"My immediate goal is to open a mini-mart. Wholesale and retail sales of dry foods are the primary focus. Salt, flour, sugar, cereals, and so on are just a few of the items I would sell. This would enable me to provide my children with all of the things and opportunities I wished I had when they were their age."

"GiveDirectly enabled me to finally prioritize growing my current business. I own a small mini-mart where I sell everything from toothbrushes to soap to flour and milk. In Ganze, my husband works as a boda boda operator, earning between $5 and $8 per day. With a limited budget, covering recurring expenses like school fees was difficult, but thankfully, GiveDirectly was there to help. The $15 and $5 per month paid to Mdizumitsamo School for my PP1 and Play Group kids, respectively, were putting a strain on us when money was tight. GiveDirectly truly lifted us out of a bad situation and into one of comfort and gratitude."

"A half-acre was purchased for $500. The funds from GiveDirectly were a true blessing. I was also able to purchase a number of jerry cans for water storage. With my wife focusing on farming our existing 4-acre farm and me earning $10 per day at my casual job, covering the majority of our expenses was proving difficult. Some of the remaining funds were used to pay for my two children's school fees at Mariani Primary, where they are in Grades 4 and 2 and  fee balance is $13 and $8 per month, respectively, while the youngest is only one and a half years old and requires more basic necessities for survival. The cereals and roots we grow, such as cassava and kunde, are primarily for human consumption., so food isn't as big a cost for us. We are eternally grateful to GiveDirectly for everything they have done for us."

"The transfers from GiveDirectly allowed me to accomplish quite a number of things. I bought school uniforms for my kids, bought and stocked up on food in the house, bought 3 female goats, 2 mattresses, and 1 bed. The bed and mattress are mine and my wife's, while the kids got the mattress alone. I set up a small business selling omena at $0.2 per pack to the neighbors. Raising eight kids means recurring expenses always arise. Other than the firstborn, who is employed as a boda boda operator in Garrissa, the rest are still quite dependent. Moving downwards, I have one in college in Mariakani pursuing a sewing course; another in Class 8, Grade 6, 4, 2, and nursery, all at Jira Primary School; and the youngest is but a year old. GiveDirectly funds allowed me to cover the $15 for tuition at the college and $5 for rent in Mariakani, for a total of $15, $2, $3, and $8. My wife helps with the omena business and tilling our 7-acre farm, where we grow cereals. The drought hasn't allowed us to farm much this year, though. On the side, I also burn wood and send the resulting charcoal to Mombasa, where I sell it for $5 at most. The math alone can tell you that without GiveDirectly, we weren't going to manage to accomplish all we did. GiveDirectly was the best thing to happen to us as a family, and we will be eternally grateful."

"I always dream as I harvest my 1 acre farm, hoping that my maize and cassava will make me proud with their yield. I hope to see all of my children graduate from high school and live better lives than their father and I. I'm doing everything I can now to ensure that we have a much easier life in the future."

"I supply traditional alcohol to a pub from Friday to Sunday where I get $10. This money helps me buy food for my family. I take care of a big family, four children, my wife, and my mother who recently divorced my father and came to live with me. Life has been hard being the only person providing for the whole family. Most days I get late paying my children's school fees. I spent my recent transfer to install water at my home sted, improved the house floor, and bought a goat for supplying us with milk."

"I was alone, selling charcoal that I made myself and tilling maize on the farm I own to feed myself and my children. GiveDirectly did for me what they do so well for so many other people. They restored my dignity and enabled me to support my family. I wish them nothing but the best and hope that they continue to do the same for countless others."

"GiveDirectly restores hope! I had been employed as a boda boda operator, and to be honest, it was dreadful. The motorbike would get faulty, the police were an issue, and at the end of the day, little was left to offer a decent life for me and my family. GiveDirectly gave me a new lease on life and an opportunity to hold my head high and in dignity as a provider for my family."

"I own a small restaurant in the village. My rent is $30 a month, it is quite expensive considering it is a small place that can only occupy five people. Most times I lose a lot of customers. Receiving this transfer has helped me a lot, bought a piece of land for $500 and I plan to build a restaurant that can accommodate up to fifty customers."

"I did not complete my primary education due to a lack of school fees. My parents are farmers and most days they eat from hand to mouth. I am also a farmer, I take care of my neighbor's livestock getting $30 a month. I buy food for the whole household, I have four siblings that depend on me and my parents. Receiving this money has enabled me to build a house, and buy furniture for my new home and I still have some money in my account for rainy days."