"I was at home with my neighbor, who also happens to be my helper when a message popped up on my phone. Since I was older and couldn’t read the message myself, I asked my helper to check it. It was at that moment that he informed me I had received $180 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy and full of gratitude to GiveDirectly. My immediate thought was about how I could transform my life. I had been sleeping on the floor with makeshift bedding, so I decided to buy a mattress and a comfortable bed so that I could finally enjoy a good night's sleep."

"After receiving the $200, I was excited and thankful to GiveDirectly. Since I was expecting the money, I had already planned how to spend it, and I stuck to my plan. I have two children in secondary school, but one has a scholarship, so my main concern at that time was paying school fees for my other child. I used $50 to clear this term's fees, which means I don't have to worry about school fees until the next term. I also used $82 to buy iron sheets to build a new house. During the floods that hit our village, my house was severely damaged, and I'm currently living in a temporary shelter. I hope to use the next transfers from GiveDirectly to buy more construction materials to complete this project. Additionally, during the floods, there were no jobs, and our farms were swept away, leading to a big problem with food in my household. I used the rest of the money to buy food to ensure we had enough at home. Now, we have food, and this has brought a lot more joy to my family’s life"

"Every mother strives to work hard and provide the best life possible for their family. Unfortunately, this is not the case for me. I am currently struggling to put food on the table and buy my family other basic needs such as bedding and clothes. This is embarrassing and it is slowly killing my ambition as a father. I was optimistic about having a bumper harvest last season on my one acre of land. My crops were not spared by the April flash floods. I managed to harvest one bag of maize and this was the biggest loss that I had experienced."

"Before receiving transfers from GiveDirectly, my children used to sleep on the floor on mats, which was very risky due to crawling creatures like snakes that sometimes made their way into the house. The worst part was when water came into the house, they were the first to be affected since they were lying on the floor. But now, thanks to the support, they sleep on a bed, and I am so relieved that they are warm, safe from water, and no longer at risk from those dangerous animals. My living room is also more welcoming and spacious because I bought new cushions and the room was made bigger."

"I used to work as a field officer with Moving the Game Post before I became pregnant. The nature of my job made it challenging to continue working while expecting. During that time, I was earning $180, and with my husband working as a taxi driver, we were living comfortably. After successfully giving birth, my husband insisted that I stay home to care for our young child, this changed everything. Now, with his income of up to $5 per day, it has become difficult to meet our basic needs, such as food."

"It was around 3 pm, and I was out in the field watering my maize when I heard my phone beep with a message notification. Curious, I pulled it out to check, and to my surprise, I saw that the transfers from GiveDirectly had come through. The joy I felt at that moment was indescribable—I immediately rushed to tell my wife, and she was just as thrilled as I was. I knew then that I could finally repair my motorbike, which would make it so much easier to transport our maize to the designated drying area while we waited for the Kenya Seed Company to come and collect it."

"As the head of our polygamous family, my current challenge revolves around maintaining harmony and order within our two households. It's a well-known saying that "two bulls cannot sleep in the same cow shed," and this has been quite evident since I married my two wives. In an effort to foster peace and tranquility, I made a significant decision in 2022. I purchased two plots of land, each worth $75, in different locations to accommodate my wives. One of the plots is in Roka, while the other is in Fumbini, specifically in Seahorse village near Kilifi town. This decision has resulted in me living in a separate location, leaving me feeling quite lonely. Since I can't visit their homesteads frequently due to the associated expenses, I rely on phone communication, as my income from masonry jobs in neighboring villages isn't sufficient to afford frequent visits."

"I have been longing to have a water tap installed in my compound for a long time. It was very expensive to buy and the available water sources were quite a distance away. Carrying water was a challenge for me due to my health condition, which prevented me from carrying heavy things. I had to hire someone or wait for my children to come from school to help me carry the water. This was difficult for me, and since I didn't have the financial resources to install a water tap, I had to pay dearly for all this. When I received my first transfer, my priority was to have the water tap installed, so I spent $410 on buying the pipes, and meter, and covering the labour costs. Now, water is readily available and I no longer incur the costs of buying and carrying it. I also plan to buy good storage to sell the water, which will help me earn some money to meet my basic needs. Additionally, I paid school fees for four children, totalling $75, and they are now able to attend school without any interruptions due to fees. I also renovated my toilet's roof with a new iron roof, which cost $20. Finally, I spent the remaining amount on buying household items that I lacked and a new wooden table, which has improved my quality of life."

"My goal is to have cows in the coming year. I have bought 3 goats so far, 4 ducks and 6 chicken which I have all gotten thanks to the transfers. My plan is to build this number to be able to exchange them for cows. I cow can be bought for the price of six goats. I believe animals are a good place to start with investments that will ensure I educate my children and feed them"

"I was blessed with five children, though I got married as the third wife to a teacher who was close to retirement. Shortly after my third-born child started secondary school, their father retired, and that’s when the real struggle began. Covering their school fees has been a significant challenge, as the pension isn't enough to meet all our needs. While my two eldest sons were fortunate enough to complete their education, the younger ones have been facing ongoing difficulties with school fees. Ensuring that all my children receive an education is the biggest challenge I am currently facing."