"I reside in a small house with my 3 grandchildren, all attending school. This humble dwelling has posed considerable challenges as it has collapsed twice already, leaving me no choice but to prop it up as best I can, given my financial constraints. I therefore used $300 of the 2nd transfer from GiveDirectly to construct a 2 roomed house for us. While it's not yet complete, witnessing its progress fills us with hope and joy as we eagerly anticipate the comfort of sleeping in a warm and dry place during the rainy season unlike before when we endured the discomfort of a leaking roof and cold. I then spent $120 to clear a school fees debt for my grandchildren who had been sent home from school and were not to return until the debt was cleared. Resolving this issue ensured their return to school, allowing them to resume their studies without interruption. Lastly, I spent $90 of the remaining transfer towards settling a debt for a plot of land I had acquired earlier with the intentions of setting up rental houses that would help us in future. I am so grateful for GiveDirectly because my lost hope for the future of my family has been revived."

"I have always desired a chance to build a new house. Mine is in a poor state. The grass-thatched roof has decayed over the years, and the big holes in it allow water in when it rains. I would have loved to build a new house when I started receiving cash transfers, but I was constrained by the school fees of my son Baraka. At that moment, I would have rather slept in a damp space than see my son miss school due to unpaid school fees. I am happy that he recently completed primary school, scoring a whopping 370 marks, which earned him a government sponsorship for his high school education. With this relief, I can go back to my goal of building a better house; one with an iron sheet roof and mud walls. I hope to start saving some of the cash transfers to effect this course."

"My goal for this year is to replace the grass roof on my mother's house, as it leaks badly during heavy rains, significantly impacting her living conditions. Using the upcoming transfers, I plan to cover the costs of hiring builders and purchasing the necessary roofing materials. Providing my mother with a better place to live will bring me peace of mind and enhance her quality of life. I am overjoyed to be a part of this positive change and am committed to improving the well-being of my family."

"I sell charcoal while my husband works as a casual laborer in Mombasa to provide for our family of eight. Our lives have significantly improved since we began receiving these transfers. This initiative has enabled me to undertake various essential tasks, such as renovating our house, purchasing goats, and covering school fees for our children. As a beneficiary, I find immense happiness in being able to support my family. With the funds received, I invested $30 in a new mattress to replace our worn-out one, and I also spent $4 on clothing for my children. Additionally, $34 was utilized to purchase building poles to repair our roof, which had collapsed due to strong winds. The remaining $34 was allocated to pay a technician to carry out the necessary house repairs. Being involved in this program fills me with joy as it has uplifted our living standards."

"In the coming year and beyond, I wish to have built a house. I am not confident in the house I have now as it is small and made of polythene roofing. I would be happy if I owned a much bigger house, with three rooms, and an iron sheet roof. That will be enough to accommodate my seven children and me. However, right now, my funds are constrained by the school fees of these children, especially the two in high school. Since they are in their last year of high school, I want to focus this year’s transfers towards covering their school fees. As of next year, I want to start buying building materials to begin the construction of my desired house."

"I have faced numerous challenges in life, especially in meeting my basic needs such as food and shelter. But GiveDirectly came into my life and brought great relief not only to me but also to my family. Before their assistance, I had never experienced the comfort that comes with living in an iron-roofed house. I always admired the decent shelters of my relatives, but I could not afford even a single iron sheet to build my own house. As a result, I had to live in a grass-thatched house that was unstable, in bad shape, and not spacious enough. With the recent transfers from GiveDirectly, I took a larger portion and bought building poles and iron sheets to build a decent house. This will be my greatest achievement: having a decent iron-roofed house for me and my spouse. It will also be good for our health since we are both old. We have no one to support us, and the thought of building a new house seemed impossible, given my financial status and the struggles I faced with my family. But thanks to GiveDirectly, building a decent iron-roofed house is no longer just a dream. I will no longer suffer the cold bite of the rain or stay in the cold with my family. Additionally, my daughter suffered from goitre, and I spent over $100 on her medication. She underwent surgery, and the growth was successfully removed. She is now slowly regaining her health. Finally, I used the remaining amount to buy food paid fees for my five grandchildren, who are currently at lower levels of education."

"The main plan I have at the moment is to ensure I change my social status to the better. This will be possible by making sure I have a decent house, a long-term project as well as having the ability to support my children in school. I, therefore, plan to spend $400 to repair the roof of my house as well as fixing a nice door. This will give me peace of mind since the current house is leaking during rainy season. I also plan to buy 7 goats which will cost me $300 of my transfers. This will be my reliable source of income to support my family in the future. The remaining amount will help me to sort other needs such as school fees for my 3 children who are in primary school and in addition, I will buy new beddings to replace the old ones that never give us nice sleep. Thus, this is basically what receiving this money means to me."

"I have a family of nine members. My husband does casual jobs making very little income which caters for food and school fees. Sometimes children miss school due to lack of school fees. My house roof is week and it can be blown by strong winds anytime . I lack the capacity to build or renovate the house. I will use $700 to renovate my house by putting a new roof and buy beddings. I will also use $300 to pay school fees for my children so that they can settle at school and improve their performances."

"I used to work as a driver but I retired after the vehicle was sold. I also had complications that led to surgery. I can not engage on had activities but only light casual jobs. I have a family of four members with two being grandchildren who are schooling. I will use $50 to start poultry farming. This will bring sustainable income to me. I will also use $500 to build a house . I am currently living in a house that has a leaking roof and it really affects me during rain season. The remaining amount will help.me raise school fees for the grand daughters who are at primary and secondary school respectively."

"My goal is to ensure that I can afford school fees for my daughter Pendo, who is in her first year of education. Before, I would have had to make and sell charcoal to contribute to her education, but things are better with the cash transfers. I also want to build another kitchen structure. The current one is not only old, but the grass-thatched roof has become damaged over time. My only blocker from achieving this goal before was the concern about enrolling Pendo in high school. Now that she is settled, I plan to start saving some funds to begin buying building materials like iron sheets and building poles for a new cooking space."