"My husband is a motorcycle rider, and I am unemployed. We have four children in school. He bought a motorbike on credit and most of the funds have been used to clear the debt. My challenge has been educating my children and providing food. Recently, with my eldest daughter joining secondary school, it has been quite a challenge. My first transfer was used to buy building materials because the family wanted a bigger house, a two-roomed house with a verandah. Besides, the house was in a worse state and irreparable. The remaining cash bought food for the family and a bed and a mattress for my mother-in-law. The second transfer of $230 was used to pay the contractor and buy the remaining building materials to complete the structure. I paid the other $220 as school fees for the full term for my daughter, who joined the high school. The remaining money was used to buy food and other household items like washing detergents and cleaning items." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I spent the kes. 45000 from the first transfer, I received on buying a secondhand motorcycle for my husband to operate a taxi. We believed that this motorcycle will be able to bring some daily income in order to support our family with basic needs. I also spent kes. 7800 in paying school fees for my two children and the remaining kes. 200 bought food. With the second transfer, I spent kes. 28000 paying school fees for all my five children. Boosted my Grocery shop and fish business with kes. 8000 and bought food with the remaining amount. Before I started receiving the transfers, I was not able to feed my family well, we could skip without eating some meals. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for changing my life and my family’s life. At least my children are going to school for a whole year without school fees arrears."

"I am proud to own two goats that I acquired through the transfer as these are savings to me. I added them to my existing goat shed, and my plan is to keep them and let them multiply since I can readily rely on them in case of a financial need. I have also been sheltering in a grass-thatched house and my plan is to renovate it. I have been saving a portion of the transfer to purchase iron sheets that will facilitate the renovation of my house. Apart from these, I also managed to buy enough foodstuffs for my family that could serve us for a month. I have been relying on subsistence farming which could ensure food security, but it's now years since we stopped farming. Also, because of the drought, water was a problem and we had to buy at a high cost. Had I not received the transfer, it would have been hard to provide adequately for my family. I have long been borrowing my friend's motorcycles to earn a living. Since I am not employed by anyone, it wasn't easy to support my family. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for their support which has enabled me to provide for my family with ease."

"It's really hard to get employment here in the village. My husband who's the sole breadwinner had a job in Malindi town as a guest house attendant that was paying him $700 monthly, but lost it in September this year when the owner decided to change his line of business and turned the rooms into rental houses. We have been trying a lot to get another reliable source of income but no much success yet. So we've mostly been cashing in from a motorcycle that he rented out to someone who's using it to transport vegetables from irrigation farms in Galana to different markets. This only generates $3 daily which is quite too little to feed a family of four and pay school fees for one of my two children who's already in school paying $ $400 each academic term."

"One year ago, I developed spinal cord injuries that rendered me nonproductive. I can barely do any job as I am bedridden. As a result, I depend on my husband's teaching job and my children's motorcycle business to raise my family of 9. When I receive the transfers I intend to use $200 on purchasing 10 goats as a source of income. Goats thrive well in a hot environment because they are drought-resistant and breed so fast and within one year, they birth twice. I hope to use the rest of the transfers on school fees for my children in grade 8, grade 10, grade 12 and university. I will be glad that they complete school and be independent hence assisting me with supporting the household further."

"I acknowledge the motorcycle business as an income-generating activity for my family of 4. However, there are hefty deductions( $8) each week as I try to pay off the loan I took to acquire this motorcycle. At the end of the week, I have almost nothing to save as the $15 profit all goes towards maintenance of the bike as well as food for the household. As a backup plan, I intend to use the first transfers ($200) on purchasing goats as they breed so fast. I will gladly earn income from them in case of an emergency as I will sell. In addition, I intend to build another house as the single one I currently have is small for my growing family. For the rest of the transfers, I plan on fencing my compound to demarcate boundaries with my neighbours." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"My objectives are to be self-sufficient and to contribute to our home. Since I don't have a job, my husband, who drives a motorcycle as a taxi, provides the majority of our family's income. In the future, I will save aside a portion of the monthly transfers for a few months, and then I will utilize the money to launch a grocery store. Groceries are more profitable because practically everyone uses them every day. I'll start buying goats to raise later, once the business is established."

"As a second wife and mother of 6, it's paramount that I always strive to give my kids the best possible life that they can have and the funds from GiveDirectly helped greatly towards that goal. I purchased three goats, 2 female and 1 male, in the hopes of them starting a little flock of my own. I bought land, on which I will plant 5 acres of maize to cultivate and sell. My husband ferry's charcoal to the market in Kilifi or Mtwapa, only visits once a week, since as I said, he has to share his time between his two wives. Having to rear my kids alone, it was Godsend that GiveDirectly chose me for the transfers as I could then use the majority of the funds to cater for a KES. 5,000 fees debt I had accrued, not to mention fees for my 2nd born in Class 7, my third born who is just completing Grade 6, my 4th in Grade 3, my 5th in Grade 1 and my youngest in PP1, all of whom demand KES. 750, a piece , per term to cater for tuition at Mgumoni Primary. Working in the same school where I cook Githeri in the cafeteria and earn KES. 5,000, I was hard pressed to make ends meet and GiveDirectly bridged the gap beautifully and for that both I and my family will forever be greatfull" (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"GiveDirectly has helped out in the village, and supporting me in my youthful period will help me save money. Educate my children without strain. It had upgraded us and we are thankful." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I was unable to begin the construction of a new house, which we had always hoped to begin, after dividing the received funds and distributing them among the various projects we had. My growing family of five is currently struggling to fit into our small house, but I am optimistic that once we finish the current running projects, we will shift our focus to the construction of a larger house. The subsistence farming we are doing now is promising, and once we harvest in January, I hope to sell the excess produce and use the proceeds to purchase materials that will be useful in the early stages of construction." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)