"Last year, as the year was drawing to an end, I made the decision to gradually start purchasing iron sheets so that I could ultimately construct a larger and nicer house. Since I now lack the necessary quantity to start the project, I intend to use the donations received this year to keep purchasing additional iron sheets until I do. The house we currently live in is quite small, and even though I share it with my husband, my three children, and my two grandchildren—who are also growing up and will soon need their own privacy—I. For these reasons, I want to build another house. I also intend to use the funds  on nourishment due to all we are facing caused by persistent drought."

"Since I have seen livestock farming doing well in our area specifically for goats, I opted to borrow ideas from a neighbor who was balancing her priorities well. Instead of receiving money and concentrating on food, I opted to start an investment which by the end of this year I would like to account for it. Therefore, I plan to start goat raring. I chose goats because they are affordable in terms of the cash I receive from GiveDirectly and also they do not require much attention. Their ability to survive in a drought-prone area also encouraged me to invest in them knowing that I will not have a tough time looking after them."

"By early next year, I will be happy if I would have repaired the roof of my house. It has rusted over the last ten years, and the perforations let in water whenever it rains, hence dampening my bedding. Am grateful for the last few cash transfers as they have allowed my husband and I to acquire 11 pieces of iron sheets to date. I plan to use half of every cash transfer to complete this exercise and direct the remaining half toward the education of my son in form four. I would be equally grateful if he studied through the remaining months of his high school education without being sent home for school fees."

"Courtesy of the Givedirectly aid, I am proud of owning and operating a small business selling fried potatoes at my husband’s shop where he offers mobile money services in our village. In the coming year and beyond, I intend to boost the business by purchasing more stock. This will ensure I earn more income that will assist me in supporting my family's basic needs like food without struggle. Currently, I get an income of $6 per day on average since I have a ready market after the nearby school opens. Similarly, I intend to save $2 per day from the business, which will support the education of my two children who are still schooling."

"Throughout the end of the year, I plan on using these funds to help me sustain my business, where I sell clothes. The profit I make from the business will further help me care for my household and the needs that will arise. I also intend to use the money to buy more farm animals because I have so far managed to purchase two goats and three hens with the transfers. These animals could help me make money in the future whenever I am stuck financially. My two children also still happen to be in school, so I will try and use a part of the transfers to pay for their school fees as well. In addition to that, my husband is the breadwinner of the family, but ever since I started getting the transactions, I have managed to chip in whenever money is needed, which has further strengthened our relationship, and I will keep on doing so when the need arises."

"The previous transfer I received from GiveDirectly helped me provide daily food for my current family of five, as well as pay school fees for my three grandchildren. My daughter came back home with her three children after breaking up with her husband. Despite the fact that she has been doing casual labor in Mombasa town, her daily wages are insufficient to meet all of her financial obligations. I hope to set aside $14 per month from the monthly transfers I receive and buy more goats to add to the two I currently have on my farm in the coming year. When I need to start a new project in the  future, selling their offspring will come in handy."

"Despite the difficult burden of paying the school fees for my two children, I have faith that I will soon open a small business that will provide a steady source of income for my family. I am interested in venturing into maize buying and selling maize because it has a high demand in the neighborhood. This will substitute what my husband makes from burning and selling charcoal."

"Since my husband passed on, I have been left with the responsibility of looking after my seven children two of whom are still schooling. To cater to our basic needs, I do casual jobs such as burning and selling charcoal. After receiving my second transfer, I deposited $150 in the school account for the two children. I did a few repairs in the house that cost $10 and replaced our old, ripped mattress and bed with new ones costing $100 and we no longer wake up with bodily aches. I also had a land debt of $150 that I cleared. The remaining $50 I used to purchase foodstuff that would last us for a couple of weeks."

"Once in a while I have been buying onions in bulk and selling them at the market to get some income. This year, I intend to make it my main hustle and invest in it fully since the profit margins are good. This will help me cater to my family’s basic needs."

"I am a mother to six children, but only one is schooling at the moment. Her studies had been cut short because of fees arrears which had accumulated to $200. I was able to have it cleared after receiving the second transfer. Getting water from the river has been a struggle since it’s far away from where we stay and also costly. To curb this issue, we agreed with my husband to install tap water at home. Getting all the materials and a plumber to do the job we spent #200. Since I am a farmer, this has come in handy since I can now grow vegetables for both home use and sell the surplus to earn income. My husband who is a primary school teacher has been sorting the major bills as I take care of the minor ones. For the remaining amount of $130, I bought a few pieces of furniture for the house and food that would last us a couple of weeks."