"I graduated from Egerton University in June 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Procurement and Supply Chain Management, but I have never been employed. Since then, I have been managing my father’s business in Kampi Samaki town, earning KES 6000 a month. I use this money to support my daughter’s education and cover my basic needs, but it is tough to make ends meet. I have been applying for jobs consistently, but I have not secured any employment yet. I am worried about the difficulty of finding work, especially as the economy in Kenya changes daily. I just hope to find something that allows me to provide better for my daughter and myself."

"The biggest challenge in my life right now is my health. I have been struggling with a backache for the past 10 years without finding a permanent solution. Due to financial constraints, I have not been able to seek further treatment from specialists, which has made things even more difficult for me."

"I am a mother of 3 engaging in fish trade from the year 2019.The fluctuations in the population of fish recently in Lake Baringo has caused inadequacy in my household income.Fishing is the main economic activity in this area. My husband and I have engaged in this activity for 5 years , it has been difficult to diversify to other forms of economic activities such as farming due to the natural calamities that regularly affect agriculture.In the past 2 months the number of fish in Lake Baringo has been declining rapidly leading to a decrease in my monthly income from KES 21000 to KES 9000.This has negatively affected my life in that I have had to cut on the quality and quantity of meals in my household from 3 to 2 meals a day.Moreover, I have had to get into debt to meet the household utilities and food.Financial shortage is therefore the greatest challenge am currently facing."

"I live in a dry place, the climate is hot and the land is rocky. We cannot do farming to produce food. Luckily, nearby is Lake Baringo. I depend on frying fish for sale. Fishermen sell fish to me on a daily basis. Sometimes, the fish caught is small and I may lack stock. This means the profits are small not even enough to buy food for my family. It means sometimes I can only buy food. It leaves my family short on income to support other needs such as school fees and other basics like clothes or medication."

"Limited source of finances to run our daily expenses is the biggest challenge we are facing currently. I am a charcoal burner yet it was banned 2 weeks ago. My husband who used to be our bread winner was involved in an accident 6 months ago leading to a serious leg injury. From that day, my husband has been unable to fend for us and I opted to sell firework and the proceed from it is unsustainable. I occasionally sell the firewood and on a good day, I get KES 200 a day which is barely enough to run a family of 5."

"I used to live in a small, one-room house made of grass. However, as my family has grown to four members, this house can no longer accommodate us. On top of that, the roof would leak badly when it rained, leaving me constantly worried. I had been thinking about building a better house, but due to the challenges I was facing, I couldn't afford to buy even the materials to renovate it. When I received the cash, I used around $302 to buy iron sheets, poles, and all the necessary materials to build a new house. Now, I feel much more at ease, as the weather has been harsh, but I’m no longer exposed to it. This has restored the joy I lost many years ago. In addition, I bought two goats for $100, which I now consider assets for my household. They will be a big help in the future; if I face any financial needs, I can sell one or two to address the problem. I also cleared a $30 debt I owed a friend, which had been giving me sleepless nights, so I now have peace of mind. I gave my wife $50 to buy new clothes for herself and the two children, as their old clothes were worn out. With the remaining $68, I bought food for the family, which has sustained us for a while, so we no longer go to bed hungry like before."

"Recently, I received $450 from GiveDirectly, and the first thing I did was use $150 to buy three sheep. I didn’t own any livestock before, but thanks to GiveDirectly, I am now a proud owner. This is a long-term investment that will provide my family with milk and income in the future. After securing the sheep, I used $130 to buy building materials, as I am planning to extend my house from one room to two rooms. This extension will give my family more space, offer us privacy, and restore a sense of dignity. Additionally, I spent $100 to buy a plot of land where I currently live. My goal is to use the next transfer from GiveDirectly to pay off the remaining balance so that I can become a landowner. The rest of the money was used to buy food for my family, ensuring we no longer have to struggle to meet our basic needs. I am incredibly happy for this support, and all I can say is thank you."

"I have always dreamed of owning a large herd of livestock, especially goats, as they are easy to manage in our region considering our climate. In the future, these goats will be a valuable asset that I can rely on, particularly when this program comes to an end. Therefore, my plan for the coming year and beyond is to continue investing a portion of my transfers into buying more goats, hoping they will multiply and increase in number and value. Once I have a sizeable herd, I intend to sell some of them and use the proceeds, along with a portion of my transfers, to renovate my house, which needs repairs. My house needs some repairs, and currently, repairing it is going to be quite costly. I therefore chose a different strategy of acquiring goats, letting them multiply and sell them in the future, and using the proceeds for renovation. Once this is achieved, it will bring me great happiness. I am truly grateful to GiveDirectly for showing me a light for the future I have always dreamed of."

"Currently, I have 10 goats, and my plan for this year and beyond is to continue using a portion of my transfers to purchase more. My hope is that these goats will multiply and grow in number and value, giving me something to rely on in the future, especially when this program comes to an end. In addition, my house is in urgent need of renovations as it is on the verge of collapsing. To improve it, I have been buying building materials using my previous transfers and I intend to continue using another portion of my future transfers to gradually buy more building materials to enable this project to come to fruition. Once the repairs are complete, I intend to allocate some of my transfers toward purchasing a new bed and mattress, as the ones I have are worn out and uncomfortable. I want to make sure I can sleep comfortably at night and have a good rest. I am hopeful that I will be able to achieve all these goals, and I am truly grateful for the support GiveDirectly has provided."

"As a parent without a stable job and source of income with a child in secondary school whose school fee is quite high, my top priority is to ensure her education continues without interruption, especially from being sent home to collect unpaid fees. My plan for the coming year and beyond is to continue using a portion of my transfers that I receive from GiveDirectly to consistently pay her school fees, ensuring she stays in school. Additionally, I am a farmer, and as a farmer, the costs of preparing my land have been a heavy burden. Each farming season, I have had to hire a tractor or plowing bulls, which is quite expensive. To reduce these costs, I have embarked on a journey to acquire two sets of plowing bulls, which would allow me to plow my farm and save on preparation expenses. To reach this goal, I started by purchasing goats and poultry with my previous transfers, and I plan to continue using a portion of future transfers to buy more. My hope is that these animals will multiply and increase in value, enabling me to trade them for the cows I have always dreamed of owning. These cows will help me work on a larger piece of land, securing more food for my family. I remain hopeful that these dreams will come true."