"It was early morning when a message alert suddenly woke me up. I reached for my phone and saw a confirmation of my first transfer. Instantly, my sleep vanished, replaced by a wave of happiness and excitement. I could hardly believe it at first, so I read the message twice to make sure. As I lay there, my mind drifted to my small, uncomfortable bed. The mattress I had didn’t fit well, making every night a restless one. I thought to myself, “Finally, I can buy a good, larger bed that will match my mattress and provide the comfort I’ve been missing.”"

"It was early morning when a message alert suddenly woke me up. I reached for my phone and saw a confirmation of my first transfer. Instantly, my sleep vanished, replaced by a wave of happiness and excitement. I could hardly believe it at first, so I read the message twice to make sure. As I lay there, my mind drifted to my small, uncomfortable bed. The mattress I had didn’t fit well, making every night a restless one. I thought to myself, “Finally, I can buy a good, larger bed that will match my mattress and provide the comfort I’ve been missing.”"

"I am a widow of eight children, working hard to provide for my family through charcoal burning. When I received my first transfer, my immediate focus was on my two secondary school children, who had large school fee balances. I knew their education was the key to a better future, so I spent $240 to clear their arrears for the entire year. The relief I felt was immense, as this heavy burden had been weighing on my heart. Now, I can rest easier knowing they can continue their studies without interruption. With the remaining money, I made some important decisions for our family's future. I invested $70 in two goats, seeing them as a long-term source of income and security. Since the drought has affected us badly, I spent $40 on a sack of maize to ensure we had enough food at home. Finally, I saved the remaining $200, aiming to combine it with the second transfer and build a new house. The one we currently live in is on the verge of collapsing, and I dream of providing a safer home for my children. This transfer has been a blessing, helping me not only solve immediate problems but also plan for a better future."

"I am a widow of eight children, working hard to provide for my family through charcoal burning. When I received my first transfer, my immediate focus was on my two secondary school children, who had large school fee balances. I knew their education was the key to a better future, so I spent $240 to clear their arrears for the entire year. The relief I felt was immense, as this heavy burden had been weighing on my heart. Now, I can rest easier knowing they can continue their studies without interruption. With the remaining money, I made some important decisions for our family's future. I invested $70 in two goats, seeing them as a long-term source of income and security. Since the drought has affected us badly, I spent $40 on a sack of maize to ensure we had enough food at home. Finally, I saved the remaining $200, aiming to combine it with the second transfer and build a new house. The one we currently live in is on the verge of collapsing, and I dream of providing a safer home for my children. This transfer has been a blessing, helping me not only solve immediate problems but also plan for a better future."

"I am a father of one, currently supporting my family through construction work. To earn extra income, I sometimes borrow a friend's bike, but there are times when they either refuse or charge me $5 per day, which is challenging. I own two goats and plan to breed them so I can sell their offspring. My goal is to use the proceeds to enroll in driving school, which will allow me to secure driving job opportunities in Mombasa, providing a better life for my family and securing my child's future. While I intend to buy more goats, my immediate focus is to repair the roof of my house. The walls are still strong, but the roof’s iron sheets are old and full of holes, causing us to get rained on during the rainy seasons. I’ve already purchased six iron sheets using part of my transfers, and I need twelve more to complete the project. I’m eager to speed up this building project and solve the problem once and for all, ensuring a more comfortable and safe home for my family."

"Initially, I had plans of buying a new grilled door to provide better security for the house that I am currently living in, as the existing door is infested with termites and is not secure enough. Currently, I live in my daughter's house and have always wanted to have a space of my own. Therefore, after some deep reflection and discussions with my daughter, I decided to shift my focus from replacing the door to building a home of my own where I can enjoy my own space. To make this dream a reality, I have been saving a portion of my previous transfers in our local savings group, and I intend to save even more of my future transfers that I will be receiving from GiveDirectly. Once these savings mature, I plan to use part of the funds to build my own house and make my dream come true. Additionally, I aim to allocate another portion of the savings that would have matured to purchase livestock, hoping they will multiply, increasing in number and value, providing me with a reliable source of support, especially when this program comes to an end. I am genuinely excited about my plans for a new house and my livestock project, and I hope they will come to fruition. I am truly grateful for the support I have been receiving from GiveDirectly, and I remain hopeful for the better future ahead."

"I am a father of six children and I understand that their education is the key to a brighter future. Without a stable job or business to rely on, my primary focus is to invest in their schooling. This coming year, I plan to dedicate my resources, both from my future transfers from GiveDirectly and the little income I earn from my unpredictable hustles toward ensuring they have everything they need for their education. After facing health challenges that kept me from running a business, I'm now on the road to recovery and eager to start afresh. I aim to use part of my transfers to launch a livestock-selling business, where I will be buying livestock from local villages and selling them at the market for profit. This venture will not only help me to support my family but also provide an additional income stream as I work toward bettering our lives. I am hopeful that all of these plans will come to fruition, and I am deeply grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has provided us."

"I take great pride in having launched my vegetable business with the support of my previous transfers from GiveDirectly. For this coming year and beyond my intention is to expand my business and introduce a diverse range of products that will attract more clients and boost my revenue. To turn this vision into reality, I plan to invest a portion of my future transfers back into my business, fueling its growth and potential. I also have dreams of building a herd of livestock, particularly goats and chicken. To achieve this, I intend to use part of my future transfers to purchase more goats and chicken, with the hope that they will multiply and provide me with a reliable source of support when needed. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that GiveDirectly has provided me. Their assistance has not only helped me start my business but has also inspired me to envision a brighter future filled with possibilities."

"Owning cows to plow my farm has always been a dream of mine, but because cows are expensive, I decided to take an alternative approach that would ease the burden and make it easier to achieve this goal. I therefore started by focusing on purchasing goats, hoping they would multiply and grow in both number and value over time. I therefore used my transfers from GiveDirectly to buy goats, and I plan to use my future transfers to acquire even more. Currently, I have ten goats, and I pray they continue to multiply and increase in number and value. In the future, I intend to sell or trade some of these goats to eventually acquire cows, bringing me closer to my dream of having livestock to work on my farm. Additionally, I will also be able to use the proceeds from selling some goats to support my family and also pay for my four children’s school fees, ensuring they can continue their education and build a better future."

"Living in a very small house, I’ve always dreamed of having a bigger place, a two-roomed house where I can live comfortably. To turn this dream into reality, I’ve been using my previous transfers to purchase building materials, and I’m thrilled to see my house finally taking shape. For the coming year and beyond, my goal is to continue the construction, using a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly to buy the materials needed to complete my house. I know that once it’s finished, I’ll be overjoyed to finally have a place I can call home. After that, I plan to invest a portion of my transfers into buying goats and chickens, hoping they’ll multiply and grow in both number and value. My aim is to eventually sell them and use the proceeds to support my family. I’m truly grateful for the unwavering support that GiveDirectly has given me, helping me move closer to my dreams."