"There are many challenges that we are facing currently. One of the biggest challenges that is making my life harder is the back aches I have had for many years. I'm currently a care taker for my three grandchildren and because of the back aches I have it is difficult for me to provide for them. This has made life hard since we are old and can't do hard labor to provide for our family."

"When I lost half an acre maize plantation to floods 2 months ago, my husband and I are struggling to put food on the table. I also had plans to sell the produce and start saving for my daughter's education. The consequences of the calamity has left us more worried about food security and unable to provide quality education for Samantha, our 8 year old daughter."

"I have been facing challenges in providing for my family for quite some time. In the past, I relied on jobs like making and selling charcoal to make ends meet. Due to my advanced age, I am unable to continue with this physically demanding job. My two sons, who also have their own families to take care of, are unable to provide much support due to their own financial struggles. Receiving my first transfer was a tremendous help, as it enabled me to provide for my household. I used a significant portion of the funds to buy food that would last us for a month, ensuring that we no longer had to skip meals. Additionally, I am in the process of opening a shop in my village, which will create a source of income for me. I have already purchased building materials, including 14 iron sheets, nails, and building poles for $207 to construct the shop. I also saved part of the remaining funds to buy stock for the shop. I am confident that this business will provide me with a sustainable source of income. Additionally, I was also able to complete the construction of a toilet, which was left unfinished due to lack of funds. I purchased the remaining materials for the roofing, including 5 iron sheets and nails, and covered the labour costs. The toilet is now complete and in good condition, ready for use by my family."

"My main focus for the upcoming year and beyond is to complete the renovations on my house to ensure its long-term durability and safety. With the financial support I received, I was able to build a two-roomed house, which is a significant achievement for me. I also used the funds to install proper lighting. Moving forward, I plan to invest in purchasing a lorry of sand and stones for plastering the house. Additionally, once the renovations are complete, I intend to invest in buying livestock. This strategic investment will provide me with additional income streams and contribute to my long-term financial stability. I'm truly grateful for the support I received, which has allowed me to enhance my living conditions and pursue my goals with confidence."

"It was a hot afternoon, and the sun was high in the sky. My spouse, our three children, and I were busy working on our one-acre watermelon farm. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was a call from a friend. After I was done talking with him, I noticed an unread message. I opened it to check and was delighted that the anticipated transfer from GiveDirectly had arrived sooner than expected. I was so happy and immediately shared the good news with my children and spouse, who were equally excited."

"I currently have two acres of maize seed plants that I plan to harvest next month. I am expecting to yield around 60 sacks of maize, which should bring in a profit of about $3,400. I plan to reinvest this profit into tomato farming immediately after the maize harvest. The good news is that I do not have any outstanding school fees for my children this year, as I have already cleared all of them. This allows me to reinvest the entire amount into the tomato farming project. While the operational costs for buying seedlings and managing a tomato farm are quite high, the experience of my neighbour indicates that the returns are significantly better than those from maize farming. I am optimistic about the potential success of this project and look forward to seeing how it can further improve our family's financial stability."

"I am currently facing a lot of challenges in my family. I have 2 children who are joining university this year, one in junior secondary and they all depend on me to provide them with school fees and Iam not financially stable, because iam just running a small grocery stand in my compound which is not stable enough because a lot all the compounds in the village have their vegetable garden. I am working a gain as a caretaker, I have a disabled child who depends on me to move him around and my father is elderly he needs my continuous support because his health is decorating each and everyday."

"I used to work as a casual labourer in town to support my 3 children education. Unfortunately, this job contributed to chest pains, which now prevents me from working and provide for my for them. Since I fell ill, we have not had any source of income and my children could not continue with secondary education. My health issues is the biggest challenge I'm currently facing."

"Financial constraints is the biggest challenge I'm currently facing. I work as a casual labourer and my wife is a housewife. On average, I earn $9 in a week which is insufficient to meet all our needs including shelter. We live in a house which is nearly collapsing , putting our lives at risk."

"I consider financial constraints as what has made my life so tough at the moment. This is because I am a housewife and I do not have a reliable job to depend on. This has compelled me to engage in odd jobs like charcoal work to earn some cash. In our area, casual jobs are very energy-draining and low-paying. In estimation, I make $20 per month, an amount that goes to paying bills. This leaves me with nothing to save. On the other hand, my husband's job as a security guard in Kilifi also earns him very little. In a month, he receives $100 as a salary. Considering that we have a family of six with two children in school, most of the money goes to clearing fee arrears and partly on food. The feeling of struggling to make ends meet has devoured my happiness as a mother, a situation that has pissed me off."