"The current condition of my house is giving me sleepless nights as I fear for the safety of my family members. My goal is to have a new two-roomed house built and ready for occupation by the end of August. I have completed the purchase of new building poles. Now, I plan to save the amount from my next transfer to pay the mason, who is demanding $100 to build the entire house. I am hopeful that I will achieve this goal soon. Once completed, my family will be safe, and I will no longer have to worry about their safety. I am very appreciative of the financial transfers so far."

"My house developed serious cracks at the beginning of June this year and is on the verge of collapsing. My accomplishment in the coming year and beyond is to swiftly build a new two-roomed house that will accommodate all nine members of my family. This month, I spent a portion of the transfer to purchase building poles. I will continue to purchase all the necessary building materials and then immediately commence construction. I am very appreciative of the financial transfers so far, as they are helping me live a better life with my family."

"With my current health condition, I am limited in what I can do for myself. To ensure my health improves, I plan to use my subsequent transfers to get good treatment. This money will cover my transportation costs to and from home, purchase medicinal drugs, and pay for any medical checks requested by the doctor. I am happy that my children, who I currently depend on financially, do not feel overburdened by my needs, thanks to the financial support from the transfers. Once my health improves, I will be able to give more priority to other goals I have."

"The biggest difference since I started receiving GiveDirectly transfers is the ability to address sanitation issues. When floods hit our area, our family toilet was destroyed, making it hard to cope and putting us at risk of diseases and discomfort. Thanks to the transfers, I was able to build a new toilet, eliminating the risk of hygiene-related diseases. The transfers also helped me rescue my farm, which was on the verge of complete damage. By buying fertilizer, I was able to recover the crops. Now, I am looking forward to a good harvest that will provide food for my family and allow me to sell the surplus to pay for school fees."

"I sold my thirty bags of maize to facilitate planting tomatoes on my one-acre land, utilizing the money for land preparation, seeds, and planting. Maintaining tomato plants is quite expensive because you have to spray them frequently to prevent pests and blight; otherwise, you lose your crops. Since I didn't have any other source of income apart from crop farming and livestock production, I had to sell my twenty goats. On the day I received my first transfer from GiveDirectly, I had just sold my last goat to buy pesticides, and I was already lost in thoughts about where to get more money to facilitate the rest of the spraying, and I didn't want to lose my crop after investing so much. Receiving the money restored my hope. I spent $150 on pesticides, which will last until harvest. My crops are doing well, and I have harvested six rounds, earning more than $200. Additionally, I bought a sheep worth $40 to remind me of my first transfer from GiveDirectly, and I spent the remaining amount on purchasing a few food items. Thank you, GiveDirectly."

"I received the transfer notification in the evening while I was resting after attending a burial in another village. I was with my son, and since I couldn't read the message, he read it for me. I couldn't hold back the joy I felt when he revealed that I had received my first transfer. I was happy because this was an opportunity for me to rebuild my house, which was in bad shape and nearly collapsing."

"Since receiving the transfer, the biggest change has been the improvement in our living conditions. With the transfer, I was able to purchase a solar system that includes five light bulbs and a charging system. As a result, every room in our house is now well-lit, and we even have a security light outside, which we didn't have before. This has significantly enhanced our family's safety, as the ample lighting allows us to move around without worrying about tripping or getting hurt by unseen objects, as we did before. Furthermore, I no longer have to depend on my neighbor to charge my phone. Previously, I had to wait for his family to finish charging their phones, which was inconvenient and time-consuming. Now, with the solar system, I can charge my phone at home whenever I need to, ensuring that I am always connected, and that my phone is always operational."

"Ever since receiving the transfer, the most significant change in my life is that I am less stressed about finding food for my family. The flood destroyed everything I had, including our stored food, which was about 40 kg of maize. Life became a struggle as I had to rely on casual work to provide for them, and this work was not guaranteed. I could only find work twice a week and earn just $3 per day, which was insufficient to cover our food needs. The transfer allowed me to purchase enough food for my family, ensuring that my four children are well-fed and there is no risk of hunger, unlike before. This stability has also enabled me to focus on my one-and-a-half-acre maize farm, rather than being torn between seeking work and tending to my own farm. Thanks to GiveDirectly, I can now concentrate on my farming activities, which I am confident will lead to increased productivity."

"My top priority is to ensure that each of my seven children receives a quality education. At the moment, only four of them are attending primary school, thanks to the financial assistance I've been receiving. Prior to this support, the income from charcoal production wasn't sufficient to cover the educational expenses for all our children. In order to address this obstacle, I've decided to invest in goat farming as a means of generating the necessary funds for their education. I've already purchased one goat to launch this initiative and intend to expand it to save up enough to enroll the remaining three children in school. Furthermore, I aspire to use the profits from this venture to eventually establish a small shop and provide a more stable financial future for my family"

"I have been relying on casual jobs and charcoal production to sustain my family of two, but it wasn't reliable. To diversify my income, I decided to try crop farming. Using my small savings, I rented half an acre of land and took a $150 loan to plant seed maize. Unfortunately, I lost it all to recent floods, leaving me with a debt to the Kenya Seed Company. This broke me. Additionally, the floods damaged our house, and I lost my household items and remaining furniture. The floods occurred at night, and all we could do was run for our lives, leaving us homeless and ending up in a camp. When the floods stopped, I returned and temporarily repaired our house, where we are now living, though it's not in good condition. Remembering the risk we encountered frightens me, and being alone with my two children made it even more risky. When I received money from GiveDirectly, I decided to look for land. I found nearly an acre for $850, and with my first transfer, I paid a $200 deposit, planning to clear the remaining amount with my next transfers. I would rather spend it all securing land than risk our lives in the future."