"The biggest difference in my life after receiving the cash transfer is having enough food at home. I am very happy because I no longer have to stand in the hot sun to find casual jobs just to eat. Sometimes, I would go out to work even when I was sick because I had nothing to eat. Now, I thank God that I can enjoy my meals comfortably three times a day. Before, I only ate once a day, which made my health worse. Now that I have enough food, my health has also improved significantly."

"It was a day full of happiness. I had just come back from my farm and was sitting at the center, enjoying my tea around 3 p.m. Suddenly, I heard my phone beep. When I checked, it was an M-Pesa message confirming that I had received the money. I became so excited, and my mind started racing with ideas about how to use it. The first thought that came to me was to lease land for farming, and I couldn’t wait to get started because I love farming so much."

"After a long day at my casual job, I was on my way to fetch water when I suddenly heard a message notification on my phone. Curious, I checked, and to my surprise, it was an M-Pesa message confirming I had received money from GiveDirectly. Instantly, my heart filled with joy and excitement! My first thought was, "Finally, I can fence my farm with wire mesh!" The goats had been such a problem, constantly destroying my crops, and I felt stuck because I couldn't leave the farm unattended. Now, I knew I could protect it and have peace of mind."

"I was in the house breastfeeding my child when my brother-in-law came in and told me I had a message on my phone. I did not think much of it at first, but when I checked, I saw that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I couldn't believe it—such joy filled my heart! I called out to my brother-in-law, and when he checked his phone, he had also received the transfer. We shared this incredible moment of happiness together. Right away, I knew what I was going to do with the money—put it into the farm to plant beans since the planting season was almost over."

"I want to express my appreciation for GiveDirectly for their excellent handling of the entire enrollment process and for providing us with valuable information on how to minimize the risks associated with receiving support. We are truly thankful for their efforts in ensuring that the funds were used effectively to address our urgent needs, and their education on financial management helped prevent any conflicts. Although the program has concluded, I believe that if it had continued, even more positive changes would have been possible. As of now, I cannot think of anything that GiveDirectly could have done differently."

"Poultry farming has always been a passion for me, but for the longest time, I had the chicken coops without any chickens to fill them. When I received the cash from GiveDirectly, everything changed. With that money, I was able to buy roosters, and now they are growing fast. It's such a relief to finally have something that I know will bring me profits in the next few months. Every morning when I walk into the yard, seeing the roosters thriving makes me so hopeful for the future. It’s comforting to know that soon, the income from selling the chickens will help ease some of the financial burdens. When I receive the second transfer from GiveDirectly, I plan to expand my poultry farming by buying more roosters. With each step, I’m getting closer to building a sustainable source of income, and I can't thank GiveDirectly enough for giving me this opportunity."

"When I received the unconditional cash transfer, the first thing I did was use $30 to pay school fees for my son, who is in Grade 5. I didn't want him to be sent home because he would miss valuable lessons. I then set aside $70 for my daughter, who is in Form 3, to cover this term’s fees. Ensuring both of my children stayed in school was my top priority because, at the time, I had no other source of income to rely on. I also needed to handle the harvesting of my maize, so I used $60 to pay for labor and transport. Bringing the maize home promptly was important to avoid any post-harvest losses. With the remaining $40, I bought food for my household. I had just retired from my teaching job, and without a regular salary, providing for my family had become a challenge. The cash transfer allowed me to ensure there was enough to eat while I figured out the next steps for my family’s financial stability. It came at just the right time, and I’m grateful for how it helped us manage through the transition."

"With two children in secondary school, my current goal is to ensure they complete their education. God willing, by the end of this year, they will have finished their final exams. Once they do, I will have some relief and can redirect the transfers I've been using to pay their school fees toward building a house for my family. We currently live in a small one-roomed house, which is not comfortable for all of us as we lack privacy. As a single parent, my ambition is to provide my children with good living arrangements that they deserve. My plan is to build a three-room house where we can all live comfortably and have the privacy we need. To achieve this, I plan to use a portion of the transfers I've been using to pay school fees for my secondary school children, along with some money I will be making from my other casual hustles. I will gradually buy building materials and start building the house I've always desired. I am hopeful that I will be able to achieve this, and once complete, I will be very happy. I am grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has been giving us. This assistance has been instrumental in helping me pursue my goals of educating my children and giving me hopes of improving our living conditions."

"Now that I have completed my house, my focus now is on securing our future and improving our lives, which I aim for it to be free from the financial struggles we faced before. I envision achieving financial security by establishing a livestock base, particularly goats. To achieve this, I plan to use a portion of my future transfers to purchase goats, hoping they will multiply and increase in number and value so that in the future they can become a valuable asset I can rely on, especially when this program comes to an end. I am truly grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has provided us, and I look forward to a future where I can educate my children and care for my family with the help of the livestock asset base I am planning to create."

"My goal in the coming year and beyond is to complete my two-year tailoring course successfully. The course will equip me with the necessary skills to run my own tailoring business in the future. With my subsequent transfers, I plan to continue using the money to pay for my tuition fees and accommodation to ensure I complete the course without interruptions. Once I am done with the course, I aim to seek employment in the tailoring field, gain experience, and save a portion of my income to purchase a sewing machine. This will allow me to establish my own tailoring business and work towards financial independence. I am very happy and optimistic about the future, thanks to the financial support from GiveDirectly, which has helped me get closer to achieving my goal."