"It was early in the morning when we heard a message on my phone. I was not anticipating any message from someone and wondered who could have sent it. My husband was the one who helped me read the message and broke the good news to me. I was so happy. We actually went back to sleep and when break day came I was able to inform him that the I was actually going to accomplish the plan that I had that day."

"The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have managed to start my own business. I sell caps and T-shirts. Being self-employed has seen me live a stress-free life that has obviously translated into more income. I can proudly say that the income from the business has been able to sustain my family well and I have also started making other meaningful investments."

"Being an employed motorcycle rider, i struggle in providing for my family since the little amount i am usually paid by my employer daily is spent in buying food and other basic needs for my family, thus none is left for savings. I have always wished to start up a business for my spouse so that she can help support in providing for the family but lack of capital has made this impossible, which is the biggest hardship i face"

"Receiving this money means i will be able to purchase bricks, timber and iron sheets to construct a modern kitchen since the one i currently use is made of mud and is hard to maintain especially at my old age. I also intend to fence my compound hence this money will enable me to buy some wire mesh, wood, nails and barbed wire "

"When my wife sat for her secondary school examination last year, I was certain of a good grade but a bit sceptical about her qualification to join university. To my surprise she beat the odds to pass and has since got an admission letter to join Moi University. A four year journey course will require a lot of money. However, receiving this money means my worry has been lifted. My immediate plan is to invest my first transfer in a dairy cow and the remaining bit in maize and beans farming. Income generated from this agribusiness is enough income to finance my wife's university education and sufficient income keep my family above water."

"In my community, livestock ownership is a source of wealth and prestige while a lack of them, poverty. When we heard of GiveDirectly, I was relieved to imagine that I was going to own a dairy cow for the first time which will become a sustainable source of income. I am now more confident that my household needs are going to be met with ease thanks to the cash transfer. This is what receiving this money means to me. "

"The biggest difference in my life is that I was able to go back to go to college. I feel happy because I had already lost hope of ever going back to college to complete my education because I could not be able to pay the huge amount of money that was required. I have also been busy pursuing my studies and the idea of idling around is now a thing of the past. I just feel so happy having been one of the recipients."

"The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving transfers from GiveDirectly is that I have a new business. I no longer depend on commissions like I used to do before I received these transfers. The business which I started with my first transfer has made life interesting and more worth living than it was before. I feel so happy that I was lucky to have been a beneficiary of GiveDirectly transfers because meeting my daily needs has been easy unlike before."

"Farm expansion has been my biggest wish since I have depended most on subsistence farming in order to provide food for my family. Being a widow and unskilled can be the most disadvantageous aspect in life and this has forced me to depend on farming as my reliable source of income. With the help of GiveDirectly cash transfers, I am hoping to reshape my life for the better because my plan is to buy an oxen and an ox-plough that will help me to upscale my farming production. The oxen will also earn me income whenever it is hired on fee basis by my neighbours. This will bring a positive change in my life, a transformation that I have longed for."

"I expect to buy more building materials that I shall have used to plaster my house. I look forward to having this beautiful house that will be the envy of the entire village. There will also be less exposure to dust which will lead to fewer to no colds and flu infections."