"Receiving financial assistance from GiveDirectly was certainly a blessing for me and my family. I work as a farmer, while my husband runs a retail shop in Marigat, and we are blessed with ten children. Upon receiving the initial transfer, I immediately put my plan into action, prioritizing my son's education by paying $50 in school fees. I then invested $90 in farming to boost our yields and ensure food security. The remaining funds were utilized to purchase food. Within a short period, I was able to accomplish a great deal, thanks to the financial support from GiveDirectly. This was something I never thought possible due to financial limitations, and for that, I am immensely grateful."

"It was a bright afternoon around 3:00 pm when my phone beeped with a message from Mpesa, confirming the receipt of my first transfer from GiveDirectly. At first, I was skeptical about the sender and didn't believe it was from GiveDirectly until my helper arrived and read the message for me. He was already aware that some people had received their transfers and was equally excited when he read the confirmation message. I was filled with joy on that assurance of the receipt as I thought of all the things I could do with the money, including building a new house. I could not wait to get started, so I instructed my helper to collect the money and purchase construction materials the next day. The excitement and hope for a better life filled my heart, and I felt grateful to GiveDirectly for the timely support."

"At around 4:00 p.m., while I was at home with my grandchild, I received a message confirming the receipt of my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was filled with joy as I shared the good news with my grandchild. We were both grateful, knowing that we would now be able to afford some of the things we had been unable to before. The following day, with the help of my helper, I withdrew the money and proceeded to make my first purchases. I was filled with excitement as I thought about all the possibilities that this support could bring to my life and that of my loved ones. It was an incredible feeling to have a newfound sense of financial security and stability, and I couldn't wait to see what the future held."

"I received the first payment from GiveDirectly, which confirmed the receipt of the transfer on March 15th at 3:00 p.m. As I was unable to read the message, I was grateful to be with my children who were able to confirm the receipt and source of the payment. The moment was filled with excitement and joy, and my husband was equally elated by the news. The following day, I collected the payment on my way to purchase food at the nearby shopping center. The experience of receiving the payment was indescribable, as it marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life. The payment meant that I could now provide for my family's basic needs and take the first step towards a better future. I couldn't thank GiveDirectly enough for their support in my time of need."

"When the second transfer from GiveDirectly came through, I felt relieved and excited at the same time. As a father of seven, providing for the family has never been easy, especially since we depend on charcoal production and a tree seedling nursery bed, which have been affected by unpredictable weather patterns. With the transfer, I decided to prioritize my children's education by paying for their school fees of $105, buying them new school uniforms for $15, and also spending $70 to ensure they had enough food to sustain them. I bought a sack of maize, millet, and 5 kg of beans, which would last us a while. I used the remaining money for transportation costs, as I took my children to school on the reporting day. It was such a huge relief to be able to cater to all these expenses without worrying about the limited income from our small errands. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the support, which has greatly impacted our lives."

"My source of income! Currently, I work as a waiter in a small hotel in our nearby town center. This work earns me $1.5 per day, an income that can not fully cater to our household's needs. This has pushed me to mostly depend on my husband who is a casual laborer. His monthly salary is usually $100, an income that goes into supporting our extended family of 10. This burden has made us live a life of misery and I can not afford to have a decent house. In addition, my children are also weak health-wise because we normally forfeit meals or survive on one in a day. Thus, I consider the lack of a stable source of income as my biggest challenge."

"As a widow, life has never been easy for me and my family of 4. I have lived a life full of misery due to life challenges. As a mother and the sole breadwinner, I have experienced tough moments in supporting us with household needs. The greatly disadvantaged ones are the children who suffer the most in school because I can not afford to clear their fees on time. In most cases, they are sent home due to huge fee balances. Imagine sending your son to school with only $5 as a fee! This was the most difficult moment in my life and I always recall that day. I am so optimistic that one day, our life will change for the better. My small business of selling foodstuffs has not thrived well and in a day, I earn $2 as a profit. This goes to food leaving me with nothing to save. Hence, the lack of a stable source of income to support us stands out as the biggest challenge."

"Taking care of my family of 6 poses a big challenge to me. This is because, at the moment, I do not have a job that I can depend on. This means any casual job which comes on my way tends to be my hope. The separation from my husband close to 10 years ago has been the biggest factor in my misfortunes. In addition, my mother at home is also mentally unwell and this has worsened the situation since I do not have another person to support me. The most reliable casual source of livelihood at the moment is charcoal work which is a hand-to-mouth job. In a month I earn utmost $30 which all goes to food and my children's education gets affected most. At home, I have 2 children who dropped out of school in pre-primary classes due to a lack of fees. This pains me most as a mother, as I watch them desperately. Hence, the financial crisis stands out as the biggest challenge in my life."

"The biggest difference in my daily life since receiving the recent transfers is my new venture into farming. Leasing land for farming has been a great opportunity for my family, as it provides a means of generating additional income. Prior to receiving the transfers, farming was unfeasible due to our lack of funds to lease land and manage the farming process effectively. However, with the support of GiveDirectly, we were able to lease land over a specialized period, which has been a great advantage. Farming requires careful management, and we now have the resources to do so, which has greatly reduced our losses. This has been a significant change in our daily lives and we are grateful for the support provided by GiveDirectly."

"I have two daughters making up a family of four. The first daughter Loyce has been sick for four years now. She suffers from epilepsy. This forced her to drop out of school while in class seven. I have taken her to different hospitals but in vain. As family this has really affected us financially and socially ."