"I currently own a small business of selling banana juice and the challenge i face is falling into loses, there are times when i bought bananas and tried to produce juice and it become defected and I couldn't get people to purchase from me and this has happened to me for several times where i had to throw it all and fell into loses."

"Having a place to work in is our greatest challenge, our family is expanding day by day but we don't have enough land of our own it require us to rent lands from others to be able to produce enough for our family. Currently we don't get enough produce from our harvest because we lack enough fertiliser, the livestock we have doesn't give us necessary fertiliser to use. We have a big family of 6 people and our house is very small to accommodate all of us , our children have to sleep all together boys and girls and above all they sleep on the floor because we can't afford beds for them , our young daughter still sleeps with us."

"As we all know, students are going back to school after a long holiday break. I decided to divide the money I got amongst my children. I have children who are at College, Highschool and also primary school. I was really happy that GiveDirectly sent that money because I had a lot of debt to settle but now I can settle it easily. Thank you so much GiveDirectly, I'm really proud that you took the initiative to improve and better our lives."

"The only thing that gives me great joy is seeing my children going to school and I believe that their future is secured. The main thing I want to accomplish in life is to make sure my children are educated and prosper in life."

"I did not complete my education and I wouldn't want my children to end up the way I did. The moment I received the transfers, I was so happy and I immediately went shopping with my child who is joining form one. We bought everything that was required of him to buy and as we speak right now, we are on the roads taking him to school. I also bought a land where I have been doing farming. I have been investing in my maize farm and I believe that the more I sell it the more I get money and the easier it will be for me to pay my children's school fees."

"The moment I received my transfer, I decided to go get a land where I will do farming. I really thought hard and came back with that great idea of having a land to grow vegetables and sell some and eat what I harvest. After purchasing the land, I went ahead and I bought a bed and a big mattress where my children can comfortably sleep and have a good sleep not like the way they used to sleep. This will really improve how they relate with people and with good sleep their health will improve. I also stocked food for them to make them happy and enjoy the blessings that we got from above."

"The most significant difference in my daily life is my hope of learning tailoring skills at the new school I have enrolled in. I believe this will provide me with the necessary skills to open my own tailor shop in the future, allowing me to serve the community by both repairing and making new clothes for them. I was almost out of hope, but I am grateful to have received the funds that allowed me to break out of my routine and try something new."

"I have a family of four, and living in a single house requires us to share the available resources. My husband and I had been sharing a single bed that was too small for our child. We were relieved to receive the first transfer because we had to spend $130 on a larger bed and a mattress large enough for the two of us. I am relieved that my child, who had previously slept on the floor, is now using the old bed we had been using. I also spent $250 on four goats, which I intend to breed and sell in the future, when my children are in school. I also spent $65 on maize, which my family of three is currently eating. It feels good to be able to eat three meals per day, as opposed to only one meal per day previously. Initially, I ran a small food business alongside fruit vending and moved from location to location in search of customers. I saved the remainder and have been using it to replenish the household's supplies and source new goods for my business."

"We were notified of the possible date for receiving the transfers after GiveDirectly officers enrolled us in the program. I could not leave my phone behind in the second week of December, and not a single message came in without me checking it. I was overjoyed when I finally received a Mpesa message that I confirmed was from GiveDirectly. I was in a planning meeting for one of my neighbors' wedding at the time, and most of the people in attendance had received the same news. Everyone wanted to notify their respective families, so we had to stop everything we were doing to celebrate the good news first. I got a call from my spouse, who had heard the news as well, and since he was at my co-wife's house, he had to ask me about it. When I told him the news, he was equally excited and promised to come home later because we weren't finished with the planning yet."

"With the freedom to spend our transfer however we saw fit, everything changed. I am grateful that spending decisions were not limited to a single item because most people in the village had a variety of options. The initial meetings were informative because they provided us with a clear understanding of the project. The fact that the field officers spoke the local language made it easier for everyone to understand. If this could be replicated in other villages, much progress would be made."