"Upon receiving the money, I first opted to build a kitchen. I decided so because I used to cook outside which was tricky and pathetic during the rainy season. Therefore, I bought 14 pieces of iron sheets for $112 and $49 for the building poles, rafters, and nails. The kitchen will be of great help to me, especially during the rainy season. Thereafter, I bought my helper a bed and a mattress for $120 since she used to sleep on the floor something that did not give me peace of mind. I also paid $100 school fees for my five primary school children so that they may be retained in school. Using the remaining amount, I bought a window for my house costing $35, and I added the stock to my fishmongering business as well as buying some food for my family."

"Initially, my living condition was pathetic. Getting some food was a big challenge. I had to look for casual labor, make charcoals and fetch some firewood for sale; it was tiresome. Currently, I took a break from these kinds of work and I get enough food unlike before because of the transfer I got from GiveDirectly. In addition to that, I managed to construct a new house at a good strategic place where I will not be bothered by running rain water any more even if it rains heavily. I give my gratitude to GiveDirectly for seeing me through this situation."

"Upon getting the first transfer, I had already planned how to spend the money. Renovating my house was the priority. Since it was a mud-walled house, the poles had been damaged by termites and I wanted to build some pillars all around the house to make it firmer. Therefore, when I withdrew the money, I bought 12 bags of cement for $78, hard corals plus transport for $60, and the labor cost was $56. Thereafter, I decided to settle some school fee arrears for my four primary school children. In that case, I paid $76. As of now, they have cleared all the arrears plus the current term fees. I also opted to buy a grill door for my house for security purposes. The door cost $70. After that, I bought a mattress for $55 and two bales of maize flour for $48. I did this to ensure there is food security at home. Using the remaining amount, I bought five goats to kick-start a livestock farming investment. I opted to invest in goats because they are cheaper compared to cows and they have ready markets."

"What an evening it was to a divorced mother of eight children! It was around 4 pm when I was almost closing my tailoring business to leave for home to hook up with my children in time before it was too late I received a message on my phone. I immediately checked before closing. In my astonishment, my eyes reflected on a huge figure of $550. There and then, my senses came back and remembered that GiveDirectly had promised us the same. Due to happiness, I did not read to the end of the message since I knew it was from GiveDirectly. I left for home full of strength forgetting the day's stress that I had gone through."

"It was around 9 am, and I had taken the goats out for grazing when I received an SMS. I didn’t bother to check and confirm what it was all about since I could not read and write. I am one of those who were not lucky to go to school. I kept my calm and went back home when I asked my son to confirm if it could be a message from GiveDirectly. The whole village had been anxiously waiting for the transfers within that time of the month as we had been advised. So true, it was a message from Mpesa that GiveDirectly had sent transfers. We were so excited, I could not hide my joy. I was the first person within our extended family to have received the transfer."

"I am a farmer, but because of the drought, we don't have enough food to sustain us. This year, I want to start a business to provide me with a second source of income. I've already picked out the location where I want to build a kiosk and sell "chapati" and tea. It is a business that moves quickly and doesn't need a lot of capital to get started. I hope to have begun it in five months and then increase it with the transfers I will be receiving in the upcoming months. It will be easier for us to meet our family necessities due to the profits from it."

"We have been using some old garments on the floor as bedding because we were unable to acquire suitable bedding due to the financial difficulties we were experiencing. Sleeping on the ground is uncomfortable and unhealthy, especially given the regular physical aches we get when we wake up in the morning. Consequently, I want to do better at sleeping this year. In order to accomplish this, I will set up money each month in order to purchase a bed, mattress, and blanket before the end of the year. After accomplishing this, hopefully, I'll start buying hens to raise and eventually sell to raise money for our family's daily expenses."

"I want to transform my enterprise from its current state as a retail store into a wholesale store by the end of the year. To do this, I've already started setting aside $20 each month in a savings group with 25 other people, where members rotate receiving shares on a monthly basis. I'm hoping to use the $500 in shares I'll receive by December to accomplish the goal. With wholesale, I will have a wider selection of goods, which will appeal to more consumers, resulting in greater sales and, consequently, higher income."

"The two biggest issues I'm now facing and hope to resolve by the end of the year are food insecurity and a nicer home. I live in a one-room, mud-walled house with grass thatch roof. Due to the current drought, there is a current shortage of grass, and the few that are available are exceedingly expensive, just like food. I used to be able to sell charcoal for less money because it was my only source of income. I won't be eager to sell them now that I have the monthly funds as extra income. I'll be transporting them out from the village to other markets where the prices are good and burning them in large quantities instead. While the monthly transfers will mostly be used to pay for food and school expenditures, the earnings I will receive from the charcoal will be utilized to support the construction of a new house."

"My main priority is making sure my children can continue their education, especially since they frequently get kicked out of school when I don't pay the fees. That is why I intend to use this year's transfers to try and pay off the remaining sum on the fees my children will owe. Additionally, using the money I continue to get from the organization, I have so far been able to purchase three goats. So I'll be purchasing a few more. Atop my list of priorities is finding nutrition, especially now that starvation has been caused by  bad harvest due to a drought."