"GiveDirectly did an outstanding job in our village, particularly because the transfer was unconditional and we were not restricted in our spending choices. Knowing that the transfers are not credit has given us the confidence to invest in projects without expecting a return. The personnel or the information we received in the initial meetings have not changed. The staff is always respectful when they visit our homes and even when they call; this makes us feel at ease asking questions whenever something is unclear. I am confident that if the same strategy were applied in other villages, the same impressive results would be obtained."

"The transfers from GiveDirectly allowed me to add an extra 3 acres to the existing 2 acres I already had. I procured 2 female goats, of whom one has been bred and given birth to twins already. My wife being a house manager in Mombasa and with me tilling the land and growing trees to sell, the $80 she earns as a salary, added to what I make still made it a struggle to cover school fees for our kids. As such, a chunk of the funds went to paying my 3rd born $8 a month tuition, my 4th born $6 a month and my 5th born $5 in tuition fees for their Grades 7, 5 and 3 attendance , respectively, at Mbonga Primary. Without the assistance of GiveDirectly it would have been impossible to meet these fees. At least nowadays when my wife visits every 3 months we have something to celebrate, thanks to the progress we have made,thanks to the GiveDirectly funds."

"The list of things I did with the transfers from GiveDirectly were quite diverse. I paid school fees, bought 2 female goats, extended my chicken coup and bought food for stocking up in the house. My husband works in clearing and forwarding, all the way in Canada. He comes every 7 years and while I keep layers and sell a crate of eggs for $4.5 and also till the land and harvest maize, beans and other cereals. The 60 chicken on the 3 acre farm I till, were the only source of income to cater for my bills such as the tuition fees for my second child in Timbilahai Secondary, which is $230. Thank God my eldest is a casual laborer in Vipingo and has a family of his own. With only one dependent, the funds were a welcome blessing to helping us achieve our goals."

"My greatest wish would be to have a minimart shop as well as a grocery store or two. I would sell dry food and house utilities such as tissue, salt, candles etc, while the veggie stores would be bananas,apples, melon etc. With the additional income, I can hopefully secure a better future for my children"

"GiveDirectly make dreams come true. The fact that they offered these funds and need nothing in return, is a testimony to just how big their hearts are. I would pray that they continue to bless countless others as they have done us"

"My lifelong dream is to one day open a mini-mart and sell dry foods to the community. I'm excited at the thought of one day being able to support my family from the sales of soap, tissues, and flour, amongst other things, that I will be selling. My future goal is to eventually just give my kids a better life than my husband and I have had."

"I have a lot of goals but how can I accomplish them without money ? As I said earlier , I live at my parents' home and its so stressful . I hope to buy a piece of land build a house there and just relocate . This would require approximately $1,000 . Since I'm now expectant , I would also hope to start a small business but I do not know where to get this money from ."

"Being a subsistence farmer in an area where drought can persist for a whole year means a lot of stress. I am currently depending on my husband who is a security guard and his monthly income is $80, an income that can not fully cater to all our basic needs like food and school fees. This means we sometimes survive on one meal a day and my children have frequently missed classes, a situation that has directly affected their performances. Therefore, I consider the financial crisis as my biggest challenge."

"Taking care of my family of 11 members is a big burden to me because it requires a lot of effort to provide all the basic needs. Considering the nature of jobs in our area being casual and energy-intensive, my charcoal and manganese work never earn me much, usually $40 per month. This means my husband also have to go extra mile in his casual jobs to supplement the income. Due to this challenge, my children have been missing classes and forfeiting some meals, a situation that has affected their studies. Therefore, I consider financial instability as my biggest challenge."

"Lack of a stable source of income is the biggest challenge that I am currently facing. At the moment, I do some casual jobs such as laundry services for my neighbor who pays me utmost $3, which is not on a daily basis. This means on some days, I stay idle at home and depend on my husband who works as a taxi driver. Since his income is also not reliable, I sometimes feel so bad seeing my children forfeiting meals on some days, a situation that has robbed away my joy as a mother."