"There are many challenges I'm facing in my life at the moment. The most pressing challenge is the lack of employment. My family and I were chased by bandits from our ancestral home 10 years ago and since then settling here has become a big challenge. I depend on menial work to provide for my family. Recently, I have found less work because of prolonged drought which has affected my family negatively. Most of the time I'm forced to sell my few goats to be able to provide for my family which posses a great challenge since I have only few goats."

"In 2021 I got my son Levis and in 2022 December I had to move to my husband's home as a second wife. Since then my life has not been the same since I had a place of my own. However, there are many challenges such as a lack of water because the river is far. I'm forced to purchase water at about $20 for six 20-liter Jerricans. This makes life very difficult since it's very expensive to purchase and transport water."

"I have been suffering from pressure and diabetes for five years now. This has really affected my health such that I cannot work anymore and depend on my son for survival. I have spent a lot of money for my medication and am now broke with no money even to buy food. That is the challenge I am passing through."

"My wife and I do casual jobs to earn a living, it is unreliable and seasonal. We earn an average of $12 a week which is only enough to buy food hence none is left for savings or paying school fees. This forces us to borrow loans from microfinance to get school fees and offsetting it has been a challenge. If we had a stable source of income we could be in a position to cater to all the basic needs of our family without straining."

"Living in a semi-arid area is the biggest challenge due to persistent drought. For the past three years, there has been inconsistent rainfall hence no food is produced from our farms. We rely on purchasing foodstuff and with the rise in the cost of living, making ends meet is hard. I do a motorcycle business that earns me an average of $3 which is not enough to cater to all the needs up to school fees of my five children."

"I have a son at the University of Nairobi. It's difficult paying his fees and supporting his education. We also support our grandchild who's in secondary. We need at least $600 to support their education for a year. This has led us to sell most of our livestock. It has drained our only source of livelihood. Education is very expensive and hard to sustain."

"Paying school fees is a big challenge for us. We'd like to educate all our children. Currently, two are in secondary school and the other three are still at the primary level. It's difficult for us raising the money to pay for their education. As of now, we have $400 fee areas. This must be paid in the next month for our children to return for the next term. This is very stressful for us. We depend on casual jobs such as weeding, and harvesting amongst others. One is paid $2.50 per day. The amount is too little to pay sschool fees."

"As a single mother of five, receiving transfers from Give Directly for the second time was a huge blessing for my family and me. I had nowhere to live, so my mother took me and my children in, and we've been living with her for a year now since I separated from my husband, who was abusing me and threatening my life. So receiving this amount of money was a great way for me to start over by building a home for my family and providing basic needs such as education. I utilized $388 on building materials and constructed a two-room house, $38 on clothes, and $24 on school tuition arrears."

"As someone who is skilled in crop farming, my goal by the end of the year is to buy a water pump that will enable me to practice my skills more effectively. Unfortunately, poverty and harsh weather conditions have prevented me from doing so in the past. I have had to purchase water at very high prices to irrigate the vegetables I grow near my home, which has made it difficult to make a profit. With a water pump, I will be able to grow vegetables on a larger scale and lower the cost of production, which will increase my profit margins. This investment will not only help me financially, but it will also enable me to use my skills to their full potential and contribute to my community's food security. I am hopeful that this purchase will be a stepping stone towards a more sustainable future for me and my family."

"My goal is to explore livestock rearing as an alternative source of income since my farm has been unproductive. By raising a herd of livestock, I plan to sell some at the market at higher prices as they multiply, generating significant profits. Through this venture, I aim to achieve financial stability and self-sufficiency, which is my ultimate goal in the coming years."