"The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have bought two heifers. I used to buy milk daily and this was so costly for me. I am a motorcycle taxi rider and the amount of money that I get daily is so small. I was not in a position to save some to buy a dairy cow. I had always wished to buy it was not possible due to the recurrent needs at home. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I felt so happy and overwhelmed with joy. Currently I have two heifers. I know I won't be buying milk in the next few months since the will have reproduced. When I get married my children would be in a position to get milk daily. I will earn a living by selling the surplus milk at the market. This is the best investment since the rate of return is high. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has enabled me to fulfilled my dreams." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"Food insecurity and nutrition is the major challenge in this household. Owning a small piece of land coupled with unproductive soils has led to prolonged periods of hunger. It has been a lengthy period since we harvested maize which is our staple food. There is not much difference between my family and the people who live in urban areas. This is because we purchase all food materials such as vegetables, cereals, milk, and the processed foods such as sugar, tea leaves, and salt. Being a motorcyclist who acquired a bike through hire purchase and still repaying the cost. I struggle a lot to buy these needs for my family and sometimes take items such as milk and sugar on credit from my colleagues. The largest amount I get on a day is KES 600 and from this KES 400 goes to the daily installments required for the bike." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"Receiving this money means a source of income for me since I plan to buy a motorcycle which will be operating a taxi business. I have for so long fully depended on my spouse but with this money I can support him by having a source of income. I plan to buy the motorcycle on credit and for the deposit, I will use KES 40,000 from the transfers. With this, my estimated profit for the day is KES 500." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I was at home getting ready for work, before stepping out I heard my phone vibrating in my pocket, I thought to myself that maybe it was a reverse call from my brother whom I was expecting his call, to my surprise when I checked the message I saw a Mpesa notification confirming that I had received KES 55,00 from GiveDirectly, words cannot express how grateful I was to have received the good news that morning, I informed my wife who was equally happy, we knew that finally, we will be able to construct a decent house with the funds that we had received. I am thankful to have received the transfer at the time of need." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I buy and sell milk in the Village, I am a mother of three children, My husband is a motorcycle rider offering taxi services, he makes very little from his business hence buying milk daily for our children was costly, We could not afford to buy a cow due to our little income, therefore, we had no choice but to prioritize other basic needs, When the transfer came, this was on top of my list, I used KES 34,000 in buying a dairy cow, we also plan to build a house with our second transfer because the house we are currently living in is small, and our family is growing, therefore we bought building materials worth KES15,000, we then used the remaining part of the transfer in buying foodstuff. I am happy for the support that lifted my life greatly." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"My biggest hardship is luck of money in life. My husband died in 2011 and I depend on my elder son who has 2 children in secondary school and his motorcycle job cannot feed the house and also attend other needs.This is the main reason I am living in a house like this."

"My house is not good. I have been sick for so long such that I failed to build a nice house for myself. I am planning to demolish this house so that I can build a new house. My house has been full of hungry bellies and I have bought some bags of maize for food processing. I have also bought kitchen utensils such as spoons, plates and pots. I also intend to buy beddings such as blankets and mattresses with the remaining amount of money." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I remember vividly like yesterday that it was around 9.30 am when I heard a ringtone message from my phone. I didn't expect any Mpesa message as I thought that it was Safaricom promotional SMS. When I realized that it was a message confirming that I had received money from GiveDirectly, I felt so happy. I immediately informed my family members and they were so overwhelmed with joy. I knew that I would finally be able to take my motorcycle for servicing." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"When I received my transfer, I bought a dairy cow and a heifer worth KES 30000 and KES 12000 respectively as a way of investing this money. When it calves, my family will have enough milk for consumption after selling some to earn an income. In addition to this, I will be able to save KES 1200 monthly that I usually spend on milk. I own a motorbike and it had taken months since I last took it for service and I am glad that I was able to achieve this as I used KES 7000 to service it. Using the remaining KES 6000, I bought some food and clothes for my family." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I have been unemployed for the last five years and I have been struggling to make ends meet. I started a motorcycle spare shop in the year 2014 in the nearby town which didn't make it beyond 2017 due to the low number of buyers. I am currently employed as a casual laborer within the village working on other villagers' farms by digging, fencing, and or weeding earning an estimated wage of KES 300 a day. The job itself is unreliable and I seldom get one and my wish is to get capital to start and run a business. I intend to spend KES 40,000 of the transfer to start and run poultry farming as a business and thus materializing my dream. Therefore, receiving this money means an improved living standard."