"Rearing seven children has been challenging for me. I am not employed; I primarily rely on charcoal burning, producing five bags per week and selling each for $7 to $8, depending on the season. Prices and demand are higher during the rainy season. Life has never been easy. My husband, who is a polygamous man and works as a carpenter, does not earn enough to cover the expenses for two families, though he sometimes helps with school fees. Upon receiving this cash, I used $60 to pay my son's school fees, as he had accumulated significant arrears and the teachers were frequently calling to ask for payment. The recent floods severely affected me, forcing me to relocate and bringing illness to my family. I became too sick to collect charcoal, so I used $100 to buy enough food to ensure my children had enough while I recovered. With the remaining $15, I looked for birth certificates for my three younger children to ensure we are prepared if the teachers request them."

"After a long and exhausting day on the farm, I was so tired that I collapsed under my favorite tree to rest. There was no one at home to prepare lunch because my wife had gone to a prayer event for one of our neighbor’s children. Just as I was about to doze off, a message popped up on my phone. At first, I thought it was just a regular M-Pesa alert, but the sender was listed as Xegofia Technology Kenya, not GiveDirectly.Curious and a bit doubtful, I decided to visit a nearby center to check if anyone else had received a similar message. To my surprise, the center was buzzing with excitement. People were shouting and laughing joyfully. I joined the celebration, and we all went to a local hotel for tea.When my wife arrived home in the evening, she asked if I had received any money. I told her yes, and we sat down as a family to discuss our plans. I gave her the opportunity to decide how to use the funds, as I believe women are excellent decision-makers. She suggested that we first purchase a solar panel so our children would have light to do their homework."

"About six years ago, my wife and I separated, and she took our two children with her. Although the children live with her, I am responsible for paying their school fees. I have been struggling to plant Kenyan seeds and use the proceeds to cover their fees and ensure I have food at home. After receiving this cash, I used $60 to pay for school fees since I hadn’t sold anything that term because my farm was swept away by floods. To ensure I have something to invest in and sell in case of an emergency, I decided to use $50 to purchase a goat. When it gives birth, I will use the milk and sell it if needed.Additionally, I had been sleeping on a traditional bed made of sticks. Although I was comfortable with it, I wanted to have something more like what my friends and neighbors have, so I spent $50 on a new bed. With the remaining amount, I bought food to stock up at home, ensuring that while I continue burning charcoal, I have something to eat without having to borrow from shops."

"Even though water poses many challenges to our development, I am grateful to GiveDirectly for their great support. I see myself making good progress once the water recedes, as I plan to start planting watermelons, which I am confident will yield high profits. The floods have caused significant difficulties, as they washed away my 2 hectares of maize, setting my life back to square one and delaying my planting plans. Despite these setbacks, I remain hopeful for a better outcome."

"I am a father of three children, but my wife and I separated 11 years ago, and she left with all the children. Since then, I have been alone at home, struggling to find ways to get food. I am a charcoal burner, producing five bags of charcoal per week, and selling each for Ksh 500. This has been my only means of survival and getting food. However, whenever you visit my home, you would never find me because I leave early to the bush to burn charcoal. When I received the cash transfer, I used $75 to purchase food, ensuring I have enough stock to last for 90 days. This way, I can be sure there’s sufficient food at home. Additionally, I used $45 to purchase a goat, which will serve as my future investment since I had nothing of value as an investment in my compound. I also spent $6 to buy two chickens that will lay eggs, which I can eat with ugali if I don’t have vegetables.With the remaining $40, I bought clothes, as I had none. I was wearing the same clothes from January to December, with nothing to change into. So, I decided to remove this shame and now have three outfits."

"Life had never been easy for us. My husband and I are farmers and charcoal burners, struggling to make ends meet through casual jobs, living hand to mouth with nothing left to save or invest. Although we farm, we never harvest enough to sell due to droughts, and during the rainy seasons, our fields are often flooded. To improve our situation, we decided to use $1,400 to purchase two goats. These goats will provide us with milk in the future, ensuring my children have a steady supply and reducing the expense of buying it from the shops.After that, I spent $56 to buy 30 improved chicks, along with their chick mash feeds and medication. This investment will benefit us in the near future; as the chicks multiply, I can sell them, and we'll have eggs to both eat and sell. I have three children, and they all love boiled eggs, so I’m sure by December, the hens will start laying, and my kids will enjoy fresh eggs every day. In my heart, I feel a deep sense of happiness as I care for the chicks and goats at home. I’m truly grateful to GiveDirectly for providing us with this unconditional cash. Thank you for your support."

"It was on the evening of July 14th while I was preparing our evening meal when I suddenly heard my phone beep twice. Curious, I put down what I was doing and went to check it. The first message was from GiveDirectly, confirming that the unconditional cash had been transferred to my account. The second message was from Fuliza, deducting the amount I owed. I stood there, whispered a thank you prayer to God, phone in hand, thinking about how this money would finally allow me to pay my children's school fees, a burden that had been weighing heavily on my mind."

"The biggest difference in my life since I received the unconditional cash from GiveDirectly is that I've been able to add two more goats to my flock. I used to have just three, but now with five goats, I can look forward to selling some of them when they grow, which will help me buy inputs for my farm. Another change that has brought me so much joy is that I was finally able to purchase a sofa set. Before, I only had two plastic chairs, and whenever I had visitors, I had to borrow more chairs from my neighbors just to accommodate everyone. Now, I feel more confident and proud to host guests in my home."

"The biggest difference since I started receiving transfers from GiveDirectly is the ability to have enough food at home. Previously, after the floods, I could barely manage one meal a day. Now, I comfortably enjoy three meals a day, which has greatly improved my health. I feel happy and stress-free because I no longer worry about where my next meal will come from. I don't think there's any institution in the world that can do what GiveDirectly has done for me and my neighbors. I have never received such an amount of money before, nor have I been trusted to plan for myself in this way. God bless GiveDirectly for their support, and I hope we see more of this kind of assistance in the future."

"I attended a prayer day for my neighbor’s son, who was in form four when I received $180 from GiveDirectly. I was with several other recipients, and my heart was full of joy and gratitude. During the event, people began whispering for us to check our phones because GiveDirectly had sent the money. As we were coming back, we sang throughout the journey in celebration. It was a day full of joy, made even more special by the fact that it happened during a prayer day that brought many people from my village together. It was truly memorable. My first thought was to go home and plan how to use the money properly so that I could do something that would make me remember GiveDirectly for a long time."