"Three years ago I borrowed a dairy cow from a friend of mine as a source of income for my family. I have since talked him into selling it to me upon receiving the first transfer to which he agreed. Receiving this money will therefore boost my esteem as a proud owner of a dairy cow, something I have aspired to do for a long time. With the remaining amount, I am planning to venture into poultry farming as a form of savings and source of income that will fend for my children's education in future. "

"AS a mother, I always struggle to bring up a happy family and children with a brighter future. I have invested in my children education but the little resource I have always put me in stress since I don't like whenever my children are sent out of school to come to collect fee at home and what hurt the most is staying at home together as I look for money. I rely on farming and the little I get I spend partly on my household needs and their education making it a challenge to clear on time. The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer is that I have been able to pay my children school fees. I am glad I did so because they can now study well and never miss lessons. This will give them a humble time to read and perform well in their studies"

"I am an ambitious father who majorly depends on farming to provide for my family and always see a happy family. I have children in various schools and other family needs to take care and since farming is my backbone source of income I always mind my farming practises right from land preparation to harvesting. I majorly practise short season crop farming mainly cabbages and tomatoes to enable get money within a short time for my family needs. I had always found myself doing outdated kind of farming and always lacking behind since I had little resources to mechanise my farming hence I had low returns. The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months is the efforts that I have gained from my monthly transfer to do more mechanised farming. I have been able to improve my ways of land preparation by using farm machines, use better quality seeds fertilizer, and agrichemicals to help me in safeguarding my crops from pest and weeds hence assuring me of better returns unlike before that will help me meet my immediate, household, and children education and get something better to save or invest in other in goals."

"I expect to have started leasing out my piece of land since by then two of my children who are in school will have completed their secondary school education. What this means is that school fee payment issue will have been sorted and therefore the struggle will have reduced."

"Raising livestock has been my profession ever since I was young. I have enough experience and it will be easy for me if purchase them with this transfer. My main aim is to educate my son up to tertiary level who will be the first one out of my sixteen children. I believe that once he gets education, he will be able to take care of me and himself. Because I am too old to engage in manual jobs, the livestock will finance his education as well as providing other needs like food and clothing. "

"My life in this village has turned into a laughing stock owing to the fact that, I am a widow who is doing risky job of selling palm wine in order to provide food, clothing and education for my children. Despite my struggle to support my family's basic needs, I am unable to provide a decent house for myself because my income is very limited. This has forced me to live in a disastrous house which is just braving the strong wind of this area. The arrival of GiveDirectly to my household has awakened my longest life desire of living a decent life. I opt to spend my first transfer in constructing a good house and also to buy beddings for myself. The second disbursement will aid in buying livestock, supporting my children's education and other basic needs. This will change my livelihood and hence, it is this transformation that is basically what does receiving this money means to me."

"Receiving this money means I will be able to build an iron roofed house. This does not require renovation every now and then like the case is with a grassthatched house. I am also hopping to take care of the education needs of my child."

"My first priority is to boost my salon business, my shop and invest in my husband's Mpesa shop.I will buy more stock for the retail shop and expand the space since all three businesses are in the same premises. As for my salon business I want to buy a blow dry and add more stock of braids. Then finally I will add more float for the Mpesa business. By investing in these businesses my income will increase and I will be able to change my lifestyle. My second plan is to use this transfer to help support my younger sister in her education. My siblings and I are required to each contribute for her education, but since I had no money for that I had distanced myself from the rest of the family. Now I am going to pay my part of the school fees and involve myself in family activities. Lastly I want to go to school for a course in hairdressing. I earn some income from the hairdressing services I provide. The course will equip me with more skills and I will be able to provide other services other than just braiding my clients. After the course I will be confident enough to open a bigger salon and earn a better income from it."

"My top concern is my family,in particular my children because I want the best life for them. I worry that as a parent I will not provide them with quality education. Almost every night before sleeping I pray for my finances to increase so that I may always pay their school fees in time.They are often sent home for school fee arrears and when I do not have money they have to stay home and miss out on school. I want them to have a better life and not end up like me or my husband in future.We are casual labourers and my fish business barely brings in enough capital, I struggle to make ends meet but I want them to be able to have a brighter future."

"My first priority is to invest in an exsiting business. I have been a tailor for ten years, now with a shop in Mathare 4A. This work has enabled me to clothe and feed my children all this years. I have mastered this skill and I plan to buy one or two sewing machines, some materials and employ some to work with me at the shop. I plan to teach other women this skill and empower them to start their own businesses. I intend to save the profits I will make, which I know will be put to use to cater to other needs that may come up. Secondly, I have a land in Ugunja, Kisumu and I want to build a house for my family. We do not have a our own house and it is very important for me to have one where I can take my children whenever we visit our parents, this has always been my wish. Money has been the only challenge but now I will put it to action. Lastly, I will spend it in paying school fees for my children, I have two children who are sitting for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education this year, I want to prepare in advance by saving as they await to join high school this coming year."