"When I received the first transfer from GiveDirectly, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude. Without hesitation, I used the funds to purchase a sack of dry maize grains for my family of seven for $63. It had been a difficult time for us as we were solely reliant on small-scale farming, which was severely affected by the ongoing drought. We had been buying food at a very high cost, and it had been straining our finances. I also headed to the nearby shop and cleared a $50 debt that had been accumulating from our previous purchases. It was a relief to have it off our backs. Additionally, I put $40 towards my son's secondary school tuition fees, and I also sent him $7 for his upkeep. I spent the remaining amount on other household goods. As a full-time pastor at two nearby churches, I am grateful for the monthly service pay as an expression of appreciation by the church leadership, which has been a great help in providing for my family."

"There are so many things that I wish to have accomplished in the coming years a beyond. However, my most pressing concerns right now include securing a bed and mattress, buying goats, and expanding my house with one more room. I feel like after many years of sleeping on a sisal-twined bed, it’s high time that I upgraded it to a wooden one plus a mattress. After that is accomplished, I plan to extend a room to my house to accommodate my three grandchildren. We currently share a space and it does not feel right given the age difference. Also, I wish to own more goats than the three that I acquired using previous transfers. After the transfer ceases, I believe that I will have grown substantial wealth through livestock keeping that will help support the needs of my family."

"For the past few months, I have been sleeping on a broken bed. The more I sleep on it, the more it becomes wobbly, which scares me as it may completely disintegrate one day and probably hurt me. Besides, sleeping under such conditions is uncomfortable. I would love to obtain another bed in the near future. After that, I wish to secure livestock such as goats and chickens for rearing purposes only. Since I cannot actively work at my old age, keeping livestock will help me build wealth at the very least and allow me to support the needs of my family."

"The most significant shift in our life now is that we are able to eat at least three meals a day, compared to having one or no meals at all at times in the past. We are also fortunate to be able to pay hospital bills comfortably without being frustrated and anxious about it every day. Give Directly transfers have undoubtedly increased the happiness and harmony in my household."

"I am so grateful to have received unconditional funds, which have made a significant impact on my life. With the transfers I was able to address some of the most pressing needs for myself and my family. Firstly, I knew that water is essential, especially in the dry season when water is scarce. Therefore, I used $ 150 to purchase two water tanks with a capacity of 5000 liters each, as well as pipes and gutters. This has made it much easier to collect and store water, which has been a great relief for my family and me. I used $ 100 to buy food for my family. We had been struggling to make ends meet, and this came at a time when we needed it most. I was able to purchase enough food to last us for a while, which has been a significant relief. Lastly, I had been struggling with an old car that had been giving me a lot of trouble. With $ 200, I decided to repair the car, and it is now running smoothly. This has been a significant relief, especially since I use the car to travel to work every day and use it for taxi business at times."

"My goal now is to seek specialised medical services that can help me overcome my epileptic condition that has persisted for years. I am even afraid of engaging myself in some beneficial activities because of this condition. My parents were unable to meet the expenses for the frequent check-ups but ever since I began receiving the money, I have been treated well and on time, and my prayer is that before the project comes to an end, I will have recovered."

"I currently do not have a new goal besides using the transfers on meeting my basic needs like food. I am relying on the monthly transfers to do a shopping of adequate foodstuffs every month that can last for weeks. I am also doing farming which I believe if I succeed to have a good harvest, I will be able to channel my transfers to other ventures like buying livestock such as goats to keep in my homestead."

"I am now able to adequately provide for my family because of the transfers. Since I do not have a source of income to depend on or someone to support me, the transfers are my only hope. I am now cultivating and I believe that when I successfully get a good harvest, which will ensure I have adequate food in my household, I will be able to invest the money in other avenues, like buying livestock."

"When I enrolled in the program, my family and I had a list of priorities that we wanted to tackle with our first transfer. Our top priorities were purchasing goats, paying for school fees, and ensuring we had enough food for our household. However, due to a severe drought that had destroyed vegetation, we had to change our plans. Although I had been rearing goats for three years, I could not add any more to the herd, as there was no food for them to eat. Instead, I spent $124 on purchasing food for my family of four, paid $50 for my son's secondary school fees, and set aside only $30 to purchase one goat to add to the herd. Thankfully, after buying one, it is doing well, and the entire herd has been crucial in supplementing our subsistence farming income. Whenever we need to pay for school fees or purchase food, we can sell a goat. I am grateful for the support and looking forward to the second transfer, which I plan to use in purchasing more goats, now that we have received some rain, as well as to address other projects on our list."