"I was at home in the afternoon, going about my daily activities and planning to visit my neighbor, when I received an M-Pesa message confirming that I had received $200 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy and immediately informed the rest of my family about the good news. This money was a complete surprise because I was not expecting to receive it so soon. My first thought was to address the food needs in my home and to pay the remaining school fees for two of my children."

"My goal in the coming year and beyond is to save enough money to purchase more livestock. Despite the huge responsibilities I have in financing my children's education, I am hopeful that I will be able to purchase more livestock with my savings. Even after the financial aid comes to an end, I will look back and be proud that I invested well. I will have an avenue to raise some income by selling some of the livestock and using the money to take care of my family. I am very happy and grateful for the financial support so far in helping me live a better life."

"Having enhanced the lighting in my house by purchasing the solar lighting system, my goal in the coming year and beyond is to purchase new furniture for my house. Currently, my house does not have enough furniture. Every time I have visitors, I am forced to borrow chairs and tables from my neighbors. To avoid this, I plan to purchase six plastic chairs and a table. These will allow me to comfortably host visitors and offer them a place to sit and rest. I am very happy with the financial support that has made my life better, and I look forward to achieving this goal to further improve our living conditions."

"My biggest challenge currently is the lack of money. We depend solely on casual work and livestock which gives us little for us to sustain our daily lives. However, I have always sought to do farming but my biggest challenge has been getting enough money to do so. I see this as my biggest challenge because I'm unable to progress in life and I feel I'm stuck in my current state. I feel I can do better but I don't have the ability to do so because I lack the resources which makes my life very difficult. I'm unable to provide my children with all their needs which really stresses me."

"Two months ago, we were displaced by floods and we lost everything we had in the house. We sought refuge at a relatives place in the next village and we are currently rebuilding our lives again. It has not been easy to relocate to another place as it drains both mentally and financially."

"I am a casual laborer and I had gone out as usual to look for work to support my family. I managed to secure a job tapping wine from a neighbor's palm trees. As I was almost done in the evening, I received a notification on my phone. When I read the contents, I realized that it was the message I had been waiting for! I had finally received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy and the thought of being able to build a house made me even happier!"

"The high cost of living has made it difficult to educate our two children in secondary and university. Since their early days in school until now, I've been depending on selling goats. This has depleted my stock leading to difficulty. Nowadays, I depend on neighbors and other relatives to raise school fees through community fundraising. It's also hard mobilizing people and getting enough money to pay for my children's education. It has affected me and I am worried about their future."

"My primary goal for the coming months is to renovate my house before it collapses. The stress of having a wall on the verge of falling has been overwhelming, especially given my current financial difficulties. To address this, I plan to use the savings from my monthly cash transfers, along with the modest profits from my small business, to fund the necessary repairs. I am hopeful that by the end of the year, possibly by October, I will be able to secure and stabilize our home, providing much-needed peace of mind for my family. I will be immensely relieved and happy as a mother once these renovations are complete, knowing that my children will be safe and comfortable."

"My main goal for this year is to renovate my house by installing a new metal door. The current wooden door is old, damaged by worms, and lacks stability, which makes me anxious about security, especially when I'm away from home. I constantly worry about the safety of my property, but a new metal door will alleviate this concern. While it might seem like a simple fix, it holds significant meaning for me. With the help of the monthly transfers, I am confident that I can purchase and install the new door by the end of the year. This will bring me peace of mind and restore my sense of security."

"In the coming days, months, and beyond, my primary dream is to expand my sources of income by acquiring more goats. Currently, I run a fish-selling business, which sustains my family's needs and serves as our main source of income. By diversifying with more goats, I aim to ensure that I can continue to provide for my family's well-being without worrying about sudden financial setbacks. To make this dream a reality, I plan to use the transfers and my savings from the business. Once I succeed in growing my goat herd, I will be in a much stronger position to provide for my family."