"I have three school going children i.e. one in primary and two in secondary levels. I am required to pay a total of $400 per annum as school fees. I am a casual labourer earning a daily wage of $4 which is insufficient to cater for all the basic needs of my household. Additionally, the unreliability of the casual tasks makes matters worse as on many occasions, I can find work twice in a week. As for the other days, I have to settle on burning charcoal to supplement on my family's needs. When catering for school fees becomes an uphill task, I am forced to depend on fundraising from friends and relatives."

"Our main source of family income is subsistence farming. Due to inadequate rains and unpredicted weather last season I was not lucky to harvest plenty maize. I am left struggling to pay school fees for my son Kelvin Lembiris who is currently persuing his mechanical engineering course in Kitui university. My daughter Blessings Namayon performed well in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education last year and joined Kituro secondary school in January this year. This worsened the situation and made me strain a lot to meet my family needs as well as sustain education of my children."

"Financial instability is a constant challenge for me and my family of two, especially since we depend solely on farming for our livelihood. Unfortunately, our current financial situation does not allow us to invest in farm input like a water pump and irrigation pipes. As a result, I have had to make the tough decision to lease out our 6-acre piece of land for $360. With this money, I lease a 1-acre plot by the riverbanks for $100 and purchase essential farm inputs such as fertilizers and seeds. While leasing out land helps cover immediate expenses, I am actively seeking ways to secure capital or assistance to invest in irrigation equipment, knowing it will significantly improve our crop yields and financial stability in the long run."

"I plan to build a house for my family"

"we bought a cow because we needed to take milk"

"This year and in the future, I have a big dream: to move out of my parents' home and build my own house a bit farther from where I am now. It's really important for me to do this because culturally, as a single mother with kids, it's not traditional for me to live so close to my parents. I'll be really happy when I achieve this goal. To make it happen, I'm planning to use the money I've saved from the poultry business I started with the GiveDirectly second transfer. I'll use it to buy all the materials I need for farming and to finish building my new house as quickly as I can. It's a big project, but I'm determined to make it work."

"This year, my main objective is to renovate my house. The one I currently live in is quite old, with a roof that leaks severely during heavy rains, urgently needing replacement. To achieve this, I plan to utilize my savings along with any additional funds I receive. The prospect of having a better living space brings me immense satisfaction, and I'm truly thankful for this opportunity to improve my home."

"Healthy issues is the problem that I am currently facing in life. I have pressure, ulcers and two bowls on the chest. It is two years now since I started suffering and the disease has really put me down. I can not do any work now thus depending on other people."

"Source of reliable income is the challenge I am currently facing in life. My husband does casual jobs at the coastal towns and I do subsistence farming. He earns little income that caters for food and school fees. The husband has now taken three months without accessing any job. This has made my children miss classes for two weeks now due to school fees."

"It is disheartening to witness my two children staying at home after completing their secondary education; one graduated last year, and the other in 2022. Despite my desire to enrol them in tertiary education like their peers, financial constraints have posed a significant obstacle. My goal for the upcoming year and beyond is to ensure they're able to pursue further education, even if it means enrolling them in smaller colleges. To raise funds for this, I plan to maximize the productivity of my two-acre farm by planting maize and green grams for sale. The income generated from these crops will be dedicated to financing their education. Witnessing them back in school will be my greatest accomplishment and a source of immense pride."