"The moment I received my money, I felt very happy because my standards of living was going to improve like building a permanent house. Previously, I could not manage on my own."

"I just completed a course I have been taking in food and beverage production for the past six months. The initial plan I had was to start a hotel business using my transfers, but I did not want to go blindly into the business without having proper knowledge on how to prepare good meals that would put me above the rest in the business. Now that I have completed the first phase of the plan, I need to move to the next which is opening the hotel. I solely rely on these transfers to set up the business so I need to save them for a few months before I can make a move."

"I was very happy when I received the cash transfer. I was among the last lot of people to receive the cash transfers. I was excited and felt very relieved because I had waited so long for this opportunity."

"I spent most of the money I received most recently on personal items for my children such as clothes and shoes. It was during the Christmas holidays and I needed to buy my children a few gifts which is why I spent the money on the items. I spent the rest of the money on foodstuff and other household needs."

"Receiving this money means that I will able to reduce my family consumption expenditure especially on food. I plan to purchase two exotic dairy cattle that will cost $500 and increase my acreage under maize cultivation for an additional $200.This will bring to an end the daily purchase of milk, maize flour and other foodstuff for my family's consumption. I will use the remaining amount of the transfer to clear school fee balance for my two kids who are finalizing their primary education this year."

"Having a stable source of income has been my greatest desire. At the moment, I depend on my husband who is a tailor at Bamba Center and because his income can hardly suffice our needs, oftentimes we are constrained financially. Receiving this money, therefore, will enable me to start a kiosk business that will supplement whenever there is a lack, and being over-reliant on one person will be something of the past. I also intend to improve my house from the current state - it is not spacious and can barely accommodate all of us. And that is what receiving this money means to me."

"Lack of better employment opportunities has been the biggest hardship in my life. Having no alternative sources of income can at times be very challenging. My husband who is the sole breadwinner has to endure the back-breaking job of supplying water in Mombasa using a cart in order to sustain our needs. Here at home, agriculture is no longer doing good due to uneven weather patterns, our stores run dry before the next harvest and that explains the kind of struggle we have to endure to get even a decent meal on our table."

"Lack of alternative sources of income has been the biggest hardship in life. Being a housewife, what a depend on mostly is farm work but because of the predictable climatical conditions, oftentimes it is difficult to produce substantial yields and as such, I'm forced to depend on the husband's dismal income. However, with ever bulging needs, it is almost impossible to sufficiently meet all of them, and that has constrained the family's developments. Like for the case of the house that we are living in, we had to move in halfway complete because of lack of adequate finances. Luckily, Give directly is here, I will see to it that all our desires are met."

"I have wished to own a small business of selling fried potatoes on the roadside at our nearby school. Although the capital to start this business is small, I have never managed to raise it and this has forced me to remain a housewife. Receiving this money will mean enabling me to venture into this job since I am planning to spend $100 as my starting capital. In addition to this, I wish to have a long investment project and therefore, I will use utmost $400 to purchase 13 goats for rearing. I will spend the remaining amount to buy an oxen to help me upscaling my farming because as of now, I depend on the traditional means of farming something that gives me very little produce."

"My greatest ambition has been to own a stable shop business but due to the financial crisis, this dream has never come through. With the arrival of GiveDirectly to our village, my hope got renewed and I am glad to learn that, soon I will fulfill my life desires. My first plan is to spend utmost $400 to start this business. On the other hand, I also plan to use $300 to buy 10 goats in order to have a long investment project. The remaining amount will help me to buy a modern wooden bed and a mattress because the ones I am currently using can not give me a nice sleep. This will mean a better living standards, hence a transformed life that I have always wished."