"I am determined to focus on farming in the coming years and open a business once I start earning from my crops. By investing my time and energy into agriculture, I believe I can provide for my family and create a stable income. Furthermore, I have plans to continue my education, which I had to pause due to lack of school fees. Education is important to me, and I want to improve my knowledge and skills for a better future. I hope that with my farming success and new business, I can pay for my education and set a good example for my child. Ultimately, my goal is to build a better life for my family and achieve my dreams."

"When the cash transfer arrived, I was very stressed about how to pay my children's school fees. I had two kids in secondary school, and I paid $250 for their fees. Before this, I used to farm and sell livestock to support their education, but I had to sell all my animals to cover overdue fees. Heavy rains also damaged my maize, and I had to spend $150 for workers to help with the harvest because the floods almost took everything away. Luckily, GiveDirectly helped me just when I needed it most. With the remaining $50, I bought clothes for my five children. Their old clothes were in terrible condition, and they didn't have decent outfits for visiting the hospital or going out. My wife and I are just farmers, and life has been hard, especially when it comes to meeting our basic needs. However, after receiving this cash transfer, I can now focus on other important things without constantly worrying about school fees.The floods have really affected us, destroying 15 chickens and damaging parts of my maize farm. Still, I am thankful for the support from GiveDirectly because it has greatly reduced my stress. Now we can finally relax a bit and think about the future, knowing that our children's education is secure and that we can work on rebuilding our lives."

"Starting a poultry project has been a dream of mine for a long time. With the unconditional cash transfer, I finally had the chance to make it happen. I spent $70 to buy 60 chicks because I believe chickens can provide eggs for our family, and I can sell any extras if needed. I also spent $70 on feed and $10 on medicines to keep the chicks healthy. I hope to earn about $700 a week by selling eggs at $20 per dozen. This money will be important for paying my children's school fees and covering our basic needs.I set aside $50 for my children's school fees because their education is important. I was mostly depending on farming and casual jobs to make sure I can pay for their fees and secure their future. I used another $50 to buy food for the family to ensure we have enough to eat. Sometimes, we rely on my wife's salary for food at home, so I thought it would be a better idea to relieve her of that burden. Additionally, I invested $20 in planting watermelon and beans on three acres of land to grow different crops and ensure we have enough food. Farming has always been my passion, and I enjoy growing crops and raising animals. In our area, we have a good opportunity to plant maize through a contract with Kenya Seed, which allows us to sell our maize at higher prices and earn more money. Overall, this cash transfer has really helped improve our lives, and I feel hopeful about the future. I have two children, and my wife is a teacher who helps support our family with her salary. However, I still handle most of the household responsibilities. With this poultry project and the crops I am planting, I am confident that we will do well as a family and secure a better future for our children."

"In the coming years, I plan to lease a piece of land to focus on farming, particularly planting maize, as it thrives even during the dry seasons. I believe this will provide a steady source of income and help us sustain our family’s needs. With the profits I make from farming, my priority will be to pay school fees for my children so that they can continue their education without interruption. Additionally, I aim to improve our living conditions further by expanding our home. I want my family to be comfortable and secure in the long term. Farming will be our main source of stability, and I am confident that with hard work, we will succeed."

"Life was challenging after the floods destroyed our homes, forcing us to relocate temporarily. The grass-thatched house I lived in became even more difficult to manage, leaking every time it rained and worsening due to the damage from the floods. I decided to use $350 of the cash transfer to purchase building materials for a new house. Although I haven’t completed the construction yet, it’s a relief knowing that I’m working toward a better, safer home for my family. Having a more secure place to live has been a priority, especially after the hardship we went through. This decision felt like the best step toward rebuilding our lives.With the remaining money, I paid my child's school fees. Thankfully, my child received a sponsorship, which has eased the financial burden of education. As a mother of three, and with no husband to assist, I’ve relied on the support of my parents, but it hasn't been easy. However, having this help has allowed me to focus on other pressing needs, like improving our living conditions, without the constant worry of paying for school fees. Looking back, life after the floods seemed bleak, but the assistance from GiveDirectly has given me hope. We are slowly seeing improvement in our lives, and I feel optimistic about what the future holds. The support we received has brought relief and allowed us to make meaningful progress, and for that, I am incredibly grateful."

"For the past 7 years we have been unable to complete the construction of our house .We have 2 children in school,one in university and another in high school .Payment of their school fees from my husband salary and my trading business has been straineous leading to a standstill in the household projects.Receiving this transfers means a dream come true in our family because we can now fully complete the construction of our house with approximately KES 60000.The remaining amount of KES 10000 will be used to purchase 10 fishing nets hence enabling me to scale up my daily income from KES 600 to KES 18000.This means a better life for my family"

"I have six children in school, and their education is my top priority. Recently, I used $59 from my transfers from GiveDirectly to pay their school fees, which was crucial in ensuring they would not be sent home due to unpaid fees. Also, our region is currently faced with severe drought and hunger, which has made it difficult for us to access basic necessities such as water and food from our farms. To ensure my family did not go hungry, I spent another $33 of my transfers on food, as we had none left. In addition to these immediate needs, I am also focused on building a sustainable future. I saved the remaining $10 in our local savings group, where members pool their resources to support one another. Once I receive my pooled funds, I plan to use the funds to buy chickens and goats. I envision them multiplying over time, providing us with a reliable source of income. My goal is to sell some of the animals and invest the profits back into buying more chicken and goats with the aim of selling them in the future."

"Now that my two children are in their final year of secondary school and preparing for their final exams, I am relieved to know that I can redirect my transfers to other opportunities since I am getting a little break from paying school fees. In the coming year and beyond, I plan to use a portion of my transfers to buy goats, hoping they will multiply and increase in number and value. My goal is to eventually trade some of them for female cows, which would also multiply, providing me with a reliable source of income as my children transition into college and as this program comes to an end. I am very thankful for the support from GiveDirectly, which has made all this possible."

"Our region has been facing a prolonged dry season, leading to drought and hunger. Because of this, we have been forced to buy food from stores, so I used $72 of my recent transfers to purchase food and water for my family to ensure we do not go hungry. Additionally, my house is in a very poor state and is on the verge of collapsing, as it is leaning to one side. My goal is to build a new house for my family so that we can have a safe and comfortable place to live. I spent $20 on building materials, and I am hopeful that soon I will have enough to start constructing a new two-roomed house. Lastly, I used the remaining $10 to pay school fees for my grandson, whom I live with, to make sure he stays in school and isn’t sent home due to unpaid fees. I am incredibly grateful for this support, as it gives me hope that I can achieve my dream of building a new home."

"Initially, I had plans of renovating my house, but things have become quite difficult and so I had to shift my priorities. The drought and hunger affecting our region has made life challenging for many of us. I used to collect building poles from the forest and sell them to people in my community who were constructing homes. But with the current hunger crisis, people are more focused on providing food for their families, leaving me with fewer customers for the building poles. This has reduced my income, and now I solely rely on the transfers from GiveDirectly. For the coming year and beyond, I plan to use a portion of these transfers to continue paying school fees for my children and buy food for my family. Additionally, where possible, I intend to invest in chickens, hoping they will multiply and grow in value. My hope is that when my children need school fees, I can sell some of the chickens to cover their costs and ensure they continue with their education. I’m truly grateful for the support from GiveDirectly, especially during these difficult times."