"The biggest challenge right now is food. This is because of how it rains in our area. To cushion this, my husband weaves mats and sells at the market. He makes about 25 mats a month and that sells for K1200 each making about K30,000 (~$25). That money is not enough for all our household needs so we look for casual work compliment."

"My biggest challenge is food. I brew locally made alcohol but no one has money, 3 days now no one has come to buy. This leaves me with mo money to fend for my needs. I go out to look for piece work but it is seasonal and I end up not making any money."

"The challenge in our household is sickness. We have two epileptic children and that makes us have less time to do other development activities. They need close monitoring since it just happens anyhow. Therefore one of us always has to be home with them to make sure they're safe. My husband weaves mats and that helps in a way. We mostly rely on farming but that is dependent on the rains and we have no control over it."

"The challenge I'm going through is lack of food. This is because we don't harvest well due to poor rains or too much rains. As a result we rely on casual work which is seasonal. There are times when there isn't work out there and that leaves us starving."

"Even though my elder son graduated from university, I still have two children in secondary school for whom paying their school fees is a challenge. I hope to improve my farming and increase productivity in the coming year. I plan to sell the surplus from the farm to help pay for school fees and other household expenses. Despite the fact that the drought has been devastating, I am hopeful that when the rain begins, I will be able to plant because my farms are ready."

"I hope in the coming year to build my house and buy furniture for my home."

"Givedirectly do give us money to help ourselves. Givedirectly is a good organization."

"Like every parent, my long-term objective is to see that my kids have a better life than I did. I'd really like to grow my Mpesa and butchery enterprises in the near future. I was able to launch these enterprises and earn some extra money thanks to GiveDirectly. Even with my day job and my two side jobs, expenses always increase to match income—this is a fundamental economic principle! My enterprises will grow, which will increase my income and allow me to continue working toward my long-term objective of giving my children the best life possible."

"My short-term goal has always been to start and run a grocery store. Selling fish, cabbage, kale, etc., I would have a new source of income from which to support myself. Aside from that, I dream of finding a wife who would be content with tending the farm and looking after our home. If I could find a partner such as this, I could focus on making a living for the both of us, knowing that things at home are fully catered to."

"My main source of income has primarily been burning wood to make charcoal to sell in Kilifi Town. To complement my income, my husband also works as a security guard in Kilifi; he works the night shift at the quarry. Between the $4 sale per sack of charcoal and the $20 per two weeks that my husband makes, we were hard pressed to provide for ourselves and our eight children. The funds were a true blessing. Through these transfers, I was able to stock up on food in the house to help us along for a while. Furthermore, I proceeded to pay the most urgent bills, which were the kids' school fees. The firstborn, a student at Pwani University in Kilifi, is in his second year, and his tuition is $190 per semester. The 2nd born is in Form 1 at Bahale Secondary and requires $19.35 per term to cover their education. Our third child is in Kiwandani Secondary, and we pay $180 per year in tuition. The 4th and 5th born go to Porothoyo Primary School, where they both demand $1.35 in fees. Our sixth child, who is in the same school, pays the same $1.35 in fees. The 7th born is in kindergarten and also in Forothoyo Primary, where we pay $1.35 in fees. The 8th born is 1.5 years old, the only expense we incur is to feed her. With the expenses outlined above, we would have been hard-pressed to cater to our needs without GiveDirectly's intervention."