"I remember attending a prayer day for my cousin who was about to sit for his final exams, and during the event, I overheard some of my fellow villagers talking excitedly about receiving money from GiveDirectly. I hadn't checked my phone yet because it was out of charge, so I tried not to think too much about it, but the curiosity nagged at me. As soon as I got home, I immediately plugged in my phone and waited anxiously for it to charge. When I finally switched it on, to my utter surprise, the money was there! I was so overwhelmed with joy because I finally knew I could buy goats and some furniture. The relief that washed over me in that moment was indescribable; I felt like a burden had been lifted, and I could finally plan for a better future."

"It was my neighbor who first informed me about the news from GiveDirectly. Since I am older and cannot read messages on my phone, I quickly went to my son, who is also my helper. As soon as he saw me, he told me that I had received $200 from GiveDirectly. Overcome with gratitude, I knelt to thank God. When asked why, I explained that it was because of my happiness and relief, as we had been starving without food after the floods destroyed our farms. Now, I finally have enough to eat. With nothing else on my mind, I focused on buying food to end the hunger that had affected me and my husband."

"The biggest difference in my life now is the sense of peace I enjoy. Previously, I was always worried about where to find the next coin for food and other household needs. Now, I have enough food to eat, and I feel confident welcoming and serving visitors when they come. I also have a bed and mattress that I bought with the GiveDirectly money, which has been especially helpful after the floods that swept away our household items, including bedding. I now sleep peacefully and comfortably, thanks to GiveDirectly. I am deeply grateful for the positive impact they have had on my life."

"After receiving $200 from GiveDirectly, I had already planned how to use the money. One of my biggest priorities was to transform my home from the old manyatta to a more modern one. I used $78 to buy iron sheets and am now waiting for the subsequent transfers to purchase more construction materials. This will allow me to build a bigger house that will be enough for me and my four kids. Another challenge I faced was paying school fees, especially with the balance for my school-going children. I spent $15 to clear the fees and buy learning materials to ensure that my kids' education continues uninterrupted. As a farmer, the floods had disrupted our normal life, so I wanted to get back to farming. I spent $50 to lease 0.5 acres of land, where I plan to plant maize. This will ensure that we have enough food at home, and I plan to sell the surplus to start a small business that will help sustain my family even after GiveDirectly's support ends. I used the rest of the money to buy food for my family because, during this time, it was hard to find any casual job opportunities to earn money for food. This has really helped me, as I no longer have to overwork myself, and I’ve been able to take a few rest days knowing that we have enough food at home."

"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."

"When I received the cash transfer, the first thing I did was allocate $96 to repair my motorbike. It had been lying useless and was in dire need of maintenance, and since I rely on it to transport vegetables from my farm to the market, it was essential to get it fixed. Without it, I couldn't efficiently take my produce to sell, nor could I transport my maize to the designated drying area. With the repairs done, I could continue my work without disruptions, ensuring that I made the most out of my harvests. I then used $40 to pay for my daughter’s school fees in Grade 6 and attends a boarding school. With this payment, I could focus on other pressing needs without worrying about her education being interrupted. It gave me peace of mind knowing that she could continue her studies without any financial hiccups. Lastly, I spent $13 on sacks needed for maize harvesting. These sacks are crucial for storing the maize safely and preventing any post harvest losses. After that, I used the remaining money to pay for labor during the maize harvesting process. Hiring help was necessary to ensure that the harvesting was done efficiently and timely. The cash transfer helped me manage these essential tasks, which are vital for my family’s well-being."