"Living in a hut with a single room has been the biggest challenge for me and my family. I have a family of 3 and the space is so small that cannot hold household items let alone the sleeping area. I am forced to leave some items outside and set cooking arrangement in an open place outside the house. When visitors come, they have nowhere to sleep and as a result, I am compelled to hustle for them a place to rest in the neighborhood. This does not bond well with us as we feel we are unable to protect our privacy."

"Since the year 2004, I have been doing farming for both subsistence and commercial purposes. In the year 2013, we experienced flooding as a result of swelling of Lake Baringo. As a result, my entire 10 acres of land has since been submerged inside the lake. In order for me to continue with farming, I had to start borrowing idle land from my fellow villagers because I do not have the capital to lease. The land I currently farm is about an acre and the produce I get is insufficient to cater for all the basic needs of my family. If my capital situation persists, I am foreseeing a situation whereby I have to quit my passion of being a commercial farmer."

"I really admire GiveDirectly's programs. What caught my attention right away is their straightforwardness, which is clear from their name itself. There's no beating around the bush with them. One thing I truly appreciate about GiveDirectly is their commitment to honesty and transparency. They operate with integrity, ensuring that every step of their process is open and clear. There's no room for corruption in their programs, which is refreshing to see. Their approach is simple but effective. They directly provide assistance to those in need without any middlemen or complicated bureaucracy. This ensures that the help reaches the people who need it most without any delay or diversion. What I find remarkable is that I haven't seen any loopholes in their system. It's all laid out plainly, and you can see exactly where the money is going and how it's making a difference in people's lives."

"As a wife and mother of two toddlers, I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders to ensure my family has enough food. Cooking requires both firewood and water, which means I have to travel up to 5 kilometres to fetch them. It is a time-consuming and exhausting task, especially since I cannot afford the daily $1.5 for a motorbike. My husband Elvis, a carpenter, supports our family, but his income barely covers our food expenses, leaving nothing as surplus. Despite the challenges, I do my best to manage and provide for my family's needs."

"Growing up, my parents did not place much importance on education, and unfortunately, I followed suit. I did not have the wisdom to see the value in completing my schooling, so I dropped out in eighth grade, and my parents did not seem concerned about it. Now, looking back, I deeply regret that decision. It is clear to me that my struggles to make ends meet resulted from not having finished my education and thus missing out on better job opportunities. I do not want my kids to go through the same thing. It really hurts me to think about it. That is why I am determined to send my oldest child to a better school next year. She is in grade six, and I can see that the school she is in now is not good enough. This could affect her grades, especially in her upcoming national exams. To make sure she gets the education she deserves, I am willing to use money from our farm to pay for her schooling. If I need to, I will even sell some of our goats to make sure she has everything she needs to succeed. It is so important to me that she has opportunities I never had."

"I want to continue with the momentum of raising livestock until I can acquire cows. I know that I cannot raise funds to buy a cow, which costs at least $300. It will be challenging to save this amount because of financial constraints like school fees. So I plan to start rearing goats and sheep because, after they reproduce, I can sell some of them and raise funds to get cattle. Having cows will fulfill many needs. One of them is helping me with farming activities like plowing. Also, they will produce milk for domestic consumption and for selling to gain profits. This will help my child particularly, who has been underweight for a long time and require milk. I am excited that I will not have to buy as I do now."

"I aim to start rearing goats in the coming year and beyond. However, I have not been able to buy any as of now due to financial constraints for my two grandchildren and food. As the main provider for the family, I have not had the chance to save for buying livestock. Despite this, I still believe that I can save, even if it means forgoing other needs. This is because once the transfers end, this livestock will allow me to raise funds for the needs of my family, serving as a source of future income."

"I plan to repair my house, as the mud walls were damaged from the rains that persisted towards the end of last year, leaving huge holes that let in cold air during the night. I aim to repair these walls and construct concrete skirting and pillars around them to reinforce their structure. Although I cannot estimate the cost of the repairs, I hope to save enough from the transfers to implement this project."

"In the future, I aspire to expand my livestock, focusing on chickens and goats. These animals can be sold to cover basic needs like food and school fees for my children. Rearing livestock is an ideal option for me as I lack a reliable source of income, and they have the potential to multiply and grow over time. Having a livestock venture will not only support my family but also assist my husband in providing for our household. With the acquisition of three goats from the transfers, I now plan to diversify my herd by adding chickens to the mix."

"Now, looking forward, I want to build a house back in the village. The current one I have is in poor condition, with the walls damaged by rainfall, posing a risk of collapse. Therefore, I aim to construct a new house before this one completely collapses. I estimated the budget for this new house to be around $300. Since my mechanic job has not yet picked up well, I plan to save at least $5 from the cash transfers to accumulate funds that will support the house construction exercise. I hope that in the future, more opportunities arise in terms of work so that I can complete this task in no time."