"I plan to buy land tomorrow so that I can farm."

"It was around 1 PM when I was plucking vegetables in my garden, and the sun was beating down relentlessly. As I toiled, I heard my phone ringing, a sound I had rarely encountered before. Illiterate and uncertain, I handed it to my brother to read the message. His eyes widened, and a radiant smile broke across his face as he confirmed it was an Mpesa notification from GiveDirectly. The sheer disbelief and joy that coursed through me were indescribable. In that moment, a rush of hope overwhelmed me, and I knew exactly how I would use this unexpected blessing. With newfound determination, I decided to build a new house to replace the dilapidated one I had endured for years, a symbol of brighter days ahead."

"My recent unconditional cash transfer was truly a blessing. I decided to prioritize my well-being and comfort, so I spent part of it on buying a new bed and mattress, totaling $130. For years, I had been sleeping on traditional rope beds, enduring countless sleepless nights and often waking up with back pain, which made it difficult to continue working. This upgrade to a proper bed and mattress has already made a world of difference in the quality of my sleep and my overall health. In addition, I used $100 of the funds to purchase spare parts for my motorcycle, which had been sitting broken for a while. This motorcycle is my main source of income, and being an elderly widow, I rely on it to support myself as my children have their own families to care for. The ability to repair it has brought a significant positive change to my life. I also invested in two goats, totaling $110, which will serve as valuable assets. I am confident that soon I'll have a thriving herd that will not only provide sustenance but also help me address any unexpected financial challenges. Furthermore, I gave $50 to my granddaughter, who is in college. She had been out of school for a while due to a lack of tuition fees, and I had no idea when she would be able to return. This cash transfer allowed me to bring her a step closer to her dreams. With the remaining amount, I made sure that my family of three never had to go to bed with empty stomachs again, securing our daily sustenance."

"I appreciate the financial support provided through the cash transfers, which has allowed me to afford medical treatment for my son. My income alone was insufficient to meet our financial needs. My main objective is to enhance our sources of income, enabling us to cover both our regular expenses and unforeseen emergencies. I plan to accomplish this by investing what I save from the transfers to buy cattle, which we can use for farming and will rent out during the planting season to earn income."

"I have repaired my motorcycle, and it has become very useful for my daily errands. My primary goal now is to save more money from my taxi business and use it to buy more goats. The Annual Goat Auction is coming up in December, and I plan to purchase five more goats to add to my current herd of 20 and sell them during the event. Each goat retails for $120, and I hope to make a substantial profit. This profit will go towards starting other projects in the future."

"I recently ventured into turkey rearing as an extra source of income because they are less prone to diseases and sell at a better price compared to chickens despite the little difference in the time they take to mature. A 6-month old turkey can sell for approximately $30 while chicken of the same age would sell at $10. Chickens are also prone to diseases which quickly spreads whenever there is an outbreak in the village as many households rear chickens. After almost experiencing a loss from my chicken rearing business due to diseases, I decided to venture into turkey rearing which is less common within the village. I have only 4 turkeys at the moment but aims at increasing the number by using my transfers to purchase more of them at a young age then selling them when they mature. There is no ready market for turkeys within the village but I have identified a market where I will be selling them in town once they are ready. Once this turkey project is self sustainable, I will think of a new project that the transfers can help me to accomplish."

"My long-term goal is to have more goats that we can sell later on to raise school fees for our children when they join highschool. Goats reproduce very fast and require very minimal care hence are the best investment. My husband and I do not have stable income and failure to plan ahead may result in our children not proceeding to highschool due to lack of money to pay their fees. This is why I have decided to invest in goats that are affordable and can be purchased with a month's transfer. With the next few transfers however, I intend to clear my children's school fees so that they can finish the year without any balances to make next year easier and manageable. The intention is to keep them in school fully so that their learning is not affected or derailed. I also intend to purchase better clothing for the children and improve their sleeping conditions by purchasing a new mattress for them."

"The first thing I did when I received the second transfer was invest in ten goats. It cost me $200, but I knew it was a smart move. These goats would provide us with milk and, eventually, more goats to sell. I used $130 to pay the school fees for my three children. They had been out of school for a while because I couldn't afford their education. Seeing them back in school with smiles on their faces was the best feeling in my heart. Thereafter, I spent $100 on a new bed and mattress. Finally, we could sleep peacefully, and that made a huge difference in our daily lives. With the remaining amount, I made sure my family had enough food on the table and bought some good clothing for everyone. We might not have spent it on extravagant things, but those choices transformed our lives. Thanks to GiveDirectly, we now have hope, and security, for the future."

"Food insecurity has been the biggest challenge in this area. For the past five years, I have not harvested anything from the farm despite several attempts at planting. With my age, I now rely on casual employment at a nearby school which earns me $50 a month. This amount is very little to be able to pay school fees for my two grandchildren under my care at the same time food."

"I used to do contract for people just for my family to eat but since Ireceived this money, I used poetion of it to buy food for my family"