"The finest thing that has occurred to me, and to everyone I have interacted with so far in our village, was the freedom to spend the money anyway we saw fit after obtaining the receipt. I was appreciative that I could create a plan, oversee it, and only report on its progress when GiveDirectly officers called. Rather than responding to the village leaders' questions, GiveDirectly conducted in-person visits that allowed them to assess whether a potential enrollee matched the requirements. I am appreciative and hope that other villages may have similar experiences."

"In our hamlet, GiveDirectly performed a great job with a high level of justice, making sure they met, spoke with, and got everyone's permission to take part in the project. We had no questions regarding the officers' support as they left the community because they had stated everything so clearly to us during their visit. Even though everything from enrollment to receiving the first transfer proceeded without a hitch, we wish they would always send the subsequent transfers for additional persons at the same time as the other groups after they have received them. We are especially appreciative that the office calls to follow up on every transfer sent to confirm receipt."

"I started paying for a plot in the area where I intended to move as soon as I got the initial transfer. I have been living with my parents as a single mother of two, but I have always wanted to buy some land so that I can build a new house for my kids. With the second transfer, I paid off a $300 debt that was still owing, granting me possession of the item. I am eager to increase my savings now so that I can buy building supplies and later begin the construction. I used the remainder to expand the store operation I had been doing at the local shopping center. Since we relied on the proceeds as our main source of income, I had steadily decreased the stock. I had to replenish the running capital to get the business back to where it had been, which I'm delighted to say has resulted in a higher profit now and improved customer satisfaction since I restocked it with new products."

"Everyone in our town was excited to receive a free cash transfer and the freedom to spend it anyway they pleased. I appreciate the field staff's hard work in impartially choosing all families for us and ensuring that we received an equal amount, which was then send directly into our accounts. The organization is succeeding so well because it first educates people on the proper methods for using their accounts in order to try to avoid losing money to scammers."

"I am a single parent with two children, I separated from my husband and went back to stay with my parents. It was embarrassing going back but with no land or house, there was nothing I could do. Receiving this money has enabled me to buy a piece of land and build a house. I now stay on my compound, I am no longer embarrassed about my situation."

"I would like to open a retail shop. We only have two shops around the village and most of the time the shops are not well stocked so I find myself traveling miles away to get a product. If I can start one and stock it, I am sure I can profit from it."

"I would like to buy three bundles of zinc and few packs of nails."

"GiveDirectly is doing well for me by giving me money to transfor my lives in a positive way, right now I'm able to build my house though the help of Give Directly, and support my kids in school and to have a better life because i want to live in a zinc house, all my life i have been living in poverty i could not hardly feed my family, But right now I'm able to start my own businesses to help myself, even if GiveDirectly is no more that i will not suffer with my family anymore, GiveDirectly hasn't done nothing bad to us. Thank you to the GiveDirectly family let God bless them."

"When I received my second transfer, used to ksh 27000 to pay school fees for two children, one in college and another in highschool, this reduced the arrears I had by almost half and my son in highschool will be allowed to be stay in school until the end of the term. I was also able to buy a cow with ksh 22000 and we have been getting 6 litres of milk each day where we sell 4 litres and consume 2 at home, at least now we have our own constant supply of milk instead of buying everyday and are able to buy enough food with the milk that we sell. I saved about ksh 5000 so that I can buy animal food for the cow."

"I am a business man, 35. I bake cakes for sale and that sustains me with my family of 6. What has been the biggest challenge lately is the high cost of baking inputs such as flour, oil and firewood. Before the pandemic came, I used to make a profit of $10 daily. That's is after paying costs of production including workers. Currently I can only manage a meagre $4 a day. This has discouraged me, I even contemplated closing it. It has also forced me to reduce the number of workers. Initially before the pandemic, I used to have 2 workers, now it's only one. The cost of living has gone up and even people cannot afford to buy more now. This is compared to pre-pandemic times. The low business performance has hindered my ability to even do fencing on my compound."