"After receiving the first and second transfers from GiveDirectly, I have a long list of ambitions. One of my goals for the upcoming year is to start collecting rainwater from the roof to reduce the expense and time spent fetching water from the river. To achieve this, I plan to save up and purchase a big water tank. I have over 100 grafted mango trees, and in a good season, I can earn at least $400 from selling their fruits. I aim to enhance my farm management skills, and when the next harvesting season arrives, I plan to use the earnings to buy a large plastic water tank."

"In the next one year and beyond I hope to accomplish a lot and my plans are more clear now that I have received a transfer from GiveDirectly. I am happy with what I have been able to accomplish so far and looking forward to making much more informed decisions that will improve my life and that of my family as a whole. Once I get my second transfer of $450, I intend to use the money to buy water pipes that will help me irrigate my five acre farm and increase crop production from it. Once this is established, I will then quit the matatu job that I am currently doing and concentrate fully on farming. I stay in a five acre piece of land that is situated between two rivers. This will make it easier for me to implement this plan that I have had in mind for the longest time now. I also have a neighbour 2ho started off as a young farmer but who has now advanced with the help of irrigation from these two rivers. He is willing to give me the guidance that I so much need to see this implemented. This project shall greatly improve my life and that of my whole family and make us have better living standards generally. In this farm I will be planting bananas, mangoes and oranges."

"I have a business of approximately $400 as capital. I sell shop items to the community and I am happy that the market is responding well to me. My husband also helps me running the business. I have the desire to boost the business and make it meet the needs of the community. I also want to sell clean water in the village since there is a shortage of clean water due to drought. I will use $300 to boost my business. I intend to make a profit of $10 per day. I will also use $700 to buy a water tank and connect tap water to my home. This will enable me sell water to the community and make a profit."

"To support my large family of seven children and two wives, I purchased ten packets of 2kg maize flour. However, as a charcoal seller, my earnings are meager, and it is challenging to meet all the financial needs of my family, such as paying for my children's education and buying food and clothing. It is heartbreaking to explain to my children that we cannot afford to buy food, so receiving my monthly transfer is always a relief. This funding helps me avoid difficult questions and enables me to provide for my family. In addition to buying maize flour, I also purchased three kilograms of beans, three kilograms of rice, and two kilograms of sugar. With the remaining $5, I bought water and personal items that I often need. I am grateful for the monthly transfers that have helped me support my family during challenging financial times."

"The death of my husband during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant setback for me. As the sole breadwinner for my four children, it has been a challenging struggle to make ends meet. My income from doing casual labor jobs is meager, making it impossible to cater to all my family's needs. My children are the hardest hit, as they are often sent home from school due to outstanding fees that I am unable to pay on time. Therefore, when I received my March stipend, I immediately allocated $20 towards clearing school fee arrears to enable my children to resume their studies. Witnessing my children attend school, like their peers, brought me immense relief and joy. With the remaining $14, I purchased food and water, which have become exorbitantly priced, making it a challenge to provide daily meals for my family. I am deeply grateful for the monthly stipends I receive as they provide the financial boost I need to ensure a comfortable life for my children and me."

"I am passionate about the idea of keeping livestock as a means of generating a sustainable income for myself. However, the drought conditions on my land pose a significant challange but I am not one to back down easily. I am taking a proactive approach to this situation and exploring all possible options. I am looking into investing in drought-resistant breeds of livestock and implementing water conservation practices that can help me overcome the drought conditions."

"It had always been my dream to buy a tank for water catchment and storage. My area had always experienced prolonged drought and this leads to rivers drying up in the area, with this, getting water had been quite a challenge, and therefore I had planned to spend $350 of my transfers on buying a water catchment tank that would help to end my struggles."

"The transfers had been so far of great help to me. At my current age, I feel that could no longer engage in other duties like walking for long distances in search of water, therefore I wanted to install tap water in my home so that I do not struggle much since I also do not have someone to help me out with the duties. Therefore, with the transfers that I received, I spent part of my first transfer and $77 of my second transfer on water installation, and currently, I feel so happy. My last-born child is currently in his final year at the university, and getting money to pay for his school fees had always been quite a challenge, but with GiveDireclty coming into my life, I managed to clear his pending balance of $200. The remaining transfer was also of great help in terms of adding more stock to my fish-selling business where I spent $123 and saved $150 for my future needs. This was a God-sent program and I was very grateful for being one of the beneficiaries."

"Upon receiving my transfer, I contemplated investing the funds in acquiring additional goats to supplement the one I already owned. This would secure the funds while also providing an investment that would appreciate in value. Consequently, I spent $200 on goats and utilized the remaining funds to purchase a sack of maize, water containers, and clothing. My financial constraints had previously hindered me from accomplishing this. I rely on farming and raising goats to make a living, which barely meets the needs of my wife and three children. I am grateful that I can finally save money for my children's school fees."

"I am the only person providing for my family. My husband is unable to work due to his advanced age. To make ends meet, I sell charcoal and do various odd jobs, such as fetching water for others. Providing food for my family is a big challenge, given the low income I earn from these jobs. For a period of two weeks prior to receiving my transfers, we were forced to make do with just one meal per day. This was because we couldn't buy food on credit since we already had a large debt at the shop. It was a big relief for my family when I received my March transfers. I used a significant portion of the $15 to pay my two children's school fees, allowing them to continue their education with their peers. I also bought two hens for $6, which I see as a future investment. My plan is to let them breed and then sell them at a profit in the market. Lastly, I spent $13 on buying food in bulk, which was enough assurance that my family would have enough to eat and not go hungry."