"Aho mboneye inkunga ya mbere nahise nguramo inka ya 250,000 Rwf (250$), nteresha ishyamba bintwara 50,000 Rwf (50$), ayasigaye naguzemo ibyo kurya. Inkunga ya kabiri nayo ije nakomeje kwiteza imbere, ngura umurima wa 400,000 Rwf (400 $), ayasigaye ndateganya gusubirshamo inzu yanjye nkayikorera amasuku.."

"Inkunga yambere ingezeho nahise nguramo ubutaka buriho ishyamba, ubundi ngura amabati nshyirishamo prafond munzu, ngura nitungo rigufi ry'intama, mpaha nibyo kurya. Ayakabiri nayo nyabonye nakomeje kwiteza imbere, ngura sima nsubiramo inzu yanjye nkora n'igikoni neza. Nanaguze ishyiga rya kijyambere n'amasafuriya yaryo, ngura n'igishyushya ibiryo, ngura n'amasahani n'ibikombe. Ubu mfite 200,000 Rfw ntarakoresha nkaba nteganya kugura intama ya kabiri no gukomeza kwiteza imbere."

"Nkuko ndangije kubigaragaza maze gukataza kubera inkunga ya GiveDirectly, mu myaka iri imbere rero ndizera ko nzagera ku iterambere rirambye nkuhaza muri byose ubukene bukaba amateka kuko inkunga ya GiveDirectly ari umusingi ukomeye nzubakiraho amateka meza yo gusezerera ubukene bugasigara ari amateka, rwose ndumva mu myaka iri imbere nzaba ndi umuhinzi w'intangarugero wihaza agasagurira n'isoko."

"Receiving my first transfer from GiveDirectly was a moment that I will never forget. I vividly remember the excitement that filled my heart when I received the Mpesa message that confirmed the receipt. It was a feeling of relief, knowing that I would finally resolve the problem that had been ailing my family for a long time. Previously, my family of three had been living in a grass-thatched hut, and during rainy seasons, it was always a nightmare for us. It was unfortunate that our happiness was short-lived when a neighbor's cattle invaded my compound and destroyed half of the grass-thatched roof, leaving me heartbroken. However, after receiving the transfer, I knew that our days of suffering were over. I made a decision to prioritize the construction of a new house. I spent $150 on construction materials, paid the transport cost, and topped up the remaining amount with my savings to pay the labor charges. In just one day, the cubical iron sheet house was complete, and it was everything I had hoped for. The joy that filled my heart was uncontainable, knowing that I would no longer spend money on frequent repairs on the walls and the roof. Instead, I could now use the money to provide enough food for my family. My elder daughter and her two children also live with us, and her wages from casual labor help in sorting other household bills. I am forever grateful that my family now lives in a comfortable home."

"I was working in my farm that day at around 4:00 pm when I heard my phone ring and upon checking I confirmed that I had indeed received money from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy that I was finally going to be able to pay school fees for my children who had huge school fees arears. I only informed my mother in law of the same and she realized that she had received hers too. The whole village was in a jubilant mood. I could hear people walking along the road with everyone very busy trying to withdraw the money as soon as they could."

"We moved away from the land we had built on the lake's edge ten years ago when the lake waters rose and covered most of our land and eventually houses. Since then, we have been looking for a place to live on a neighbor's vast land, which, while not ideal, I am grateful for because he generously donated that piece for us to live on. Due to its proximity to the lake, the first stop was a swampy area that would be infested with wild animals and snakes. We later moved to a raised ground on the same land owned by a neighbor and began building a new house, which we never finished. We were unable to build a good house due to the movement, but I am grateful that after receiving the transfer, we were able to put up a spacious structure made of iron sheet walls, with three cubicle rooms shared by my family of eight. I also spent $105 on 15 bags of cement, $40 on sand, and $10 on labor. I am grateful and hope to use the remaining funds to pay school fees and purchase goats. We had relied extensively on casual labor, which included working on other people's farms and I hope to see a lot changing with the support we are getting in the subsequent transfers."

"The joy of seeing a lot of transformation in my house is the biggest difference in my daily life. The transfers came when I had an open house with only a mattress and a few utensils inside, but now I have a good seat and a storage facility, which has improved the house. Despite the fact that it is a small cubicle room made of iron sheets, it is now orderly, and I am happy to be home every time and not embarrassed to have visitors."

"I had just come from the bush with fire wood on my head and I saw people happily moving up and down singing songs with Givedirectly's name. I asked what happened and a neighbor narrated to me that they were jubilating because the money GiveDirectly promised had arrived. I threw my wood bundle down and joined in with dancing. I was so happy and my feet even got dusty. I made plans to go for my money and buy my zinc for a new house."

"I was planting cocoa on my farm when my trustee reached me with information that he checked my phone and saw my money from GiveDirectly. I shouted with Joy upon hearing the news; I stopped work and started thanking God for such a great opportunity. I continued working after few minutes of jubilation and in the process, I was saying out loud what I'd do with the money."

"My husband and I have a three-year-old and a child, and we all live in a single cubicle that my husband built two years ago. We had hoped to build a better house, but financial insecurity has kept us working as casual laborers around the village in order to buy construction materials. I was relieved when I was accepted into GiveDirectly's free cash transfer program, which gave us hope of making our dream a reality. After receiving the funds, I spent $130 on construction materials, which included 10 iron sheets at $9 each, 20 roofing frames at $6, 3 Kg nails, and transportation. I am still hoping to buy more iron sheets because I need more space and plan to use them on both the roof and the walls. I also purchased 20 kilos of dry maize grains for $12, 10 kilos of beans for $10, and other household items that I am still using to feed my family of three. We have started construction and are looking forward to putting up a new house once we get the second transfer."