"Having our own land has always been something we wanted as a family because the ancestral land is limited and cannot sustain us, so when we received the transfers, we combined both first and second transfers to accomplish our goal. We purchased a piece of land at $80 and have planted it with the hopes of reaping a plentiful harvest; this makes us feel extremely happy and hopeful for the future. In the meantime, we needed to buy food to last us until we could harvest. I spent $10, which was our first time buying that much food because we were used to buying in little quantities due to lack enough of finances. Finally, we have our kid in school, and we were relieved to have paid school expenses for the entire term. Since we received the transfers, our lives have changed dramatically."

"The GiveDirectly transfer arrived just in time as we had exhausted the little amount of flour we had left. I was worried about how we would purchase more and feared that we may have to go hungry for a few days until my husband could sell one of our emaciated goats to raise money. The drought had greatly affected our goats' health. Upon receiving the transfer, I was filled with joy and immediately went to buy a sack of dry maize with $60. Additionally, I had four children who had already returned to school without clearing their fees. I used the remaining $140 to pay their school fees, ensuring that they could stay in school until the end of the term. This assistance came as a huge relief to my family during these difficult times."

"My health has failed me a lot, I have been suffering from Brucellosis and typhoid that has persisted for long now. I am so feeble and can hardly catch sleep during the night. It has really bothered me for sometime now, previously I had undergone medication at Kabarnet which helped but it has kept recurring again. I am hurting and in constant pain, I have always wanted to go to hospital to sick medication but I lack the needed money. This week has been particularly worse, since yesterday I have been thinking of going to my parents place in Riwa to borrow money from my brother, Zacharia, who works in Kapsabet to enable me attend to my health. I cannot withstand the pain any longer."

"The main challenge that I'm facing currently is the lack of money. This has been prompted by the lack of employment. I completed my college studies as an Early Childhood Development Educator (ECDE) in 2022 and since then, I haven't secured employment. This has greatly affected my family financially since we depend on my husband for everything. This has made life very difficult since we can't meet some of the basic needs of our family. I sometimes feel so stressed since as a wife there are things I should do but I cannot because I don't have money to do so."

"Before 2020 we used to live in Marigat town but because of old age, we were forced to move back to the village. Since then, the main challenge we are facing is a lack of money for food and other basic needs. Old age has made it difficult for us to do menial work which has led to a lack of money. Because of this, we are forced to eat wild fruits. Life is very difficult for us since we are forced to go without food occasionally."

"Hunger is our biggest challenge. We have harvested nothing from our farm for the last 3 years. The drought has been persistent. This has led to zero productivity. To get food we must sell our livestock. This has led to reduced numbers. The drought has affected our ability to feed ourselves. At times we may be forced to have a single meal due to a lack of food. It's very hard sleeping hungry."

"I hope to become a great farmer by dividing my land into four sections. The first section will have coffee planted in it, the second section will have beans planted in it, the third section will have maize planted in it, and the fourth section will have potatoes planted in it. These will assist me in determining which yields the most and which generates the most profits in comparison to another, allowing me to determine what is the best I can do through farming. Based on the outcomes, I'd like to lease more farmland to accomplish this."

"Even in my old age, the desire to live a better life has never faded. I've always imagined myself living under a better roof than the one I currently have, a grassed thatched rocket house. What I didn't realize was that GiveDirectly would help make this a reality sooner. I stay with my two grandchildren, where we make the best of life by appreciating and being happy with what we have, but this has been made even better by seeing all of the building supplies gathered, for which I spent $14. I'm looking forward to the workers starting work tomorrow; I've budgeted $40 for both labor and roofing materials. I know I'll be enjoying my stay in my ideal home in a couple of weeks. I've also been dealing with health concerns that come with getting older, and GiveDirectly transfers have come in handy. I normally go for checkups every two months and am given medication to take until the next visit, which costs $3. Normally, I would sell eggs or chickens from my poultry farm to fund my medication, but this time was different and simpler."

"My greatest accomplishment this year will be to improve the condition of my home. Specifically, I want to focused on repairing the roof of the house. Once this is complete, I plan on building concrete pillars around the house to make it even safer and more secure. Moving into a renovated home will bring me peace of mind and a sense of security. It will also make me proud to live in my own home and put an end to my reliance on relatives for accommodation."

"Venturing into livestock rearing is a goal I am passionate about. It will not only allow me to raise animals but also open up opportunities for buying and selling livestock. With this new business, I am optimistic that I will be able to earn a good income to support my family. Currently, we are heavily reliant on a single source of income, which has been a struggle. I plan on dedicating myself fully to this new venture and test the waters. Hopefully, it will pay me back handsomely and provide the financial stability my family needs."