"I am eager to raise additional funds for the plastering of the floors of both houses because I already have nearly all of the materials needed to build a new house and some extras that will be useful in building a new kitchen. As of now, my contractor husband has completed the entire project without having to contribute to the construction costs. It has been made easier because he can calculate the necessary materials and potential costs before making any purchases."

"With the second transfer, I finished up building our house that I started with the first transfer using ksh 20000 , this was enough to finish up the remaining part and buy furniture as well. With another ksh 15000, I planted maize and beans in a quarter piece of land and bought enough food for two months for a family of seven using ksh 10000 and saved about ksh 6000 for future use."

"The challenge that I'm faced with at the moment is the biting draught. It has been three years since we saw plenty rain and we have not been able to plant any crops. This has seen me and my family lack food to eat since we can't afford three full meals. This has forced us to slaughter goats which is not enough since we can't eat meat everyday and the goats are also few. I'm forced to look for food such as maize, millet and wheat from my relatives who live in the highland areas. I feel ashamed that I have to borrow food from my relatives."

"By the time I received the second phase of the GiveDirectly transfer, my four primary school children were two days out of school due to examination money and fee arrears amounting to $80. Therefore, I made it a priority so that they could go back to school before it was too late. I sent the $80 to the school and they happily resumed classes. This gave me joy because I had no means of taking them back to school; thanks to the second transfer from GiveDirectly. After that, I settled down and decided to invest in livestock. I bought six goats for $250. I choose goats over cows because of the climatic condition in our area which is very dry. Goats can survive in harsh climatic conditions compared to cows. I also started a business of selling sardines to keep myself busy since I am very old. The aim of starting the livestock investment was to assist me to provide for my family because goats can be exchanged for money easily. This investment has made me take a rest from the tiring job of making and selling charcoal which I was relying on yet it was unreliable. To some extent, we went without food for two days a week. I used the remaining amount to buy some food. Currently, I am very happy because since I received the second transfer, my family and I have been getting some food on daily basis."

"Approximately two weeks before receiving the second transfer, my two sons who are in secondary school were sent home for fees. I tried to lobby with the teachers so that they could be retained in school as I find ways of paying their school fees but my effort was futile. This gave me sleepless nights and deprived me of my peace of mind because seeing your children stranded at home every morning with little help to offer them is not an easy thing. Upon receiving the second transfer, the priority was the school fees for my children. I saw it prudent to pay for the whole year so that they could settle and focus on their studies. Therefore, I paid $360 for them; that is $180 each. By so doing, I felt so happy and relieved because their faces were brightened by the fact that they were going to resume classes. Their happiness gave me peace of mind. Thereafter, I opted to use the remaining amount of money for the family's expenses."

"I am a peasant farmer and I am among the few in my community who have not been fortunate enough to own a dairy cow. Although I have been dreaming to own one someday, I have not been able to raise the money to buy one. I have been buying milk for my two children everyday and this money would have been saved towards some other needs if I had a cow. When I was enrolled in the program, I saw this as a dream come true because I knew I would own one in the near future. I spend $200 of my second transfer to buy a dairy calf, $80 to buy two goats and I have been spending the balance to buy food for my family and other basic needs."

"I intend to start building a new house on my newly purchased piece of land in the next month, now that I have purchased the majority of the construction materials. I am still trying to gather all of the necessary construction materials as well as enough money to pay the labor force who will be assisting with the construction work. I am currently running a fast food business, traveling from market to market and stopping at any location where I can make a better sale on a daily basis."

"A couple of years ago, my husband and I bought a piece of land in the nearby market and we were able to build a shop on half of it. We have not been able to build the other half because our children joined tertiary institutions and all our income has always been channeled towards paying school fees. When I got my first transfer, I was able to build the foundation and build the structure and I was able to do the roofing and other finishing with my second transfer. I ma looking forward to start renting it out at $3 per moth and this money will be enough to cater for my basic needs. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the financial support."

"Since I have some few cows, I want to start a business of selling and buying livestock with what I have now. I am hopeful that the business will grow overtime and I will therefore be able to pay school fees for my children without much struggle like it has been. It will earn me some better income compered to what I have been earning as a casual worker."