"I have completed my dressmaking training and I am eager to finish my tailoring and dressmaking course in December. After completing the course, my goal is to launch my own tailoring business. I plan to use the savings from our merry-go-round group to purchase a sewing machine, which costs around $280. Once I have the sewing machine, I will invest my savings to grow and stabilize my business. My aim is to achieve financial stability by the end of this program so that I can support my family. I want to ensure that when the GiveDirectly program concludes, I will have accomplished something meaningful and have a lasting memory of the support it provided. Additionally, I am looking ahead to opening a tailoring shop in the next year as soon as I acquire my own machine. I am truly grateful for the financial support that has given me hope for a brighter future."

"This year, my primary goal is to complete the construction of my new house. My previous home was very small and on the verge of collapsing. With the support of the transfers from GiveDirectly, I have been gradually purchasing building materials, and I intend to use a portion of my future transfers to continue buying the remaining building materials needed to finish the house. I am very excited about the progress we are making, and I am very hopeful that soon enough we will move into our new house. Once we complete the house, my focus will shift to livestock farming. I intend to invest another portion of the transfers into buying goats, with the hope that they will multiply and increase in value over time. This will allow me to sell some of them in the future and provide for my family’s needs. With these livestock, I will have created a sustainable asset that I can rely on in the future, especially when this program comes to an end. I am genuinely grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has provided me and my family. Their assistance is helping me build a brighter future, and I am optimistic that my plans for both house and livestock farming will come to fruition. Each step I take brings me closer to achieving my dreams, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds."

"I had a simple yet profound dream - to build myself a house. Unfortunately, my financial resources were insufficient, leaving my ambitious project in limbo. To make matters worse, my living conditions were far from ideal. I slept on an old traditional bed and worn-out mats that were anything but comfortable. My struggles seemed endless until GiveDirectly came to my aid. With renewed vigor, I set out to change my life, starting with completing my mud house. I spent $150 to ensure it was not only finished but also spacious, providing the peace of mind I had longed for. Understanding the importance of a good night's sleep, I invested $100 in a new bed and mattress, replacing the old, uncomfortable bedding I had been using for years. Restless nights turned into periods of serene slumber. Food insecurity was another battle I faced, often going to bed hungry. Determined to ensure my family never experienced this again, I spent $250 to buy enough food. This ensured that my family was well-fed and never lacked food again. I spent the remaining amount on covering medical expenses. I received treatment in a good hospital, a luxury I hadn't experienced in years."

"After receiving the second transfer, my priority was to settle the $400 debt I owed to a neighbour who had sold me a piece of land (1 acre). I’m glad I was able to clear this debt and now have peace of mind, something I had been yearning for. I don’t have a steady income, as my husband works as a driver, but his job is temporary. My family of three used to live at my grandfather's compound, and I feared what the future would look like, especially since my family is young and growing. I also used $100 to buy some building materials like poles and nails, and since I already had the other materials, I was able to build a new house on this piece of land. I will always be thankful to this organization for making my dreams come true. I now live happily in my place that I can call home, with no more stress about where my children will stay in the future. We are currently experiencing a hot and dry season, and food has been a challenge for us, as my husband isn’t paid daily. This has caused us to run out of food most days. I used $30 to buy enough meals to last us for a while, and for once, we enjoyed good meals."

"My plan for the coming year and beyond is to provide my children with the best education possible. By investing in their education, I am providing them an opportunity to have better lives in the future. With three of them currently in secondary school, the financial burden is quite heavy, but I am determined to see them through. This year, two of them will complete their final exams, which will ease the pressure of school fees and allow me to redirect the transfers toward livestock. I aspire to build a herd of livestock that will be a valuable asset in the future. To achieve this, I plan to invest a portion of the transfers in buying goats. My hope is that they will multiply, increasing in number so that I can sell some of them later. The proceeds from these sales will help me take care of my family and support the education of my younger children, as well as assist my older ones as they transition to college.I am truly grateful for the opportunity that GiveDirectly has provided us, and I remain hopeful that these ambitions will come to fruition."

"As a single person, I am focused on securing my future, knowing that I will settle down eventually. To achieve this, I aim to build a large herd of diverse livestock that will be a good asset in the future. To achieve this, I have been using a portion of my previous transfers that I have been receiving from GiveDirectly to buy goats, and I plan to continue allocating a portion of my future transfers for this purpose. My hope is that these goats will multiply, increasing both their numbers and their value so that in the future I may be able to trade some of them for female cows. I believe that these cows will also reproduce increasing in number and value and also provide milk for my family. My long-term plan is to sell some of the cows and goats to buy a piece of land and build a house for myself and my future family. I want to have my own place, something I can proudly call my own, rather than living in my family's home. I am optimistic that these dreams will come to fruition, all thanks to GiveDirectly."

"In my opinion, the organization did a very good job by ensuring that they improved our lives. I was living in stress, not knowing where I would keep my children in the future as I had been staying at my brother's house. However, the financial support I received allowed me to buy land and build a house. Were it not for this cash support, I do not think I would have been able to acquire all of this anytime soon, as I had many responsibilities to take care of, which was not easy for me. Therefore, they should continue doing what they do, and there is no need to change how they operate."

"In my opinion, GiveDirectly is the best organization I have ever come across because of its uniqueness. One of the things that went well is that it is a voluntary program and did not force me to enroll at all. Also, the money that I was promised was sent directly into my Mpesa account, giving me the chance to choose what works well for me. Additionally, the officers came to my house for registration, so I did not have to queue anywhere to enroll, which made it easier for us. Therefore, I do not see anything that this organization did not do well, and they don't have to change anything."

"As I approach the completion of my secondary school education, my goal in the coming months is to use my transfers to clear any remaining school fee debt. This will ensure that I can sit for my end-of-year exams without the stress of having an outstanding balance. Once the results are out next year, I hope to continue my education and move closer to achieving my goal of becoming an engineer. I plan to use my subsequent transfers to pay the rest of my school fees, which will give me peace of mind and help me focus on my studies. I am very grateful for the financial support, as it has helped me pursue my dreams and continue striving toward my goals."

"I am a widow with five children, and I rely on farming and selling charcoal to provide for my family. The support from GiveDirectly came at the perfect time because I was just about to harvest my maize from the farm. I used part of the transfer, about $169, to buy maize bags and pay for labor, and cover the cost of using a tractor for the harvest. This made the whole process much easier and more manageable. With the remaining amount, I bought other food items like beans to keep us going. I am so happy because everything went exactly as I had planned, and the support helped me achieve what I needed. For that, I am forever grateful to GiveDirectly."