"I used to be a shopkeeper but I lost my business. I now depend on casual labour and my small farming to make an income. I do not make much in terms of income as some days I can make up to less than $10. My goal has been to improve my house seeing that since the rains began my mud walled house has been slowly washed down and now it is leaking into the house. This makes the house so cold and in a sense unlivable. My monthly $24 savings is aimed at buying stones which I plan to use to build a new house for my family."

"My husband works as a loader in a maize milling company in Mombasa. He earns around $5 daily. I am a fishmonger as well as grocery seller, I make about $2 a day from this business. This only allows us to cover our basic needs and even at that with a strain, we can only struggle to cover for food and school fees and we do not have the luxury of saving. Givedirectly transfers however changed how things are for us. Now we have an extra amount of money that we can use to take care of needs that the earnings we have cannot. We need about $140 for a lorry of stones and $90 for sand. I am able to see myself achieve the goal of getting this materials to better my families living state thanks to Givedirectly." (Occupation: Small business)

"I've been saving most of my cash transfers through a self-help group and contributing to a merry-go-round club since last year. My main goal is to accumulate enough cash from these clubs to buy goats and start livestock rearing. Specifically, I aim to purchase at least five young male goats and a female goat. When the male goats mature, I plan to sell them to raise money to buy a dairy cow. This has always been my dream because, with a cow that can reproduce and produce milk, I could sell the milk to generate income and accumulate wealth through their reproduction. From the recent cash transfers, I saved a total of $84 through these clubs. I spent the remaining amount on other needs, such as buying clothes for my child to increase his attire because he had only a few. Importantly, the cash transfers are giving me hope to own goats, a desire that seemed impossible before due to a lack of stable income. My coconut-buying and selling business could barely meet basic needs, let alone afford livestock. I'm happy about the cash transfers; they have uplifted me, and now I can achieve my goal of owning goats."

"I aspire to keep livestock such as goats and poultry. Currently, I have bought two goats from the cash transfers, and my goal is to obtain at least seven more by the time the transfers end. Now that we have harvested food and hunger is not a concern anymore, I want to leverage the funds to buy goats. Since I have no source of income apart from GiveDirectly cash transfers, I am confident that rearing livestock will be a valuable source of income in the future. After the cash transfers have ended, I believe that the goats will have reproduced and increased, and I can sell some of them to support the education of my seven children." (Occupation: Small business)

"My goal is to utilize my upcoming transfers to enhance my business, thereby expanding my customer base and increasing my income. In the coming year, I aim to enroll in college and acquire expertise in the building and construction sector, aligning with my career aspirations and long-term objectives. The support from the transfers has been invaluable, significantly improving my life, for which I am truly grateful."

"Currently, I have two major goals that I would love to start actioning on very soon. First, I would like to expand my current butchery shop. I am a member of our local merry go round group and it will be my turn to receive some funds( a sum of $150) before the end of this month. I am planning to use these funds to expand my shop as these will lead to an increase in my daily profits. This is because I'll have more customers and my daily sales will increase. I'll be saving my daily proceeds so that by next year May, I will use my profits to achieve my second goal of joining college. I recently applied for a course in orthopaedic and trauma in my dream college and I got a vacancy. I was to join during September in take but due to lack of finances, I had to defer until next year May. I believe that by then, I will have saved a good amount from my transfer and business so that I can use in paying for my school fees."

"I am now going to be a landlord to the place of where I do business from. I will not be paying rent."

"In the coming year and beyond, my goal is to build a more spacious house. The current one-room structure is too small to even fit my bed properly. It is also in poor condition and on the verge of collapsing. I aspire to construct a two-room brick-walled and tin-roofed house, estimated to cost at least $2000. Given uncertainties about my motorcycle taxi business generating enough income, my strategy is to continue investing in goats. I aim to let the herd reproduce, and in the future, selling some of them will fund the construction of my dream house. I have so far bought twenty goats from the cash transfers. "

"As I stand on the threshold of new beginnings after completing high school, my sights are set on a venture that holds promise and potential: a business selling vegetables. The idea of cultivating and selling fresh produce excites me, offering a chance to channel my energy and enthusiasm into something meaningful. With college on the horizon, I see this business as more than just a means to financial stability; it's a stepping stone toward independence and learning the ropes of entrepreneurship. I envision this next year as the foundation for my journey, where I'll sow the seeds of a successful vegetable business while preparing to embark on the academic path ahead. This venture isn't just about selling vegetables; it's about nurturing growth, both for my future business and my personal development as I stride into the next chapter of my life."

"The recent unconditional cash transfer came as a timely blessing for me and my family of six. Ever since my spouse passed away a few years ago, I've been navigating the challenging journey of single parenthood without much support from my in-laws. With the entire cash transfer, I chose to prioritize the immediate needs of my family and invested it entirely in purchasing sufficient foodstuffs. As a widow managing a charcoal business where I earn around $13 a week, it's been a constant struggle to meet the basic needs of my children. This injection of funds allowed me to provide not only sustenance but also a sense of security for my family, alleviating the burden of wondering where the next meal would come from. The weight lifted by this financial support is immeasurable. My children can now enjoy regular, nutritious meals, and I can focus on nurturing them without the constant worry about making ends meet. While the grief of losing my spouse remains, the unconditional cash transfer has offered a glimmer of hope and stability in our daily lives."