"I spent KES 35000 from my transfer to finish paying for a piece of land that I had bought using my first transfer. I decided on this so that I woukd be able to do other things knowing that I do not have any debt. On the remaining amount, I bought a dairy cow after topping up KES 3000. I settled on this as a way of reducing our daily expenditure since buying milk has been our routine and it is costly. I am now glad that this will no longer be the case in the near future."

"I spent KES 27000 from my transfer to pay school fees for my wife. We decided on this as a family since she was already through with her course work but had not been able to sit for her examinations due to huge fee arrears. In addition to this, we bought two goats at KES 6500. These are assets that I can easily sell when faced with financial crisis. Also, I spent around KES 6500 on farming. I hired a tractor for farm preparation purposes and bought some quality seeds. On the remaining amount, I bought a table as we had none, some decent clothes for my children and food to last us for some time."

"When I received my transfer, I spent KES 27000 to buy a heifer and three goats for rearing. These are assets to me that I can rely on in educating my children. When they reproduce, my family will have enough milk for consumption and sale. Also, I spent KES 8000 to pay school fees for my daughter so that she could not be sent back home. Using the remaining amount, I bought four sacks of maize, some household necessities and new clothes for my children."

"Imagine a family of 5 living in a one-roomed grass thatched old house that leaks in water during rainy seasons! This is the current situation in my home. I pity my children who always have to study in a dumpy house full of smoke. My two sons are at a teenage age and culture has it that teens are not supposed to live under the same roof with their parents due to privacy reasons. They face ridicule from their friends which lowers their self esteem, yet there is nothing much I can do to recoup the situation. This is the biggest hardship I face."

"My ambition is to be a self-employed poultry farmer. I am a casual labourer who lost his job last year due to the COVID pandemic. I had to come back to the village to start over. I have tried applying for jobs but it hasn't been an impressive search since I only managed to finish form four, yet other completitors for the same jobs have degrees. I believe being self employed will really help me in getting a stable income and growing financially. I will use my first transfer in starting a poultry farming business. This transfer will include building a chicken house to protect them, chicken feed and then 50 chicken. $200 will be for setting the chicken house, $100 for chicken feed and any medication the $250 for the chicken. If in a day 50 chicken all lay eggs and they get sold I will be able to have $50 which will be very helpful considering now that I get only $10 on days I get called to do casual jobs"

"The biggest hardship i have faced in my life is being able to feed my family."

"At the moment it's very difficult to take care of my mother the way I have always wanted, so it's difficult to provide food, proper shelter and clothes."

"Receiving this money is a blessing because it will help me a lot to have enough food for my family."

"I have alot of problems in the house. Firstly my house is not in good shape, I will buy food, and beddings. I did farm last year but I did not harvest enough food to take us the whole year because I did not apply fertiliser, with the money I am planning to buy fertiliser that will enable me to harvest with a surplus that I will be selling the surplus to be buying fertiliser."

"My life is different than how it would have been if I never received the transfers in that I paid all the school fees for my children in various schools. I do construction jobs and the money that I get through this is so small and cannot meet all the household expenditure including paying school fees. My children used to be sent home to collect school fees and this was affecting their performance since lessons were on going. I was so worried about this. When I received the second transfer I found it wise to pay school fees first before other projects. My children studied for that term without being sent home. This led to improving their grades in school. On my side I had peace of mind to do my daily activities without being disturbed. I saved some money in merry go round group that we have started in our village to enable me to pay for the next term school fees. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed our living standard."