"The money which I received from GiveDirectly enabled me to create my employment. I bought a motorcycle for business and I work as a motorcycle taxi operator and earn approximately KES 400 per day. Before, it wasn't guaranteed that I would earn any as I used to depend on casual jobs which were not regular. With my daily earnings, I try to balance what I get so that I can buy food and pay school fees for my five siblings. Since I am the eldest son, I took up the responsibility of the head of the family after we lost our mother about a year ago. Once my siblings have all graduated, they will be old enough to look for jobs and work for themselves. For me, I will start up another business so that I would generate income to support my family."

"I was at the motorcycle stand in Mariakani at around 4 p.m. waiting for a client when I received a message alert on my phone. Upon checking its contents, I confirmed the receipt of my first transfer from Give Directly. The transfer was the greatest highlight since I had not earned anything that day from my work. To say I was excited would be an understatement." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"When I withdrew the money, I opted to build a spacious house. This is because the one I had was very small and congested and thus could not accommodate my family. Therefore, I added a room and a sitting room. This construction cost KES 30000.00 in buying the iron sheets, roofing timbers, and the contractor's labor charge. Thereafter, I bought a mattress for KES 4000.00 because the one I had was very old and worn out. Although my four primary school children were settled in school I opted to pay KES 3000.00 school fees for the next term to ensure that they will not be sent out of school for fees and hence concentrate on their studies for better results. For the remaining amount, I decided to keep it for the family's needs." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I have a motorcycle that I bought one year ago on credit. I am required to make weekly repayments of KES 2508 for the same and by the time I was receiving the transfer, I had KES 1100 less than the total amount needed. Therefore, I took that amount from the transfer and made the payments. I am glad the transfer came on time because had I not made the payment on time then I would have been fined some money." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am now happier and more satisfied. This is because before then, I used to shelter at my father-in-law's house where I felt I lacked privacy plus it was against our culture. My initial house collapsed since it was very weak and small. I have been through so many troubles ever since I got married. It reached a time I was almost giving up because my spouse and I do not have reliable sources of income. Therefore the coming of GiveDirectly in my life has for sure restored my lost joy and hope in life. I will forever be thankful because I now have a very big house which I constructed through financial support. I have happily been sheltering with my four family members without any worries like before. Also, there is enough privacy between my children and I." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"Because I hail from a poverty-stricken family, my dream of advancing my studies is short-lived. My parents always burn charcoal as a source of their livelihood. Their low level of income deprived me of an opportunity to advance my studies. When I received my transfer, I opted to save it to raise money for my college fee. I aspire to enroll in a certificate course in management. Currently, I do motorcycle taxis to continue supporting myself." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

(Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"Our new goal is to establish business. And we have established business by buying a motorcycle for commercial purpose. My partner is currently using the motorcycle generating cash for our family as we didn't have such source of income."

"My husband, who works as a motorcycle rider, is the sole provider for our family. Because his pay is based on the number of trips he makes, he sometimes comes home empty-handed on rough days. On such unproductive occasions, we are forced to sleep hungry. He can earn up to KES 800 on a good day. To supplement his inconsistent earnings, I make and sell charcoal to support the family's needs, a business that earns me about KES 500 per week. It has been difficult to meet household needs such as school fees and food with these meager earnings. In fact, by the time I received the transfer, my five children had missed an entire week of school due to unpaid tuition fees. Also, my family had slept hungry for two consecutive days before the cash transfer since the household had run out of food. Therefore, I used KES 1,000 to pay off my children's school fees and KES 200 to buy food."

"My husband, who works as a motorcycle rider, is our family's sole provider. He can earn up to KES 2,000 a week. This amount, plus what I earn from charcoal burning (KES 500 per week), is only enough to meet the household's basic needs, such as food and clothing, but nothing more. That is why saving for a larger house than the one-room structure we currently live in has been difficult. The transfers provided an ideal opportunity to build a two-bedroom house to accommodate our growing family of four. As a result, I spent KES 2,400 on two iron sheets. Having obtained 7 pieces of iron sheet this far, the goal is to assemble at least 24 pieces before beginning construction. Also, I bought two chickens worth KES 300 to rear, let them breed, expand the flock and generate money from their sale in future.  I used the remaining funds to purchase food to supplement the stock in the store. At least, my family now has enough food to last a month."