"I clearly remember that day as if it was yesterday. It was around 10 pm when we were from taking supper with my family when I heard the notification message on my mobile phone. When I checked its content I found out it was an Mpesa message from Give Directly. They had sent me the exact amount they had promised us to my account. I was so happy. I even stopped eating and started shouting and celebrating with joy."

"We have never owned a cow ever since we got married. We made it our first priority when we received our first transfers from Give Directly. Our expenses have now reduced because we no longer buy milk. We instead sell the surplus which has enabled us to buy other livestock such as goats and also chicken. I thank Give Directly for supporting me and enabling me to acquire these assets"

"I have always desired to give the best education possible to my children since I was not so priviledged to go to school during my time. Receiving this money will give me an opportunity to buy a dairy cow so I can get some income (from the milk I will sell) to educate my children."

"I have lived the entire past of my life as a casual laborer and housewife thus raising an income to sustain my household daily basic needs had been so hard due to scarce resources. I had lived in a single grass-thatched hut and I had planned to build another one but overwhelming basic needs could not allow me to have one. My life is currently different from how it would have been if I had never received the transfer in that I was able to build a decent iron-roofed house that could not have happened without transfer. We majorly depended on casual jobs and it had been so hard for us raising our family basic needs since our income if not on a regular basis. Currently, We own a motorcycle that has greatly changed our lives in that my husband used it as a motorcycle taxi hence getting us daily income that can cater for our daily basic needs and save some for our future lives. I also bought a cow that I am so proud of, am engaged in my farm looking after it and am sure that soon I will have milk from my farm for both household consumption and sale. I see my cow as an asset that with time will reproduce hence will have more cows that will be my security for any financial needs arising in the future. With GD transfers, I have hopes of a better future for what I have started with."

"I live in a mud floor house and it is quite labor-intensive to maintain such, apart from the dust involved in such a flour. I have always wanted to improve this by atleast cementing it but finances to do this project has been a proble since the little money I get goes into the basic household needs. I am now happy that I am finally going to do it now that I have the aid from Give Directly. I am also proud to have an additional cow in my herd since cows give me joy!"

"Receiving this money is a great boost to my family because we have struggled a lot in trying to make ends meet. Currently, I don't have any meaningful source of income and my husband whom we solely depend on works in a construction site in Mombasa on contract. And given that his income is meager, providing basic necessities to our children has been an uphill task. Therefore, receiving this money will enable us to be self-reliant. And in order to achieve that, we plan to invest in livestock raising business. Our interest is on cross-bred goats which does very well in this region. Again, since we live near Bamba shopping center, our desire to open up a kiosk business will comes in handy. This will enable us to earn an income on a daily basis and that is what we have been yearning for."

"The fact that I and my family now stay in a new and spacious house is the biggest difference in my life. I had, for quite a long time, thought and planned to build a better house since the one I previously stayed in was grass thatched and quite squeezed for my big family only that I did not have any resources to do this since I do have a source of income. I am glad that Give Directly came through for me and I was able finally do it. I am also a happy parent since I was able to buy some nice clothes for mt children and also enough food for them. We are a happy family."

"The biggest hardship I have faced is raising a young family without a source of income.Everyday am forced to seek casual jobs in other people's farms so that I can be able to feed my family as well as provide for all their other needs.During dry seasons there is hardly any job to do and it gets difficult to provide for their needs."

"My wife became mentally unstable about ten years ago.Since then,I have tried to get treatment in various hospitals but she is still unwell.She often leaves the homeatead roaming the village and I have to look for her.Because of this,I have been forced to shoulder all the family responsibilities alone,where in normal circumstances she would have assisted me.This strains me alot now that am old.This is the biggest hardship I have faced"

"Receiving this money means boosting my self esteem. I will buy cows that will act as an investment for my household. The cows when they have multiplied can be sold in order to take children to school as well as providing food for our household. I do not have any investment in my household which makes me lack self esteem. In my community, owning a cow earns you status."