"I was at the field looking after my goats that morning. At around 10am is when I received the transfer. I felt very happy seeing that GiveDirectly have honored their promise, hence I felt like taking the goats back home so that I start planning about the money only that they would disturb me because they were still grazing."

"I had initially bought a piece of land and constructed my house where I live with my family. The things that were pending and I was fighting to achieve was to construct a modern washroom since the one I was using was not good health wise and I feared some outbreak of diseases. I also hadn’t completed paying for the plot. Upon receiving the money, I used KES 25,000.00 to clear the debt for the one who sold the land for me so that to get all my land purchasing documents signed. I also spend around KES 28,000.00 in constructing the modern washroom and a toilet."

"I have been living as an unhappy mother of 3 young children after being abandoned by my husband. He left me at my father-in-law’s home and he relocated elsewhere where he remarried. My father-in-law’s plot has been having some ownership cases which were giving me sleepless nights not knowing what to do. I wished I had the position of acquiring my own plot but I hadn’t. On the day I was told the GiveDirectly money was in my phone that was the first thing I thought of. I bought 1 acre of piece of land for KES 50,000.00. The reason as to why I took this step is that I wanted to have my own place where my children can call home and live in peace. I also bought 2 bales of maize flour and one goat with the remaining amount."

"Initially my credibility was very poor, most of the people had no faith in lending me some money in case I needed their assistance because they were afraid I may fail to pay them back since my small jobs were from hand to mouth and even sometimes I went without some food due to the hardship I was passing through. But thank you to GiveDirectly, their presence in my life has restored back my credibility and I feel like the other human beings. I do my things well and whenever I seek a loan from a person they no longer resist. I know it’s not because am rich but it’s because GiveDirectly came and restored the lost faith in me before the eyes of my neighbors. Thank you so much GiveDirectly."

"Initially we were going through tough times. My husband used to provide for the family needs through his little earnings from his business of making and selling charcoal but due to his old age he can no longer do hard jobs that require a lot of strength. In relation to that situation I had to start looking for some domestic jobs from neighbors to fend for the family. But since the time we received the transfer, our lives have positively changed. We now sleep at a comfortable place not like before when we were sleeping on some timbers. Our food security is also taken care of not as before when we were full of worries not knowing what the next meal would be. We also have an alternative piece of land to do our subsistence farming since the plot we were relying on is over used and it’s no longer productive."

"I was at the hospital bed sick with a throat problem when I noticed I had received the Mpesa message carrying my transfer. I had just been called by my colleagues over the phone to be notified about the transfer they had received. I was with my daughter who verified on my phone and confirmed that I had received my transfer. I felt very happy and relieved after receiving my transfer that would help me in seeking proper medication since I had pending hospital bills. I had to send my daughter to go to cash out my transfer."

"The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am optimistic that I will be able to have enough clean water for my family use after purchasing a water tank and once I complete the installation of gutters around my house. I will no longer have to walk for a long distance to get this precious commodity in my life. Furthermore, I will be able to sell some water to my neighbours to earn a living."

"I have problems finding food, i do not time to do my own farming because i spend time in other peoples farms so i can find some money to sustain me."

"I spent KES 20000 of my first transfer on clearing school fees for my seven children both in primary and secondary schools respectively. As a parent, I am very glad they are now studying peacefully with fewer distractions like before. . I also boosted my business whereby I have selling vegetables and foodstuffs in the village and currently I have been earning good returns. In addition, I bought new clothes and shoes for my children to replace the old ones which were torn. With the remaing amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs for my family and other household items that I was lacking eg, plastic chairs."