"The biggest life change for me has been the ability to finally own goats, something I had always wished for but couldn't afford for years. With the GiveDirectly cash, I purchased two goats, which represents a significant step toward diversifying my income. This investment supports my long-term goal of securing a more stable financial future for my family, including covering my children's education expenses."

"Now that I have been enrolled and received my first transfer from GiveDirectly, my long-term goal of owning a generator and pipes is finally within reach. This will enable me to fulfill my plan of improving crop production without the constant struggle of borrowing equipment. In the past, I often failed to secure what I needed, leading to the loss of crops after leasing land. Thanks GiveDirectly, I can now invest in my future and work towards a more stable and successful farming operation."

"Living in my brother's house for the last three years has not been easy, and the uncertainty of eventually having to leave has always weighed on me. After my marriage broke down, my parents offered me a piece of land to build on, fulfilling my wish of living in my own house. Unfortunately, I didn't have the means to do so until GiveDirectly's support made it possible. I used my first transfer to buy building materials, and with my next transfer, I plan to build a house and fulfill my dream of having my own home, ensuring my children have shelter without having to worry."

"My plan was to sell my goat to cover the cost of leasing land and transplanting my vegetable seedlings. Instead, I received my transfer from GiveDirectly, which not only facilitated these expenses but also allowed me to buy an additional goat. This was truly a blessing. Thank you, GiveDirectly."

"It was on a Sunday afternoon when my friend and I were coming back from church. She received a message from GiveDirectly confirming that she had received her transfer. She was very happy and excited, but I told her that I was behind during enrollment and mine would come in August. As we continued walking home, my husband called to ask about the cash, but I told him ours would come in August. However, just 10 minutes later, my phone vibrated, and sure enough, it was the cash from GiveDirectly! I immediately called my husband back to tell him that the money had arrived. We shared a moment of happiness and decided that we would buy sheep since we didn’t have any."

"It was a very fine Sunday afternoon, and I was just resting at home with my children when my phone vibrated with a message. When I checked, I saw it was an M-Pesa message, but I didn’t think much of it because I wasn’t expecting the GiveDirectly money yet, having just been enrolled a week before. Later, I went to fetch water at the nearby borehole and overheard some women discussing the arrival of the money. I joined in the conversation, feeling both excited and happy, knowing that I could finally repair my toilet, which had sunk after being swept away by floods."

"On Sunday afternoon, as I was lying outside my house, feeling very sick and ill, I received a message on my phone. I didn’t bother to check it at first, but when I woke up around 5 PM, I went to my neighbor's house to ask her to read the message for me, as I am illiterate and cannot read. When I got there, she confirmed that it was from GiveDirectly. I became very happy and returned home to prepare my good clothes, so I could go to the hospital for treatment the following morning."

"I was at my farm around 3 PM on Sunday, looking after my maize crop. I was sitting under a tree, scrolling through my phone, when a message popped up. At first, I thought someone had sent me money by mistake, as it didn’t show up as received from GiveDirectly; instead, it mentioned something about "technologies." As I continued to ponder this, my son called and asked if I had received money from GiveDirectly. I told him I had received money but not from GiveDirectly. He insisted that it was indeed from GiveDirectly, and when I realized he was right, I became very happy. Since I had initially planned to purchase sheep, that dream finally came true as I went to buy them the following day."

"Before I received the money from GiveDirectly, I was severely affected by floods. The floods destroyed my entire maize farm, which I had been eagerly waiting to harvest, and took away all 14 of my chickens. I felt so embarrassed because I had been relying on that maize to sell and pay for my children's school fees. But I am deeply grateful to GiveDirectly because the money I received became a source of hope in my life. My children had accumulated huge arrears at school and had been in and out of school every term. Now, I thank God because they are peacefully studying, and for the younger ones, there is enough food at home when they return from school in the afternoon."

"When I received the unconditional cash transfer, the first thing I did was use $70 to buy a new bed and mattress. You see, when the floods came, our home was badly affected, and we lost nearly everything, including our bed and mattress. We had no choice but to rely on the mats we had received from the Red Cross. Having a proper bed again has made a world of difference, providing us with a comfortable place to sleep. Next, I bought three plastic chairs for $21 so my family and I could have somewhere decent to sit. Before the cash transfer, we used to sit on plastic containers, which wasn’t ideal, especially when we had guests. Now, we have proper chairs, which has brought a bit more dignity to our home. With $8, I was also able to buy a new school uniform for my son. His old uniform was swept away during the floods, and I didn’t want him to go to school without proper attire. I then used $30 to buy clothes for my children and myself since our clothing was also lost in the floods. It was important to have something to change into. The remaining $30 went toward buying household food items, which helped us get through the weeks after the disaster. I saved the little that was left to cover any emergencies, like buying milk or other food items. Having this cash transfer has helped me rebuild and provide some comfort for my family during a very difficult time."