"I was once a motorcycle taxi but I got into an accident that forced me to stay jobless. Considering our area is not productive in terms of farming, I am now depending on charcoal work as my source of income. This job earns me very little, usually $60 a month, an income that goes into settling my bills leaving me with nothing to save. This situation has made me live in a horrible house because I can not afford to construct a decent one. Since our area is prone to elephants' inhabitation, I have always been in fear and this has never given me peace. What a sorrowful life!"

"I spent all of my second transfer on paying for house building materials" (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I had poor bedding and, regrettably, no money to purchase a mattress and other bedding. I was previously sleeping on a tiny, two-and-a-half-inch mattress, which was very uncomfortable. Because I have never had a bed, I could just spread it out on the floor. I bought a mattress and a bed with a portion of my second transfer ($128 total). I also made a down payment of $150 to purchase a second-hand motorcycle. I can consistently make $5 to $10 per day from it. I used to be over-reliant on part-time jobs that barely paid $5 per day. Last but not least, I spent $70 on maize flour, which enabled us to have enough food for more than a month. As a family, we are indebted to GiveDirectly."

"I was really excited to receive the funds when I did especially because I cannot fend for myself. I was diagnosed with a problem with my mental stability some couple of years ago which has made it very hard for me to actually acquire a job. Therefore,I end up depending on my mother who also depends on one of his grandchildren who rides a motorcycle to make ends meet. That is why when I received the transfers I decided to go ahead and use the entire KES 3,000 on nutrition for myself and my family because we barely had any food and drought has made things much more worse."

"I spent $320 on purchasing a dairy cow, I had always wished to own a dairy cow but I did not have the money. I am a motorcycle taxi operator and the money that I would get daily was for basic household needs. I had no extra money to invest in dairy keeping project. I would spend $5 per week on buying milk. This was so costly since I had no other steady source of income. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I felt so happy because this was the chance to buy a dairy cow. Currently, I no longer buy milk like before. My children get enough milk and they are so grateful for the support. This had given me peace of mind to do my work perfectly since I no longer worried about where to get the money for milk. I spent $100 on purchasing materials and building a small decent kitchen house. I used to own a small grass-thatched kitchen house but I know I have a decent and more spacious one. The rest of the money I spent on food and other household basic needs. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards."

"I am a motorcycle taxi rider married and blessed with four children. Upon the receipt of my second transfer, I opted to use my transfer on starting a goat-rearing project where I bought six goats worth $200. This is because I knew that the goat is drought resistant and easy to manage compared to other animals. I was not in a position to start one before due to financial constraints due to school fees, responsibilities and other basic needs. Secondly, I thought of completing my incomplete house where I used $120 on its completion. Lastly, I bought foodstuffs for my family with the remaining amount. I have achieved a lot within a short period. The support from GiveDirectly has been of great help thus, I am grateful."

"I spent my cash transfer on purchasing bags of fertilizer..I managed to buy 3 bags of fertilizer and spent a sum of $140 and about $8 for transportation..I am hoping that I will use the fertilizer in my maize field to increase fertility of the soil and promoting growth. I used the other part of the money to purchase 3 bags of maize at an approximate amount of $66..The food will be enough for family since I have 5 kids and also I had a few bags in my house. I have started a transportation business with the cash as I managed to purchase a second hand motorcycle. My husband, Kennedy will be taking people from my village to Mayani trading centre and sometimes from Mayani to Salima district..I this will help in generating day to day income for my family. Lastly, I bought 1 goat at a price of $50 so that I can start raising at home."

"Firstly, I bought agricultural materials as I am planning on growing crops in the next farming season..So I bought 2 bags of fertilizer at a price of $120 with an aim of increasing maize growth. I then bought food that will be enough for my whole family..I got 5 bags of maize at an approximate amount of $100 and I have hope that It will take me until early months next year. Lastly, I have started a transportation business as I managed to purchase a motorcycle which my husband Uster, will be using..For now the business have started and everything is going on well."

"In my opinion, Givedirectly did well in not discriminating poor households while enrolling them into the program. The fact that they are nonpolitical and independent while making decisions during the enrollment stages is something that was well thought out. If Givedirectly could return with such transfers in our village, it would be a better thing since we could be in a position to develop more." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"The moment I received my first transfer, I prioritised buying a motorcycle to have a reliable source of income. I used to rent a motorcycle before, which was very hectic and what I earned was not enough in sustaining my family's daily needs. I, therefore, opted to buy a motorcycle on hire purchased where I used my first transfer as the down payment. Upon receiving my second transfer, I used $200 to pay for the motorcycle. Additionally, I bought a dairy cow worth $300 to reduce the cost of buying milk daily. Lastly, used the remaining amount on foodstuffs and clothes. I would not have achieved all this if I had not received the cash from the organization due to financial constraints, thus I am grateful." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)