"At the moment, my family and I are staying in a place we do not rightfully own, but are squatting on a relative's property. My plan has always been to buy my own land so that my family and I can build a home and stay there. As a businessman and charcoal vendor, I plan to work hard and save the proceeds with the aim of buying a piece of land for my young family. I also have quite a number of goats and chickens that are still multiplying. I am hopeful that they will continue to do so, allowing me to sell them in the future and add the proceeds to my savings from my business. My goal is to buy a piece of land where my family can have our own home and achieving this will make me a very happy man"

"My plan is to expand my business and increase revenue to support my family. To achieve this, I intend to use some of my transfers I receive from GiveDirectly to boost my capital and add more stock. I also plan to buy more goats with the transfers, hoping they will multiply so I can sell them in the future and reinvest the proceeds into my business. I am hopeful that this strategy will succeed, as this business has been my lifelong dream and achieving it will mean a lot to me."

"After I got married to my lovely husband, 5 years later he decided to be a polygamous man and added 2 extra wife. The family size increased and his earnings of $35 per week could no longer sustain all our needs. I work as a charcoal burner which gives me an average of $ 14 in a week. Even though it is an additional source of income, we still struggle to meet the basic needs and this has affected the education of my 3 children because they are in and out of school fees. Financial constraints is the biggest challenge I'm currently facing."

"I have been facing significant challenges in obtaining enough food. Being unemployed at my age has made it difficult for me to consistently access three meals a day. I rely mainly on sporadic casual work, which is challenging to secure in the village. Unfortunately, the recent rainy season did not provide much relief, as the harvest I received in January 2024 has already been depleted. I was counting on the March to May 2024 rains to yield a good harvest, but those hopes have been dashed due to the failure of the rains."

"As a mother of 10 children, the loss of my husband in early February 2023 has significantly impacted our lives. The primary challenge I face is unemployment, which has made it extremely difficult to meet the needs of such a large family. Providing for my children's necessities, such as food, school fees, and basic essentials, has become a constant struggle. The weight of caring for my children and managing our day-to-day lives now rests solely on my shoulders. To make ends meet, I have resorted to various coping mechanisms for survival, including taking up casual labor such as charcoal burning, which unfortunately exacerbated my chest problems."

"I had gone out to seek some cyber services in our nearby centre. While I was waiting to be served, I received a notification on my phone and upon checking, I realized it was an M-Pesa message. It turned out to be my first transfer from GiveDirectly. This was the best news I had received, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude as I thanked God for such a blessing. I had been struggling financially to the extent that I couldn't pay fees for my two children, one in high school and the other in university. This transfer was a huge relief for me and a great help for my children's education."

"I was at home in the evening, sitting in my house after the day's activities, when I received a message on my phone. When I checked the message, I couldn't believe it at first. I thought it was a scam message. However, upon further reading, I realized that it was an M-Pesa notification informing me that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was so happy to receive the transfer because I finally had the opportunity to build a toilet, a project I had wanted to do for a long time."

"In the coming year and beyond, my goal is to get two plowing bulls. These bulls will enable me to transform my farm and secure a better future for my family. I will use them to plow my farm efficiently, increasing the crop yields. Additionally, I plan to lease them out to my neighbors for a small fee, thus providing an income. To make this dream a reality, I have devised a careful savings plan. Each month, I set aside $15 from the money I received from GiveDirectly. Considering that a small bull costs $100, I will be able to buy my first bull in just over six months and the second one shortly after. This disciplined approach will not only bring me closer to my immediate goal but will also pave the way for long-term prosperity and stability."

"School fees for my children is the challenge I am currently facing in life. My husband and I do casual jobs making approximately $30 per month which caters for food and school fees though not enough. My children have been missing classes due to lack of school fees thus dropping in their performances. Some have even dropped out of school."

"My husband and I do casual jobs making approximately $30 per month which caters for food and school fees. Sometimes it takes a whole month without any job and this has affected my children's education since they miss classes due to accumulated fees balance of $30 now. Lack of reliable sources of income is the challenge I am currently facing in life."