Kenya

"Initially, one had to travel all the way to Ganze to get water, a distance where you had to pay $1 (to hire) a motorbike. Since I had no money, I had to walk all the way while carrying my grandchild on my back."

When community members received cash, every household decided to pitch in part of their funds to install a water pipe in the village.

"The water project has also brought unity in our village. The entire community uses the water for their basic needs. We also gather here to catch up and check on each other."

"I decided to expand my vegetable garden and start a chicken farm. I bought thirty broiler hens and added twenty more laying hens to the ones I already had.

Now, I have around a hundred hens in total. This has given me the opportunity to sell surplus eggs in the market every weekend, earning an extra $10 per week."

"I've always had a lot of passion for beekeeping, but my financial situation made it impossible for me to grow my business because I lacked the right equipment. Instead, I turned to casual jobs like charcoal burning and selling.

With the money I received from GiveDirectly, I was able to buy the right equipment and start beekeeping and selling honey again. I've already bought 11 locally made beehives using a portion of my first transfer, and I intend to add 5 more."

"There is no welding or repair workshop in my local market area, so I decided to purchase these machines with the hope of opening a workshop that will help my local community with such services while also keeping myself busy before retirement."