"Later this year, I have the goal of acquiring my own motorcycle. Currently, I am running this business while being employed by a friend on a commission basis. However, with the rising cost of living, this income is no longer sufficient as I am responsible for paying my siblings' school fees and taking care of my mother. Therefore, I am saving every transfer I receive with the aim of purchasing a motorcycle soon. Once I achieve this goal, it will be a great relief. I will have full control over my earnings and will be able to support my family without the constant struggle I have faced. Additionally, I plan to save for the future, including for my upcoming nuclear family."

"Towards the end of this year, I have set a significant goal: to continue raising goats on my homestead. Currently, I own nine goats, and I aim to double this number, with the ultimate goal of selling them to purchase a dairy cow. Achieving this milestone will be a significant accomplishment, as it will open up opportunities to generate income for my family through milk sales. I plan to use the upcoming transfers to facilitate this expansion of my livestock. I am confident that once this plan succeeds, I will no longer have to worry about school fees, which have been a constant source of stress for me for some time now."

"Now that my previous goal of building a permanent house is almost complete, I have two new goals to accomplish. First, I need to ensure that all six of my children receive a quality education by making sure that their school fees are always covered, as this has been a challenge in the past. To achieve this, I plan to save a portion of the upcoming transfers so that when the fees are due, I won’t have to struggle to pay. I believe that obtaining a basic education will lead to a successful future for my children, unlike myself, who never had the opportunity to attend school. My second goal is to start keeping goats toward the end of this year. These goats will serve as a financial safety net in case of emergencies. I can sell them when needed to address urgent situations without having to borrow money. This will ensure that I have enough resources to meet my needs on time."

"I lost my one and a half acre piece of land due to the submergence by Lake Baringo's waters, which was our sole source of income for the family. Now, I am heavily reliant on selling groceries to meet my family's daily needs and cover school fees."

"I used my second transfer to build a house for my children. Our main house is a one-room slope-roof house, but I still feel the space is limited. My husband and I sleep in the house, but when we have visitors, it becomes a nightmare. If the visitor is a woman, she has to sleep with the children, and if it’s a man, I have to sleep with the children while he shares the room with my husband. This arrangement can be hectic, so I’m planning to construct an additional room when I get the money. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do so and relieve myself of the stress."

"Our greatest challenge currently is a lack of money. We only depend on casual work which is very difficult to get. Because of this we have a lack of money for basic needs and also to pay for our children's school fees. It saddens me so much whenever we have to ask our neighbors for support."

"Culturally, only a last born son is allowed to build a house within the parents homestead. My father's land is now smaller due to expansion of Lake Baringo. We've only been left with a small space which our parents now reside. I was not allowed to build a better house due to culture. I reside with my wife here temporarily as I seek funds to purchase a place of my own. Lack of land to build, has affected my ability to give my family a better place to call home. We're also worried, since the rains have caused the Lake to move closer to our current home. I don't know where we'll go if it submerged our house."

"I am grateful for the support I received from GiveDirectly. Recently, I received $450 and decided to invest $100 in buying two goats, increasing my herd to ten. I see this as a long-term investment, both for generating income and as a safety net in case of emergencies. I also used $50 to pay school fees and buy uniforms for one of my two children to ensure their education continued without interruption. The remaining $290 was allocated to farming. I bought tomato seeds and planted them, hopeful for a good harvest. Unfortunately, the recent floods that hit my village swept away my farm just as I was about to harvest. Although this was a setback, I have accepted it and remain determined to return to farming shortly, this time on safer ground away from the risk of floods."

"Two years ago, I started constructing a three-room block house. It's still in the early stages, but unfortunately, I couldn’t continue due to a lack of finances. I am now waiting for my children to gather the funds to help me complete the house. I am looking forward to having this house because ants are very destructive in our area. The house I currently live in has been damaged by ants to the point where it leaks when it rains. With the block house, I wouldn’t have to worry about termites anymore."

"GiveDirectly made their own independent judgments about who should receive support. They didn't just hand out money blindly—they took the time to ask us questions, ensuring that those who were truly in need would benefit from the program. I appreciated how they made their decisions based on facts, not rumors, and how they respected our dignity by engaging with us directly. Their advice was also invaluable. They didn't just give us money and leave us to figure it out; they offered practical suggestions on how to spend it wisely, helping us to make the most out of the opportunity. However, I think there’s one area where GiveDirectly could improve: a bit more sympathy could go a long way. While their approach was thorough and fair, at times it felt a bit too tough, as it left out some other people who were also deserving of the money. Overall, though, I am deeply grateful for the difference GiveDirectly has made in our lives."