"It was a hot afternoon, and the sun was high in the sky. My spouse, our three children, and I were busy working on our one-acre watermelon farm. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was a call from a friend. After I was done talking with him, I noticed an unread message. I opened it to check and was delighted that the anticipated transfer from GiveDirectly had arrived sooner than expected. I was so happy and immediately shared the good news with my children and spouse, who were equally excited."

"I plan to allocate KES 30,000 towards paying school fees for my children, ensuring they can focus on their studies without any interruptions. To improve our family's income, I intend to invest KES 20,000 in purchasing 4 goats. This investment will provide a sustainable source of income over time. For my 1.5 acres of farmland, I will allocate KES 20,000 towards purchasing necessary farm inputs such as tilling, seeds, land preparation, and watering. This investment aims to increase productivity and generate additional income for my family through agriculture. The remaining KES 40,000 will be used to expand our current living space, accommodating family members who are currently facing challenges due to limited space. Additionally, part of this amount will be used to purchase food for the family, ensuring our basic needs are met. This plan aims to address our immediate challenges while creating opportunities for sustainable income and improved living conditions for my family."

"Facing financial constraints is really challenging for me right now. Here in Longewan, farming relies heavily on irrigation, which requires funds for essentials like a water pump and fuel. Unfortunately, I could not afford these necessities, so I had to lease out my 0.5 acres of land to my neighbor instead of cultivating it myself. If I had the financial means, I could cultivate that land and generate profits to support my family of six, helping us escape poverty and reducing our reliance on unreliable casual jobs. It is a difficult situation, but I am hopeful that I can find a way to secure the resources needed to get back to farming and improve our circumstances."

"I had always dreamt to have a spacious house for my family. I have a two roomed house which is not sufficient for the whole household of 10. Both of my 4 boys and girls share a room which is against our culture. I am therefore planning to use the first transfer to build a three roomed house that is big and offers us privacy. Besides, I will use USD 230 to buy a 5000 litres storage water tank so that I harvest rain water for domestic purpose. This will relieve me the stress of walking over 6 kms to and from to fetch water. In addition to the time will be helpful to other economic activities such as farming. The remaining amount will be for paying school fees for my child who is at high school."

"In the recent past, I have noticed a potential in cow and goat farming in this area. The availability of water from a river which is 300 meters and rarely dry makes that venture very possible to manage. So my plan if I get the transfer is to purchase two cows at an average cost of $180 each which will require one year to reproduce and that will be a good investment for my family. The intention for the remaining amount is to finish my house which is halfway now. The house will need approximately $450 to it's completion."

"I will allocate $500 towards putting up a house for me and my 5 children after being rendered homeless by floods 2 months ago. I am so excited that my family will no longer have to endure cold nights and water borne illnesses going forward, thanks to GiveDirectly."

"Due to the destructive floods we lost some household items and have limited food supplies. We intend to use the first transfer to buy food and household items such as blankets, utensils and clothes. This will improve our living conditions immensely. The transfers will also assist me settle a $300 loan borrowed from a local seed company. I had borrowed the money for farming hoping for returns. Floods destroyed my crops leaving me with a debt. When settled I will be able to have peace of mind and be able to borrow in the future when needed. Farming is a lucrative venture here due to the fertile lands and enough water for irrigation. It's also risky due to the floods. Additionally, I intend to buy a cow and 4 sheep. It will cost approximately $600. They breed well and the cow will provide us with milk. I'll be very happy and thankful to Givedirectly for the help. It means I can sell my livestock during emergencies or to pay for my children's education. The remainder of the transfer will help me settle school fees for my daughter in secondary school. I'm looking forward to receiving the transfer. I promise to change my life with it."

"When I received my first transfer, I used it to plant mangoes and bananas at home. These plants require regular watering, but I do not have a water source at home. They have been relying on rainwater during the wet season, but they will lack water during the dry season.I am expecting around $600 from my maize harvest, which I plan to use to purchase a 10,000-liter water tank. This will allow me to store and refill water to irrigate my crops, ensuring continuous harvests."

"On the 14th of June, at around 3pm, I was heading home from fetching water when my phone beeped. Curious, I stopped to check the message, and to my excitement and gratitude, it was a transfer notification from GiveDirectly. I couldn't believe my luck and felt a rush of joy and thankfulness. Eager to share the news, I continued home and ran into my neighbor. I asked her if she had received the same message, but she said her phone was out of charge and she'd check later. Bursting with happiness, I went to withdraw $10 that evening, which I used to buy food since I had nothing for that day. It was a moment of sheer relief and gratitude."

"Ever since we received the unconditional cash from GiveDirectly, the biggest difference I've seen in my life is the relief from the constant worry about our home. I used to be tired of repairing the roof of the house we lived in because it seemed like every four months we had to fix it again. Now, with the money, I've been able to build a new house with an iron roof. This means I won't have to do those frequent repairs anymore, and I'm no longer scared of the rainy seasons and leaking roofs. I can finally relax and let nature take its course without the stress of water seeping into our home."