"I was really happy to get the second payment. My spouse and I had already planned what to do with the money, and we were excited to finally get it. We decided to buy four more goats, so my spouse went to the market on goat action day and spent $200 on them. Adding them to our existing 10 goats makes me really happy because it means we will not have to spend money on buying milk soon since we can milk them when they calve for our family consumption. Additionally, goats breed quickly where we live because of the warm weather, so they are a good investment for our future. We also used $200 for farming investment. This includes paying for labour for our acre of land preparation, buying vegetable seedlings, and fixing our generator, which we need for watering the crops. Farming is our only source of income for feeding our four children and meeting their needs. I am hopeful that the vegetables will grow well and we can sell them to earn some income. With 30, I bought new clothes for my kids for they to also feel the immediate impact of the transfer, and they were so excited to wear them to Sunday school and show them off to their friends. The rest of the money went towards buying food stuff like sugar, cooking oil, and tea leaves."

"The roof of my house is in a pathetic state. The iron sheets are rusted and have huge holes that let rainwater into the house. Rainwater has destroyed some furniture in my house, resulting in losses. It is for this reason that I saved $42 in the local savings group, commonly known as a "chama." The savings will help me purchase new pieces of iron sheets to replace the entire roof of my house. I paid $30 in school fees for my son, who attends a private school. It brings me much joy knowing that my son continues to pursue his education without any interruptions. To boost my income, I purchased seven hens for $14. Once the hens multiply, I will sell some in the future and earn a good profit. With the remaining amount of $14, I purchased food, soap, and detergents. My family has never lacked food to eat, thanks to the transfers. I appreciate the financial transfers for helping me take care of my family, despite having a job. I often rely on my husband, who is a casual laborer doing low-paying manual jobs."

"When I receive my transfers, I am eager to invest in fencing my 1/8 acre plot for kitchen gardening. Since I already rear goats, obtaining manure will not be an issue, as I plan to utilize their droppings for fertilizer. I will spend $130 for this purpose, alongside $300 for a water tank to store irrigation water. Additionally, I intend to spend $400 on expanding my poultry house, as I am keen on scaling up poultry farming. It is gratifying to contribute to our household income, supporting my husband, who serves as an administrative police officer. This investment aligns with our goal of securing our financial future through diversified farming activities as well as improving the food security for the family of seven."

"Water is a big problem in our village, we buy water from the nearby water shop for domestic use. This comes with another additional cost to my family. I am a casual labourer and what I earn is peanut. After budgeting what I receive from working, I am left with little money to buy my family enough clean water for domestic use. We end up limiting the use of water, some of us could even go for two days without taking bath. Our biggest part of the land is not arable, we end up buying food for the family which is costly. On average we spend about KES 400 on food a day. Comparing with my daily earning of KES 350, I have nothing to save and invest."

"I have to device other ways to provide for my family now that I have been advised not to engage heavy duties for the sake of my health. I will budget KES 20000 to open a kiosk in the village. To create time for my children for their studies during the evening hours, I will use KES 40000 to buy a plastic water tank for my family. This will save them from fetching water for the family when they come home from school in the evening. My dream of poultry farming will not be left out when I receive the transfers. I will plan KES 5000 to establish poultry farming. This will bring back my happiness of supporting my husband to provide for the family. I will also consider taking my three children to private school, this will help them access quality education."

"By the end of last year, I was struggling with chronic hypertension. Before I could get help, I had a stroke that left one side of my body paralyzed, including my hand and leg. In a short amount of time, this unusual condition depleted my finances, and my son, who has been taking care of me, was unable to pay for all of the medical bills. I am old, and this has weakened me even more. I am forever grateful for the monthly transfers that have kept me going, getting adequate medication, and also eating well. Though I was worried that I would not be able to cover the costs of the medical care, the recent transfers allowed me to pay $90 for the prescription. I was unable to speak or sit by myself before the treatment because my condition was worse, but I am now able to do so because I received treatment on time. I also spent $20 on buying adequate food and clean water. I hired a motorcycle to bring me water because I am unable to do anything because of this condition. In addition, I also installed a solar panel that I purchased on credit to enhance the lighting in my home. The conditions state that I must pay for it every day, and to ensure that I there is continuous lighting, I also took $15 and paid in advance, giving me a full month before I have to make another payment. This has also helped me with my current health condition, so I am happy that I no longer struggle with lighting."

"Subsistence farming has been the backbone of our local economy, and my aspiration has always been to reduce our dependence on purchased food by growing enough to sustain my family of six. With the unwavering support of my husband, I plan to lease an additional two acres of land along the nearby water sources, which will enable us to implement irrigation methods during dry spells. By combining these acreages with our existing piece, I aim to enhance our farming operations, producing enough food for both consumption and surplus for sale. Alongside the support from GiveDirectly's remaining transfers, I hope to generate income from the surplus yield of our current acre. These efforts are all geared towards securing a steady source of income to ensure timely payment of all my children's school fees."

"I want to continue supporting the education of my two children, one in high school and the other in primary school. At the same time, I aim to build a new house since the current one has a damaged roof that leaks water whenever it rains. Fortunately, we recently harvested crops, easing our food concerns. As this alleviates the food constraints on the funds, I plan to use the cash transfers to address these two priorities of building a house and paying school fees. Additionally, if possible, I hope to start a business before the cash transfers end, one that can continue generating income even after the funds stop in the next couple of years."

"Having tested watermelon farming and realized a good profit margin from the small piece of land I leased, I intend to fully delve into commercial farming as my source of livelihood. I plan to use $600 of my transfers to actualize this right from purchases to harvesting. By doing this, I project that I can get close to $5000 after three months. This will kickstart my journey to financial freedom and life sustainability for my family. For the rest of the transfers, I intend to relocate to my own place and construct a decent house."

"My house is small and enough for us, it is embarrassing that brothers and male relatives have nowhere to sleep when they visit me. This makes me to prioritize building a better house when I receive my transfers. I will budget KES 40000 of my money to build a two roomed house. I am lucky to have canal water close to me, this will supply water to my farm. I will plan KES 30000 of my transfer to prepare and farm my land. This will help me produce more maize crops. With this, I will be no longer struggling to provide for my family."