"After getting $450 from GiveDirectly, I was really happy. At that time, I had two kids in school, one in primary and the other in secondary. I decided to use $100 to pay their school fees. School fees had been a big worry, but thanks to GiveDirectly, my kids are in school now. I work as a farmer, and with the money, I saw an opportunity to invest in agriculture. I spent $200 to buy tomato seeds. Tomatoes grow well here, and they sell well too. I planted them on a 3/4 acre of land. I'm expecting to make around $200 from the farm produce. Some of this money will go towards school fees, some for our daily needs, and I plan to save some because I want to make this farming venture sustainable for the future."

"Running our poultry and goat-rearing business here in Marigat has been quite the challenge. Despite the climate being perfect for our animals, expanding the venture has been hindered by financial limitations. With my husband's administrative police job and a family of seven relying on this income, the pressure is immense. Dealing with disease outbreaks is especially disheartening, often leading to premature sales and financial losses due to the inability to afford treatment."

"Water is a big problem in our village, we buy water from the nearby water shop for domestic use. This comes with another additional cost to my family. I am a casual labourer and what I earn is peanut. After budgeting what I receive from working, I am left with little money to buy my family enough clean water for domestic use. We end up limiting the use of water, some of us could even go for two days without taking bath. Our biggest part of the land is not arable, we end up buying food for the family which is costly. On average we spend about KES 400 on food a day. Comparing with my daily earning of KES 350, I have nothing to save and invest."

"It has been a tough journey for me lately. Five years ago, I inherited a piece of land from my parents, but I have never been able to cultivate it due to financial constraints. With seven children to support, I rely solely on charcoal burning to make ends meet. On a good month, I barely earn $50, which all goes towards putting food on the table. Sadly, there is never been any extra to save, let alone invest in farming inputs like seeds and fertilizers. It is disheartening that I cannot provide for my family through farming and instead have to depend on seasonal charcoal burning just to get by."

"Being responsible for overseeing the family, the farm, and the goats while my husband, Humphrey, is away teaching in the Mukutani ward is undoubtedly a draining task. It feels like a constant struggle to manage everything on my own, from household chores to tending to the farm and animals. I will admit, it can be exhausting and draining, especially with the added responsibility of looking after the children. The lack of financial resources makes it challenging to hire a helper, despite knowing how much it would ease the burden. Unfortunately, a previous attempt to employ assistance ended in frustration, with the helper demanding money before the month ended. It is a situation I cannot afford to repeat, given our reliance on Humphrey's support as a family of five."

"I'm a single parent and bear the responsibility of raising my five children without a reliable source of income. My children are still young and in lower levels of education, though some will soon be joining high school. Looking at my financial status, it might be difficult for me to raise fees when the time comes for them to join high school. To prepare for this, I plan to buy more livestock, particularly goats so that as they multiply, I can sell them to raise the fees for my children. With this plan, I am confident that my children's future is secure and they will be able to continue with their studies, despite my financial predicament. Currently, I have seven goats, and I expect their number to increase in the near future."

"I hope to expand my plot this year and do a great harvest next year"

"Givedirectly has done exceedingly well and highly recommend same process elsewhere."

"Give directly did well in elgon region, I recommend the same process elsewhere."

"It was almost 4:00 p.m., and under the relentless heat of the sun, we toiled to complete our tasks for the day on a tomato farm, feeling the sweat trickle down our skin. Our group, consisting of about twenty individuals, engaged in harvesting tomatoes. This casual job is crucial for me, providing the means to support my family. With a daily wage of $4, it meant putting food on the table for my family of four. Yet, opportunities like these were few and far between, sometimes occurring only three times a week. As we worked relentlessly, a sudden notification on my phone caught my attention, prompting me to retrieve it from my pocket. The sight of the Mpesa message confirming the receipt of the first GiveDirectly transfer filled me with immense joy. I exclaimed, "GiveDirectly!" and soon, everyone on the farm paused their work, excitedly checking their phones for the same blessing that the majority of us were awaiting. Our shared happiness resonated in chants as we completed our tasks effortlessly, seemingly unaware of the passage of time. Returning home, I shared the good news with my family. We looked forward to withdrawing the money and finally purchasing the sheep we had been eagerly longing for. Thank you, GiveDirectly!"