"The biggest difference since I started receiving the GiveDirectly transfer has been my ability to buy land. I had already reserved a piece of land but was stressed about paying for it before someone else took it. I was overwhelmed with worry and thoughts, but now, thanks to the support, my mental health has improved. I am happy and deeply grateful to GiveDirectly for allowing me to choose how to address my problems on my own. With the new land on higher ground, I won’t have to worry about floods anymore. This move will provide my family with a safer place to live, and I am relieved to no longer be anxious about the threat of floods"

"I was out in the field fencing my farm, and I received $180 from GiveDirectly. This news filled me with immense joy and gratitude, both to God and to GiveDirectly. My first thought was to use this money to improve my house by adding an extra room. This would make it more comfortable for me and my two boys. I also invested in roofing, and now I am pleased to have a house that is on par with the others in the area."

"The biggest change in my life since I started receiving transfers from GiveDirectly has been the improvement of my home. Before receiving this support, my house was filled with mud from the floods, making it very cold and putting my two kids at risk of getting sick. Now, with the money, I was able to cement the house, and it is much more comfortable. My home looks nice and is welcoming, even when I have visitors. I am confident that they will have a pleasant time here. Although my children are in secondary school, I prioritized fixing the house because of the comfort it brings to my family."

"When I received the unconditional cash transfer, I immediately knew how I wanted to use it to benefit my family. With $92, I bought two sheep. Sheep have always been a good investment for me because they multiply quickly—within five months of conception, you can have more, which means a steady increase in our livestock. Plus, they’re more affordable than goats, making them a smart choice for someone in my situation. I also used $32 to purchase four plastic chairs. Before this, we only had two chairs, which made it difficult to accommodate visitors. Whenever we had guests, we had to borrow chairs from neighbors, which was a bit embarrassing. Now, with six chairs, we can comfortably host people in our home without any trouble. This small change has really made a big difference in how we interact with our community. The remaining amount went toward securing our household's food supply. I bought a 90kg bag of maize to ensure we wouldn’t run out of food, and with the little money left, I purchased various household food items that we are still using today. This has provided us with peace of mind, knowing that we have enough to eat and can focus on other important things without the constant worry of running out of food."

"My parents managed to take me to college to pursue a course in social work. Immediately after completing the course, I was lucky to secure a job with a certain NGO and life was moving on very well. Unfortunately, the contract came to an end and since then, securing another job has not be easy. Currently, I do casual jobs in the village which are inconsistent and the earnings of $5 in a day is insufficient to cater for all the basic needs of my children as school fees."

"I was just at home, relaxing, when I heard a message notification on my phone. Curious, I checked it and couldn't believe my eyes—it was the GiveDirectly transfer! I was so excited, I even wondered why the money came through on a Sunday. I immediately told my wife, but she couldn’t believe it either. We started talking about how we could finally build a better kitchen because the one we had was practically falling apart."

"I am currently working in a shop business, though I am employed by someone else. With the experience I have gained in running a shop, I am optimistic about opening my own in the coming year and beyond. I am deeply grateful to GiveDirectly for their financial support—it has truly been a beacon of hope in my life. I joined a merry-go-round savings group, where we pool our funds together to achieve goals that might have been out of reach individually. I don't want to work for others forever; instead, I want to use this opportunity to create a job for myself. I believe that’s the purpose behind GiveDirectly’s support—to empower us financially. Every month, I save $20 with the goal of opening my own shop in the near future. Running my own business will allow me to earn a better income, as I already have the knowledge and experience needed to make it successful. Once I establish my shop, I will be incredibly happy, as it will enable me to easily support both my own financial needs and those of my family. In fact, with this financial security, I will even be able to start a family, confident that I can provide for them without stress. I am truly thankful to GiveDirectly for making this possible."

"I had just finished having lunch with my family. We were seated under a shady tree, chatting with friends. While we were talking, I received a message on my phone and I quickly checked it. It turned out to be a text from Mpesa, and since I wasn't expecting money from anyone, I was surprised. After reading the whole message, I found out that it was my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I had been eagerly waiting for this and I was overjoyed to receive this assistance, knowing it would make a big difference in my household."

"I used $300 from my first transfer to purchase a dairy cow and add it to my existing livestock. Previously, I had only been keeping goats, but my goal was to also own cows. I had initially planned to sell some of the goats to buy a cow, but this would have slowed down my progress in building up my livestock, as it would have taken a long time to accumulate enough goats to sell. Thanks to the transfers, I now own a cow, for which I am grateful. I will benefit from the cow's milk, using some for my family and selling any surplus. With the proceeds from the milk sales, I can pay for my four children's school fees. Additionally, I used part of the money to buy a $50 solar panel, which now provides lighting for my household and charges my devices. I spent the remaining amount on school fees for my four children, one in high school and the other three in primary school. I also purchased some household items that I had been unable to afford for a long time. I now feel at peace knowing that my children are comfortably attending school and that I have the household items I previously lacked."

"I received the transfer notification in the evening while I was in a meeting with my fellow villagers. When I read the message, I realized I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was overjoyed upon learning this. When the meeting ended, I shared the news with my family, and together we thanked GiveDirectly and celebrated this good fortune. I had been raising goats for a while and was hoping to buy a dairy cow, and this was the perfect opportunity for me to do so."