"I bought a three-seater sofa for $58, something we had never owned before. Seeing a sofa in our home felt like a miracle, as it was something we usually saw in other homes. To ensure we had enough sitting arrangements, I also bought three plastic chairs for $23. For my wife and me, I purchased a bed and mattress for $80. Previously, we had a tiny bed that forced us to communicate every time we wanted to change sides, making our sleep uncomfortable. We gave our old bed to our children, and now our sleeping arrangement is much more comfortable. Food is essential, yet obtaining it is challenging. We rely on crop farming and sometimes charcoal production, which is unreliable due to water shortages in the dry season and floods during the rainy season affecting crops and difficulties in obtaining logs for charcoal production. To ensure we had enough food for our family of eight, I used $32 to buy essential food items. This purchase relieved us from the stress of worrying about food for a while."

"Even though water poses many challenges to our development, I am grateful to GiveDirectly for their great support. I see myself making good progress once the water recedes, as I plan to start planting watermelons, which I am confident will yield high profits. The floods have caused significant difficulties, as they washed away my 2 hectares of maize, setting my life back to square one and delaying my planting plans. Despite these setbacks, I remain hopeful for a better outcome."

"I had just arrived home from church, feeling a bit tired and thirsty. My children handed me a cup of water, and as I was sipping it, my husband suddenly asked if I had seen the transfer. I was puzzled and told him I hadn’t. Before we could even finish our conversation, my phone beeped with a notification. I quickly checked it, and there it was—the transfer from GiveDirectly! The excitement in the room was undescribable. We didn’t rush into anything but took a full week to carefully plan and decide on the household items we were going to buy."

"It was around 3 pm, and I was out in the field watering my maize when I heard my phone beep with a message notification. Curious, I pulled it out to check, and to my surprise, I saw that the transfers from GiveDirectly had come through. The joy I felt at that moment was indescribable—I immediately rushed to tell my wife, and she was just as thrilled as I was. I knew then that I could finally repair my motorbike, which would make it so much easier to transport our maize to the designated drying area while we waited for the Kenya Seed Company to come and collect it."

"After losing most of my crops to the floods, I was left with just a quarter-acre vegetable farm where I had planted kale and black nightshade. These crops survived the floods, but they were on higher ground, which made irrigation essential. This land was my only hope for securing my family’s food, but I constantly worried that without water, we would lose it as well. The cost of generator oil to run the water pump was a problem, and I didn’t know how long I could keep it going. Fortunately, the GiveDirectly transfers arrived just in time. I was able to use some of the money to fuel my water pump, allowing me to irrigate my farm. This is currently providing food for my family and generating some income of about $10 per week. Thank you, GiveDirectly."

"I received my money while I was at home alone; my children had gone to school. I had just returned from fetching water from the river when I received a message confirming the receipt of $183 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy! The first thing that came to mind was fulfilling my dream of building my own house. For years, I have been living in my brother's house."

"It was a very fine Sunday afternoon, and I was just resting at home with my children when my phone vibrated with a message. When I checked, I saw it was an M-Pesa message, but I didn’t think much of it because I wasn’t expecting the GiveDirectly money yet, having just been enrolled a week before. Later, I went to fetch water at the nearby borehole and overheard some women discussing the arrival of the money. I joined in the conversation, feeling both excited and happy, knowing that I could finally repair my toilet, which had sunk after being swept away by floods."

"I am a widow; my husband passed away nearly 50 years ago when my three children were very young, but I struggled to make ends meet. Now, all of my children are grown and married, but they left me with grandchildren. One is at Maseno University, and the other is in secondary school. When I received the cash, I used $100 to pay for their fees to help their mother, who had been covering the costs.When the floods came, water entered my house and stayed for a very long time, leaving it wet and cold. I had to sleep in that damp house, and the coldness caused me to suffer from pneumonia, leading to constant coughing. I allocated $5 to seek medication at Marigat District Hospital because it is more affordable compared to private hospitals.Additionally, I spent $50 on purchasing food to ensure I had enough stock at home. Previously, I relied on casual jobs, working on other people's farms to harvest tomatoes. With the remaining money, I allocated $30 to buy chairs and a sofa set, as I didn’t have any furniture before. I also spent $15 on a solar panel because I had no lights in the house and was using my phone's light, which I had to charge at my neighbor's home. That was causing me a lot of stress."

"Previously, my children were frequently sent home from school due to unpaid fees, but now the teachers listen to us more attentively. Before receiving support from GiveDirectly, I used to burn and sell charcoal to provide for my family. I am very grateful for this financial assistance, as it has significantly eased my financial burden. With the support from GiveDirectly, I no longer have to work as tirelessly, as I can now better balance my financial needs. For instance, from my most recent transfer, I spent $52 on food for my family because we had none available at home. Unfortunately, my investment in farming last season yielded no harvest due to harsh weather, which is why I used most of my transfer on food and some on buying water for domestic use. Additionally, I allocated $40 to cover my children’s school fees to prevent them from being sent home. I saved the remaining $20 in our savings group, as I am planning to build a better house in the future."

"When I received the unconditional cash transfer, I immediately knew I had to address our deteriorating kitchen. The old kitchen was in a bad state, with one wall already collapsed. So, I bought four iron sheets, roofing nails, and a new door for $73. I managed to complete the construction of a small separate kitchen using the old iron sheets for the walls and the new ones for the roof. It feels good knowing that we now have a safer place to prepare our meals. With the kitchen sorted, I purchased three plastic chairs for $25. Now, we have proper seating when we sit outside, and our visitors have a place to sit when they come over. It’s a simple upgrade, but it has made a big difference in our daily lives and social interactions. Lastly, I used $20 to buy 45 kilograms of maize, ensuring we had enough food for the household. I also spent $10 on sugar, tea leaves, and cooking oil. To support my maize farm, I bought five liters of fuel for $15, which I used to power my generator to pump water from the river for irrigation. The remainder of the money covered my transport to and from Marigat. Every dollar was spent thoughtfully, and it has greatly improved our living conditions."