couldn't find what they were looking for. When I received the transfer, I used it to restock my shop with a variety of new products. This not only revived my business but also allowed me to serve more customers. I'm now earning more than before the program. With the profits, I can easily provide for my family's basic needs and save some money for my children's school fees.

While I was working on my usual construction job, building a mud house and roofing in the neighborhood, I received a message on my phone. As I read the message, I realized it was an M-Pesa notification. Upon further reading, I was overjoyed to learn that it was my first transfer from GiveDirectly. This made me happy because it meant that I could now invest in reviving shop business, which was not doing well.

While living in the village, I typically take on casual construction jobs, such as building mud houses and doing roofing work. This has been my main source of income for the majority of my life. Although this work has helped me provide for my family's basic needs, including food and education for my children, it has become less reliable recently, and there are times when it's difficult to secure jobs. To supplement my income, I started a small shop in the village with limited funds. Unfortunately, the shop wasn't generating much profit because I couldn't stock it with a wide variety of products that could reach many customers due to my lack of capital. When I received my first transfer, I decided to prioritize restocking the shop with new products. As a result, I spent $510 on various products, and my shop is now fully stocked. I'm hopeful that having a wider range of products will lead to increased profits, as I am now able to cater to a larger customer base. I used the remaining $40 to pay school fees for my two children, ensuring that they can continue their education without any interruptions due to fees.

I used to run a small shop in my village before GiveDirectly came along. Unfortunately, the shop wasn't doing well because I needed more capital to stock a wider range of products for my customers. As a result, some customers left disappointed when they couldn't find what they were looking for. When I received the transfer, I used it to restock my shop with a variety of new products. This not only revived my business but also allowed me to serve more customers. I'm now earning more than before the program. With the profits, I can easily provide for my family's basic needs and save some money for my children's school fees.

While I was working on my usual construction job, building a mud house and roofing in the neighborhood, I received a message on my phone. As I read the message, I realized it was an M-Pesa notification. Upon further reading, I was overjoyed to learn that it was my first transfer from GiveDirectly. This made me happy because it meant that I could now invest in reviving shop business, which was not doing well.