"Receiving this money means building a business house. This has been my dream for 4 years but due to financial instability, it has never come to pass. I intend to spend 70,000 shillings to construct a semi-permanent house of 4 rooms at our center and rent it to students and teachers who leave closely. This is going to generate income for my family of 4 members. I will be collecting 4000 shillings every month which is enough to sustain all our basic needs such as food. Also, I plan to invest the remaining amount in livestock."

"I am a charcoal vendor, a job that is tiresome and time-consuming yet its income is very little such that it cannot fully support the needs of the family. Sometimes we skip meals or borrow from my relatives something that never gives me peace since I usually feel ashamed. Therefore I can consider the lack of a reliable source of income as the hardship that I have ever faced in my life."

"Receiving this money means a reliable source for my household. Currently, I am a charcoal vendor, a very tiresome job, and earn little income of $60 per month. This amount cannot fully sustain the household needs. I am planning to spend $400 on my first transfer to start a livestock business. With this business, I am assured of a profit of $50 per week. The remaining amount of my first transfer will help me to cater to household needs like food. My second transfer will help me to clear school fees for my children in secondary school so that they cannot be sent back home to collect school fees, this will improve their performance in school."

"My son who doubles as my helper was with me the time I received an mpesa confirmation message indicating that I had received transfers from GiveDirectly. I became so happy as I knew that I would finally be able to fulfill my goal of cementing the floor of my house. This is because I am usually forced to sleep in my son's house whenever it rains as water usually seeps in through the floor hence flooding it."

"My heart was filled with joy the moment I realized that GiveDirectly had honored their promise by sending me the transfers. I work as a casual laborer in one of the tycoons farm. The little money I get only caters for our meals and one is left with nothing to save. I had always desired to build a decent house for my family but had not been able to due to financial constraints despite me working 7 days a week. With the money in my account, I was sure that I would actualize this."

"When I received my transfer, I spent $300 to build a more decent kitchen for my family. The one we had was old and the roof was always leaking. Because of this, I usually had to prepare meals so early in order to avoid being rained on and we usually ended up taking cold meals. Also, I spent $50 to pay school fees for my son and $40 to buy some school books that were needed since he was joining high school. Using the remaining $ 150, I bought two sacks of maize and other household necessities."

"My heart was filled with joy the moment I received my transfer. I am a house wife and my spouse depends on casual jobs at the construction sites in Mombasa. It has always been a struggle to meet our daily needs on time as he also have to pay for his house rent. Receiving the transfer meant a financial break through for my family. It gave me hope that I would finally be able to build a more spacious house something that had seemed luxarious to me before."

"The biggest hardship I have been facing in my life is lack of a spacious and unfurnished house for my family of seven. We have been living in a small house that forces my children to seek some sleeping space from my neighbors something I really don't like. This has lowered my reputation in the village."

"I spent part of the money I received from GiveDirectly on building a better house for my family. We live in a small mud house which is leaking from inside. The house is so old and can fall down anytime. I also paid school fees for my children in various schools. The rest of the money I bought food for the family. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed my living standard."

"Unemployment is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life. Over the two years that I returned home, life has been very difficult for me and my children since my husband has completely abandoned his responsibility. This forced me to look for casual jobs in the village at least to make ends meet, but this has never come through. I have been depending on charcoal business that earns me less than $15 a day. This makes it difficult to meet most basic needs of my family."