"With the unconditional cash transfers, many lives have been uplifted in the community as people have acquired assets and food for their families. If it were not for GiveDirectly, the community could not have flourished in such a good way. I am also happy with the enrollment process, as there was no discrimination at all. If only the transfers could be long-term, the tremendous change could be seen even further."

"GiveDirectly yakoze amateka akomeye aho twabashije kwiteza imbere binyuze mu mucyo twawe urenganijwe. Icyo yazakora neza kurushaho ubutaha ari ibishoboka inkunga ntiyazajya ihagararira ku cyiciro cya kabiri, bishobotse wenda nicya gatatu kikaba cyaboneka byarushaho kuba byiza."

"I have been living in a thatch house since I was born.with the help of Givedirectly, I was able to purchase materials for my house project and sent my children to school. This could have been impossible with out the help from Givedirectly."

"So far, I have some of the things I desired to have, like the carpentry tools. This has opened another great opportunity for my skills and financial growth. I will also be in a position to buy livestock, as I have always wanted to, because in this community of ours, respect is accorded in terms of how many cows or goats you have. I might even find myself among the elders in the community discussing issues hitting our people, which will bring me so much joy."

"I was on the farm doing my work when I received a message notification. I paused a little to check on it, and I was so happy to see the Mpesa balance. Immediately I remembered my business, which I had closed down for a while because of financial constraints."

"Once a livestock farmer, always one. I currently have 10 heads of cattle, with three of them almost giving birth. In the next year, I hope to continue raising livestock and producing milk for food and sale so as to earn income for the family of 1. I plan on selling the milk to the vendors at $0.5 a liter so as to purchase dairy feeds, stock lick, acaricides, and food for the household. I will be glad to invest my energy in other family needs aside from fending."

"When my parents and only brother passed away 10 years ago, I inherited their farm since I had already separated from my then-husband. I have since been raising my children single-handedly through maize farming, although on a small scale. Since I am guarding my parental land, I cannot dare move out to attend to other businesses but rather continue farming on this land. I plan on cultivating all this 3 acre piece of land, as I hope to get assistance from my son, who is a bodaboda rider in Kilifi, as well as the profits from the maize sales to purchase fertilizers and seedlings to sow on this land."

"My greatest wish as a parent is for my five children to complete their education successfully without disruption. I plan to clear their fees through maize sales and my husband's stock trading job. In addition, I also hope to begin a milk business in the village. I will borrow a loan from a friend as capital to initiate this business. As an opening stock, I plan on starting with 100 liters of milk, which I will purchase from the villagers at $0.40 a liter and then sell at $0.70 at the Bomet and Kapkwen markets. I will then use the profits to pay school fees for my children."

"Food, shelter, and clothing are the basic needs each family should have, and I am glad to have accomplished all this for my family of four. I commenced constructing a three-room house when I received my first transfer in March 2023. However, I had not done it to completion, and I am glad the second transfer made it a success, as I used all the transfers on cementing the floors as well as erecting a ceiling board. I have not been able to accomplish this before because the maize and livestock farming that my family depends on has been immensely affected by the unfavorable climatic conditions, therefore cutting into the produce. Before then, we used to harvest up to 8 bags of maize on a 1-acre piece of land, unlike now, when we can harvest 1 or nothing at all. For the milk production, I now sell 3 liters daily for $1.22, which all caters to food for the household."

"In the Kalenjin culture, owning a cow is a sign of wealth, as it produces food and income for the family. When I received the transfers, I spent $430 on purchasing a dairy cow, as I had not had one before. Previously, I used to buy 2 liters of milk daily for $1.6, which was expensive compared to the $4 income I earn from the boda boda taxi business daily. At the moment, my cow produces 5 liters of milk daily, of which I sell 3 liters for $1.5 to the milk vendors in the community. From this income, I have paid school fees for my children in grades 2 and pre-primary 1, as well as purchased food for my family of five. I further used the rest of the transfers on fencing my compound and purchasing chairs for my house. I can now comfortably welcome visitors into my house without fear of victimization."