"I am currently navigating a challenging period in my life after the loss of my wife, who passed away when we had not had any children. Despite this, I have two key goals I want to accomplish. First, I plan to continue saving my transfers from GiveDirectly, along with the profits from my business in my local savings group and access a loan, and use these it as capital for starting a vegetable-selling business that I have always wanted to have. I believe this venture will be transformative, providing me with a daily income to support myself. Once I establish this business, my next goal is to keep saving my transfers, my profits, and my other income from my other hustles and eventually use the accumulated funds to build a house for myself. I envision having a beautiful home that I can take pride in and call my own."

"Ever since my house collapsed due to heavy rains, I have been living in a makeshift shelter, which has been quite disheartening. I often find myself dreaming of having a new home that is comfortable, just like other people in my neighborhood. To make that dream a reality, I've been gradually purchasing building materials using my transfers, with the goal of constructing a new house for my family. This year, I plan to continue buying materials using a portion of my transfers, and I’m excited about the progress I’ve made so far. It feels amazing to see my dream taking shape. Additionally, I intend to save another portion of my transfers in our local savings group. Once my savings mature, I hope to use that money to buy goats. My plan is to let these goats multiply and increase in number and value so that I may use them in the future to take care of my family's needs and also for educational purposes. Once this program comes to an end, I want to have something valuable that I can be proud of."

"I am struggling financially to fend for my family because I do not have any source of income I only depend on my small kitchen garden which is not doing well because people tend to take vegetables on debts and fail to pay back."

"I am struggling financially to cater for my family needs, I have 3/4 piece of land which a leased for five years so that I can get money to facilitate my 3 high school children education because I was not able to cultivate it on my own due to lack of finance. I depend on casual labour and charcoal burning to fend for my family which is not enough because of the high economy in our region."

"I had rented a one-acre plot of land, and after plowing, I got stuck because I didn't have money to complete the land preparation, buy seeds, and start planting. I was expecting some money I had borrowed from someone, but it was delayed, and I was scared of losing the money I had already spent on renting the land and the plowing. Receiving my first transfer from GiveDirectly brought me immense joy. I allocated $100 to finish the land preparation and plant my watermelon crop. Afterward, I received the loan, which helped me maintain the melons, and now they are doing well. My main aim for investing in this crop is to build a house for my family. Currently, we live in a small, one-room grass-thatched house that is not presentable. Additionally, I spent about $80 on food because putting food on the table was a challenge. Relying on casual jobs is difficult because they are inconsistent, and sometimes we went without food. With this money, I bought enough food to sustain us as we wait for our crops to mature. The rest of the money went to buying clothes for my children. Thank you, GiveDirectly."

"My greatest challenge is securing enough money to cover the fees for my two children: one studying at a university and the other in secondary school. The income from farming, which is unpredictable due to drought, isn't adequate to cover both the fees and provide enough food for my family of 6."

"I am going through a tough time right now. One of my biggest challenges is financial instability. Without completing my studies, I lack the certificates needed for formal employment. Instead, I rely on casual jobs where I might earn just $4 on a good day. Unfortunately, these opportunities are scarce, leaving me without income on many days. Three months ago, a flash flood destroyed my maize and tomato farm. I have not been able to recover financially to replant, and it hurts to see my land bare. I do not expect to earn the returns I used to in past years. It is a difficult situation, and I am trying to find a way forward despite these setbacks."

"Financial constraints have become a real hurdle for me lately, especially in farming. Every day, I see the costs of essential inputs like fertilizers and seeds climbing higher. Depending on farming for my livelihood means I constantly feel the squeeze of these increasing expenses. It is challenging to keep up with the rising costs in Kenya's economy, but I am exploring different strategies to cope, like searching for more affordable inputs and considering diversifying my crops to lessen the impact of these expenses.It is a struggle, but I am hopeful that with perseverance, I can navigate through these tough times."

"Since I'm a window my biggest challenge currently is providing for my family. I only depend on casual work which I don't get enough money to provide for my family. This makes my life very difficult."

"My biggest challenge currently is a lack of money and the tightening cost of living. This has made my life very difficult because I lack money to pay for my three children's school fees and also purchase food for our family. This has made life difficult since what I get from the small business I have is not enough to cater for all our needs."