"I spent part of my transfer to start a business of selling shoes. The business is so lucrative in this area and being that I had yearned to have started it for a long time, I decided to take the opportunity right away. Before then, I used to sell water or transporting people's goods using a cart but the income was too little. I cannot regret starting this business because I now get more income which I have been using to sustain myself well. I also bought bedding and clothes. My house had burnt down some months a go and I had to start all over again. I had started buying things but on a slow pace. I had only managed to buy a mattress. I thank GiveDirectly for changing my life."

"I except to save most of these transfers in the next six months for my grandchild's high school education since she ought to join next year. Therefore, I feel it is important to start early because my main aim is to give her a quality education."

"After investing so much time and money in my matrimonial home my husband and I separated about ten years ago. When I came to this village then, life was hard I hardly knew where to start. I had to strain so hard to purchase a piece of land, build and shoulder all responsibility of educating my four children. Since I am a primary school teacher, this alone cannot cater for the umpteen needs in my household especially my children's education costs. I have depended too much on bank loans and my worry is that repayment may become overwhelming. This is the biggest part of my life. "

"Where I stay, electricity is a luxury not everyone has it at their homesteads. My phone was off and I had taken it for charging. Upon switching it on, I received several messages one of them was a message from Mpesa indicating that I had received my transfers from GiveDirectly. I was very excited and overjoyed. We danced together with my family celebrating the fortune and a new beginning."

"Being a stay home mother deep in the village, and solely depending on the husband meager income, it is a real challenge to raise the children comfortably. To me, lack of alternative sources of income has been the biggest hardship in life and it has resulted in poor health due to lack of proper nutrition. For us, the luxury of a three-meal a day is not on our menu. Again, we struggle a lot to keep children at school and this is very devastating knowing that their future is at stake. Given that my husband is not in a position to sufficiently provide for us, I have tried a number of times to at least supplement the shortage, by looking for odd jobs around but it has all been in vain since I cannot balance with raising young children who require maximum attention from me. Securing a 'tuk-tuk' for taxi business we be an answer to our financial crisis and that is what we are going for."

"My hustle as a musician was not doing well because I lacked the necessary capital to develop and improve my talent. My life is now different because after receiving the transfer I was able to save enough capital and opened my own studio in partnership with my fellow group members. The money has helped me in producing music, and unlike before, I now have the opportunity to attend many concerts and shows because the financial support has opened many opportunities for me. Also, I have been able to open a small business of selling clothes from which I also get an extra income"

"I spent a portion of the transfer on paying for my house rent which was at KES 2500. I bought a new bed and a mattress to replace the old bedding that I was using to sleep on. I spent the remaining amount to cater for my household needs and other expenses which include food and clothing. In addition, I also saved a percentage of the money in my account. I am expecting it to grow as I continue to save to enable me to start a business of selling second-hand clothes in a few months to come."

"The biggest hardship I have faced is raising school fees.Even though my spouse and I are primary school teachers,what we earn is hardly enough to pay fees for our children in secondary and primary schools.In addition,my husband is furthering his studies during school holidays and this means that there is more fees to pay."

"My expectation in the near future is to build my son a better house where he sleeps. He currently stays in a small mud-walled sloped house and this is uncomfortable for him staying in it and I want to ensure that he is happy. With all these plans that I have, I pray that our lifestyle gradually improves for the better."

"Receiving this money means that I will help my husband start his own mobile money business since he is currently working for someone. Having personal business helps a family to have income that it can rely on to solve someproblems. The balance of the money will be used to construct an iron roofed house."