"In my opinion, GiveDirectly has been successful in providing us with unconditional transfers to help alleviate poverty and improve our living standards. Thanks to these transfers, our lives have changed significantly. We no longer struggle financially and can now afford things that were previously out of reach. Our children are now able to stay in school without being sent home for fees. Additionally, we have been able to improve our housing situation and invest in livestock, which have become our most valuable assets. Without these transfers, we would not have been able to accomplish all of this. Overall, I don't see anything that GiveDirectly does not do well."

"I have been living in a mud-walled house for many years with the goal of building a permanent house. However, due to financial limitations, I was unable to save enough money to achieve this goal. It wasn't until I received my transfers that I was able to buy the necessary building materials, including cement, bricks, and sand, to start the construction. I have made progress so far and I am grateful for the support. Although the project is not yet completed, I am hopeful that I will be able to raise enough money to finish it. Therefore, this is my priority goal for the coming year and beyond."

"My name is Mohammed Ngumbao. I am a Charcoal vendor, whereby I make coal and transport it to Kilifi for selling. I use my motorcycle as means of transportation since thats the only way I would carry the Coal in large quantities. The biggest Challenge I am facing is the ability to source the charcoal first. Living in a dry area and Charcoal being the only source of income to people in my village. Scarcity of trees is now a major problem whereby there are no trees to cut to make the charcoal. Taking the Coal to Kilifi is also another problem because it was ruled by law that coal making is illegal and we have to reserve our environment. So being caught by the kenyan police is another challenge, whereby you have to give up the coal if you do not have the amount they are asking as fine. The other challenge I am facing with my family is food insecurity. Lack of enough food to sustain both I, my wife and nine children has made me feel as a failure as a parent ."

"My husband, Joseph, married two wives, and both of us rely on small businesses to support our large family of 15. Currently, our businesses are still small, and the capital we have is not enough to meet all of our family's needs. I am currently facing challenges in boosting my business due to a lack of sufficient capital. I believe that with a capital increase, my business can generate better returns, allowing me to better support my family."

"Lack of reliable sources of income is the current challenge I am facing in life. I am a widow of five children and do casual jobs, which are not accessible all the time. This has barred me from paying school fees for my daughter who is supposed to join college. She has been out of school for one year now."

"In the coming years, my main goal is to build my own house as I currently reside in my mother's home. It’s a modest place, but as an adult, I crave the independence of having a space to call my own. To make this dream a reality, I have devised a plan. Every two months, I will save $12 from the transfers I receive to purchase poles for the structure. By consistently doing this, I aim to gather all the necessary materials before commencing the construction. With determination, I am confident that I will achieve my goal."

"The first challenge that I am currently facing is a spacious house. I have a one roomed house that I share with my 2 children. Although they are still young it will not be nice to continue live with them. Secondly, I sleep on the floor because my bed is broken and due to kack of money it is difficult to buy one. The house has rough floor which makes it uncomfortable that when you wake up in the morning the whole body is painful."

"The main challenge that I am currently facing is paying school fees for my children. I have daughters in grade 5 who have a fee balance of $ 23. I am supposed to pay $ 10 per term for each one of them. This has affected their education performances. The second one is food insecurity. I depend on charcoal burning business which earns me around $ 16 per month. It is labor intensive and time consuming. For a sac of 50kg to be ready, it takes 2 weeks and sometimes you do not get a buyer immediately. Instead yo can wait for as long as a month and by the time you sell you realise that you have incurred more debts. Due to this,"

"The first thing I did was buy building posts for $80 and branches for $70, as these were essential for the construction of a new house for my children. The mason, who I paid $200, helped me with the construction. Our current house has only two rooms, and with the children getting older, it became important for them to have their own space. The small house we live in has been a tight squeeze for all of us, so building a separate house for them was a priority. Luckily, I had already bought iron sheets earlier, so I could focus on the other materials and labor. This new house will allow my children, who are currently in school, to have a place of their own when they come home. I purchased a solar panel for $100, which has been a game changer for us. My house is now bright and cheerful, and I no longer have to worry about the cost of kerosene or the dim light of a single torch. It's such a relief to have a reliable source of light, especially for the children when they are doing their homework. With the remaining funds, I am planning to construct a fish pond. I believe this will be a source of income in the future. This cash transfer has truly been a blessing, allowing me to improve our living conditions and invest in something that will benefit my family in the long run."

"The first thing I did was buy building posts for $80 and branches for $70, as these were essential for the construction of a new house for my children. The mason, who I paid $200, helped me with the construction. Our current house has only two rooms, and with the children getting older, it became important for them to have their own space. The small house we live in has been a tight squeeze for all of us, so building a separate house for them was a priority. Luckily, I had already bought iron sheets earlier, so I could focus on the other materials and labor. This new house will allow my children, who are currently in school, to have a place of their own when they come home. I purchased a solar panel for $100, which has been a game changer for us. My house is now bright and cheerful, and I no longer have to worry about the cost of kerosene or the dim light of a single torch. It's such a relief to have a reliable source of light, especially for the children when they are doing their homework. With the remaining funds, I am planning to construct a fish pond. I believe this will be a source of income in the future. This cash transfer has truly been a blessing, allowing me to improve our living conditions and invest in something that will benefit my family in the long run."