"I would like to be a farmer, cultivate crops and rear livestock, and later sell at the market. Currently, I feel like the green vegetable are scarce and no one in the village is cultivating if I can get a good supply of water I can accomplish this, and I will be sure to make profits and help my family."

"My short-term goal is to open a grocery shop. With the current drought, not a lot can afford to buy water for irrigation but if I can come up with enough capital and be getting the groceries from the market, the business can flourish."

"Before the transfer, I was in charcoal production. Most times I would sell two sacks a week that cost $8. The money would be spent on food and water. The money was not enough for my children's school fees. I recently got a job at a school cooking porridge, getting a pay of $30 a month, this money has enabled me to buy food for my family and on the weekend I try and produce charcoal for extra cash. Receiving this money has enabled me to buy food and pay school fees for my children without strain. I also save some money for rainy days and buy livestock that I sell whenever I need to pay school fees. GOAL"

"I burn and sell charcoal for a living and at times I would go days without earning anything. Before GiveDirectly's transfers, I could go almost 4 days without food to eat. I used to survive purely on water and my children were being sent out of school because of not paying fees.The moment I received my transfers, I took $14 and paid my children's school fees. This brought them great joy and made them put more effort in their studies. The remaining amount of $ 20 I went and shopped for food. I am grateful because ever since I started receiving transfers I have never sleep hungry and when my children come out of school, they usually have something to feed on."

"I spent $100 to support the education of my 4 children who are still in school. I cleared all the fee arrears that they had accrued for more than two terms. In addition, I used $200 to complete the payment of a plot of land that I had bought 3 years ago in our village which I had not completed the payments. Currently, I am happy to be a full landowner. Similarly, I used some of the remaining amounts to make bricks that I will use to construct a new house on the piece of land for business. In addition, the remaining amount assisted me in clearing the water bill of $40 that I have accumulated over time."

"The greatest hardship in my household is hunger. The charcoal-making practice that I rely on to raise money for food hardly puts meals on the table daily. Sometimes, my son who hawks water in Mombasa sends money home for household needs, which can barely feed his wife, six children, and me for more than a day. The transfers from Give Directly come as a relief that allows me to contribute to most of the family’s needs. I spent $19 from the recent transfer on food as the household had run out of maize flour that morning. I bought two chickens worth $6 and paid $9 worth of school fees for my grandchild when she was sent out of class to collect the balance. In December, I spent $20 on iron sheets and $14 on building poles, which I plan on using to extend an extra room from my house. From the money I received in November, I spent $10 on a guineafowl for rearing and the rest on food. "

"Built during the 1980s, my house has become very old with a corroded and rusty roof that lets in water when it rains. Moving forward, I plan to start replacing the roof, before renovating the walls. I wish to have fully installed a new roof by the end of the year. I believe that the cash transfers will allow me to save enough to fulfill this goal by then. "

"In our area, sometimes could get so dry, and getting clean water will mean walking long distances like 7 kilometers to get one 20-liter jerrican. This is so tiresome and time-wasting, which also drains much of my energy. In August 2022, my son bought a secondhand motorbike for his father which has been so supportive of me. I am no longer walking all the distances to fetch water, rather my husband does it for me using the motorbike. This has directly helped in improving my health status since I have ample time to relax and hence, I consider this as what has brought me joy."

"There has been a big change of climate. The drought has been very hard hitting on us. Our livestock have have been unhealthy due to lack of feeds, although goats do well during the drought. Additionally getting water for domestic use is difficult. We have piped water from the nearby village. During this drought season, the water level is low. We get water for 1 day in two weeks. When we fill our water tank, it costs $200. That's only enough for 2 weeks. When there's no piped water. We're forced to hire motorcycle operators to bring. It costs $3 to buy 100 litres. Very expensive. This has really affected our livelihood."

"My long-term objective for this year is to use a significant portion of my transfer to fix up my house. The house has been a valuable asset to me for more than ten years, but at the moment, its condition is deteriorating. Huge openings in the thatched roof allow rainwater to enter whenever it rains. I want to use iron sheets for its renovation because they are strong and last longer. I plan to build stonewall pillars all the way around each corner of the house to strengthen the weaker poles and strengthen the structure as a whole. All these upgrades will make my house safe to live in, eliminating my concern that it might collapse while my family members are sound asleep."