"Lack of food as I have just relocated here from Mozambique after my marriage had ended and I came here without any money and food, a situation that has seen me starving"

"Receiving this money will save me from the embarrassment of begging from people as I am in deep starvation and I rely on begging from other people for food. This money will allow me to buy enough food for my household and be able to feed my family. Again, I sleep on a mat that is not comfy and my house leaks so badly. I am hoping to maintain my house and buy a mattress and other beddings so that I sleep comfortably."

"I remember hearing my neighbours saying that GiveDirectly had sent the money they had promised. I called my helper to check if this was true. To my surprise, I had also received KES 55000 in my Mpesa account. I felt happy for this support because I would build a new house for my family."

"Receiving this money means that I will now be able to buy farm inputs for my garden especially fertilizer in order to be food sufficient next year. For many years I have been unable to harvest enough maize for consumption and I believe this is my chance to have a bumper yield next year."

"Basically, the biggest hardship I have faced in my life is poverty. Iam poor as I do not have a reliable source of income. This negatively affects my wellbeing as I face hunger almost every year."

"The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am now owning livestock which include a cow and some goats. I could not buy any of these at my own cost. They are living assets that I can readily rely on in case of a financial need. I am expecting them to multiply and have many of them. I did not have any livestock in my homestead thus this is my greatest achievement and I am proud to have them. I will be selling the milk that the cow will be producing and earn an income."

"Before the coming of GiveDirectly, I was using old mats and sleeping on a traditional bed which was not comfortable. I could not afford to buy new beddings at my own cost. However, I now have a good place to sleep on. I purchased a new bed and a mattress to replace the old beddings. I can now afford to sleep soundly which makes it to be the biggest difference in my daily life."

"I spent my first transfer to pay for medical expenses for my son who was undergoing a surgery. I was in deep distress because I could not raise the whole amount of his medical bills. I had to borrow money from my neighbours and also did a fundraise to clear the bill. The money was still not enough for the surgery. When I received the first transfer, I was relaxed and paid the remaining amount. My son was treated and now recovering. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for coming at the right time to save my son."

"I was so excited. I and together with my children we danced till it was dawn"

"Receiving this money means building a good house for my family. This is because we have been living in grass thatched houses all our lives and they keep on collapsing, since they cannot withstand strong winds and heavy rainfall. Our current house is equally damaged and its no longer safe for us. The mud walls are very weak and the roof is leaking, making it unbearable during rainy season. As if this is not enough, the house does not have a door making it easy for snakes to slither inside."