"I am a widow with 5 children, and for many years, I slept on the floor with them because I couldn’t afford a bed or a mattress. This exposed them to the cold, and it wasn’t safe for us, especially since my children are still young. After doing casual jobs, I would come home exhausted, only to sleep uncomfortably, constantly worrying about my children’s well-being. Buying a mattress felt impossible due to my limited income from casual jobs and charcoal production, which I relied on to sustain my family. I also tried farming to diversify my income, but the floods wiped out everything. When I received my first GiveDirectly transfer, I spent $115 on two mattresses and a bed for us. I also used $30 to buy clothes for my children, who hadn’t had decent clothes in so long I couldn’t even remember the last time I bought them new clothes. The remaining $50 went toward food since I had lost my crops in the floods. Before the transfer, I struggled to get food through casual jobs and charcoal production, both of which were unreliable. Thanks to GiveDirectly, we were able to get enough food to sustain us for a while."

"GiveDirectly's cash arrived at the perfect time. Things were tough for us after losing our crops to floods, including maize, melon, and vegetables. Before this, we had planted melons and used the income to invest in our posho mill business. We had been buying already milled maize and selling it, but transportation from town limited our profits. After buying a posho mill machine in Nakuru, we didn’t have the money for transportation and installation, so the machine stayed in Nakuru for two weeks. When I received my first transfer, I decided to allocate $100 to cover the transport and installation costs. Previously, we made a profit of about $2 per 90 kg bag, but now we’re making $3 per 90 kg bag. At the same time, my two children needed school game kits and sweaters, which I bought for $50. With the remaining funds, I purchased a table worth $30 because the one we had was too small and not sufficient for our family of seven."

"I was doing laundry when a message notification buzzed my phone, I decided to pause and go check just in case it's an important message, to my surprise I had received my first transfer from Givedirectly I was happy, I wanted for my husband to return from the farm, told him and he was happy. We knew our plan to build our kids a house to sleep in was going to be realized after their room was destroyed by floods."

"I used my first transfer to buy livestock—specifically, two sheep, one for $30 and another for $16, and a cow for $140. I chose to invest in livestock because they are assets that I can sell in the future, providing financial support when needed. Two weeks ago, my nephew was joining college. I had supported him through high school, but I didn’t have the money to pay for his college fees. I had hoped to raise it, but unfortunately, I was unable to. So, I sold the cow for $200 to help cover the fees. My brother doesn’t have a job, and his son is passionate about animal health. He did well in high school despite many challenges, and now he’s pursuing a career in animal health. This motivates me because, through his education, he will become self-sufficient, and our family will benefit in the long run."

"I had planned to use the proceeds from selling my maize to buy a plot, but unfortunately, I lost all of it due to the floods. However, with the GiveDirectly transfer, I am now hopeful. I plan to use my next transfer to purchase a plot and finally move to a safer area. Right now, the water is dangerously close to my house, just a few meters away, and every time it rains, I worry I’ll be affected again. But with this opportunity, I can make a lasting change and protect my family from the constant threat of flooding."

"I currently work as a motorcycle driver and my main goal is to own my own motorcycle. Right now, I'm using a motorcycle owned by someone else and paying them $4 each time I use it. This leaves me with very little money for myself, let alone for my family. Due to the increasing living standards and a lack of customers, it's becoming a challenge because I have to pay the motorcycle owner daily, making it a very stressful job. However, thanks to GiveDirectly for coming to our rescue. Previously, my children would sleep without eating, but now, with financial support from GiveDirectly, that doesn't happen anymore. I'm hopeful that once I buy my own motorcycle, I'll be able to provide my family with the life they deserve. I plan to save from my income and transfers, and I'm confident that I will buy the motorcycle, ultimately transforming my life and that of my family."

"Upon receiving $180 from GiveDirectly, I knew it was time to stick to my plan. I had always dreamed of buying a proper mattress. I spent $56 to finally replace the old makeshift bedding I had been using. Now, sleeping on a comfortable mattress has transformed my life. I sometimes even oversleep, but it has greatly improved my overall well-being and relationships. I wake up in a good mood, feeling energized and ready to work, which makes me more productive throughout the day, even if I start a bit later. I allocated $35 to buy food, as my family was going through a severe food crisis. Now, we have enough to eat, and this has given us the strength and energy we needed. With the rest of the money, I allocated $60 to buy construction materials. I plan to start building a new house with the second transfer from GiveDirectly, as our current home is old and no longer meets our needs. The risk of flooding in this area is high, so having a safer, more durable home is essential for my family of two. Lastly, I used the remaining money to buy chairs for us to sit on, which has brought comfort to our home and made life easier when we have visitors. This support from GiveDirectly has truly transformed our lives."

"When I received $180 from GiveDirectly, I knew exactly how I wanted to use it. For a long time, I had been sleeping on the floor without a bed or mattress, which made my nights very uncomfortable. So, I spent $70 to buy both a bed and a mattress. Now, I finally enjoy a good night's sleep, and I feel proud to own them because I have never had a bed before. Another problem I had was lacking basic household items. I used $50 to buy the items we didn't have, which has made me and my family feel more comfortable and more like other families around us. The rest of the money, I spent on food. As a single mother of four, it has been difficult to provide enough food, especially after the recent floods. Now, with enough food for my family, life has greatly improved, and I no longer worry as much about what we will eat. This support has truly made a difference in our lives."

"When I received $200 from GiveDirectly, I was deeply thankful to God because I knew it would help me address one of my most urgent needs. Just a few days earlier, my daughter, who is in secondary school, called to tell me that she was about to be sent home for not paying school fees. I didn't want this to happen because I want her to stay in school and not fall behind. I used the entire $200 to clear her fee balance, allowing her to continue her education without interruption. This brought me a huge sense of relief. All I can say is thank you to GiveDirectly for their support."

"At my farm in the Parkera irrigation scheme, I was finishing up my irrigation work as the sun was setting. It was getting late when I received a message informing me that GiveDirectly had sent me $180. I felt a wave of happiness and gratitude. My first thought was to stick to my plan and use the money to buy sheep, as I had originally intended. This support from GiveDirectly would help me achieve my goal and improve my farming efforts."