"The moment I received my transfer, I decided to go get a land where I will do farming. I really thought hard and came back with that great idea of having a land to grow vegetables and sell some and eat what I harvest. After purchasing the land, I went ahead and I bought a bed and a big mattress where my children can comfortably sleep and have a good sleep not like the way they used to sleep. This will really improve how they relate with people and with good sleep their health will improve. I also stocked food for them to make them happy and enjoy the blessings that we got from above."

"Even though we had not planned for any emergencies, I am grateful that the first transfer arrived when we needed to take our son to the hospital for a dental problem. We sought a good hospital that we believed would provide the best services at reasonable prices because he was in pain. The entire process cost us $200, and I am relieved that the problem has been resolved and my son is now safe. I also enrolled in tailoring school after paying a $20 registration fee and still owe $180 to finish the course. I am excited to learn skills that will be useful in the future. I also spent $80 on new clothes for my three primary school children, $4000 on a visit to my parents' house, and the remainder on food for my family of six. My husband works in administration and has been extremely helpful with bill payments. He was also grateful for the support because we could handle all of the plans together."

"I have a family of four, and living in a single house requires us to share the available resources. My husband and I had been sharing a single bed that was too small for our child. We were relieved to receive the first transfer because we had to spend $130 on a larger bed and a mattress large enough for the two of us. I am relieved that my child, who had previously slept on the floor, is now using the old bed we had been using. I also spent $250 on four goats, which I intend to breed and sell in the future, when my children are in school. I also spent $65 on maize, which my family of three is currently eating. It feels good to be able to eat three meals per day, as opposed to only one meal per day previously. Initially, I ran a small food business alongside fruit vending and moved from location to location in search of customers. I saved the remainder and have been using it to replenish the household's supplies and source new goods for my business."

"We were notified of the possible date for receiving the transfers after GiveDirectly officers enrolled us in the program. I could not leave my phone behind in the second week of December, and not a single message came in without me checking it. I was overjoyed when I finally received a Mpesa message that I confirmed was from GiveDirectly. I was in a planning meeting for one of my neighbors' wedding at the time, and most of the people in attendance had received the same news. Everyone wanted to notify their respective families, so we had to stop everything we were doing to celebrate the good news first. I got a call from my spouse, who had heard the news as well, and since he was at my co-wife's house, he had to ask me about it. When I told him the news, he was equally excited and promised to come home later because we weren't finished with the planning yet."

"My older child recently completed grade 8 exams and will begin secondary school this month, while my younger child will begin pre-school classes at a nearby early childhood development education center. Paying their school fees may be difficult, but I hope to raise enough money through my current business to keep them in school."

"On the 14th of December, around 4:00pm, I received a message from GiveDirectly that I did not recognize at first. After reading it, the amount indicated matched what I expected from GiveDirectly. When I noticed this, I was overjoyed because it meant that my plans were about to come true. I added to the excitement by informing the other family members, who were also overjoyed, and collecting the money two days later when I was ready to spend it."

"The biggest contrast between now and before is that my business is now stable as compared to when it almost collapsed because of a lack of capital. All credit goes to GiveDirectly for enabling me to achieve this feat. I can now guarantee my family's income as the business is my only investment that caters to my family's upkeep."

"On that particular day, at around 4 pm, I received a message from GiveDirectly on my phone. I was attending a neighbor's wedding committee meeting when I got it and could hardly wait to see what it was all about. I was overwhelmed with joy after confirming that I had received the initial $550 from GiveDirectly. The excitement on my face was palpable as I made my way back home hurriedly to give the good news to my family."

"I am happy to report that, when compared to the time before I received my transfers, my life has significantly improved. My family was used to sleeping on an empty stomach two days a week. I didn't make enough money through my business of selling charcoal to provide for my family's needs. Looking at my body, I can say with confidence that I have put on a little weight as a result of my improved diet thanks to the money from the transfers. Because there is food available in plenty, my family members are no longer depressed."

"It was at around 7 pm when I have gone to mourn with my brother after losing his child at his place when a message popped into my phone. After checking to see what it was all about, I found out that it was the first transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt relieved because my brother had earlier informed me that he did not have any money for expenses and the same was applying to me. I felt God had sent an angel to see us through the difficult situation."