"We moved away from the land we had built on the lake's edge ten years ago when the lake waters rose and covered most of our land and eventually houses. Since then, we have been looking for a place to live on a neighbor's vast land, which, while not ideal, I am grateful for because he generously donated that piece for us to live on. Due to its proximity to the lake, the first stop was a swampy area that would be infested with wild animals and snakes. We later moved to a raised ground on the same land owned by a neighbor and began building a new house, which we never finished. We were unable to build a good house due to the movement, but I am grateful that after receiving the transfer, we were able to put up a spacious structure made of iron sheet walls, with three cubicle rooms shared by my family of eight. I also spent $105 on 15 bags of cement, $40 on sand, and $10 on labor. I am grateful and hope to use the remaining funds to pay school fees and purchase goats. We had relied extensively on casual labor, which included working on other people's farms and I hope to see a lot changing with the support we are getting in the subsequent transfers."

"I lost the 8 goats I had due to the drought as there was not enough water and grass for them to feed on. I decided to go job hunting in Mombasa and occasionally I find something to bring home but at times I leave empty handed. I work as a carpenter who makes tables and sometimes I burn charcoal and sell it. When I save enough money, I want to start a greengrocery where I will produce vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes and sell them to my neighbors."

"Our plans were clear from the beginning when we enrolled because we were already aware of the difficulties in our household. After collecting a portion of it in a nearby shopping center, I spent $55 on a sack of maize, $6 on 10 kg of beans, $6 on five kilograms of sugar, and $3 on transportation to my door via motorcycle taxi. Food had to come first because my husband and I were struggling to put food on the table without a steady source of income. Since I had some money in the account, I spent another $50 on Christmas celebrations, which included purchasing food and clothing for my children. In addition, I spent $10 on two water containers, $7 on two washing basins, and the rest on other household items."

"It is now four years without rain in our village. This has caused drought and famine. It takes me 2 hours to walk from home to Jila water pan. It is approximately 10km. Before the drought, I used to get water from the nearest water pan and it just took 10 minutes to and from the water pan. Lack of fresh water is the current challenge I am facing in life."

"Receiving this money means better living standards for my family of five. Casual jobs earn me $3 each day and are enough only to buy food and water. I always borrow loans to cater to emergencies such as medication and school fees which leave me greatly indebted. I will purchase a dairy cow using the transfers from the production of milk I will earn a living consistently. We shall then have enough money to meet all our basic needs and live peacefully without having to worry about where to get money. Paying school fees for my two children is also a priority upon receiving the second transfers. I am happy as Givedirectly will be a stepping stone t a better life which I had given up on."

"My grass-thatched, one-room home is in terrible shape. Every time it rains, the numerous openings in the roof are a major annoyance. The house becomes infiltrated by the rainwater. The mud walls have numerous large openings and cracks that allow both hot and cold air to enter making it uncomfortable to live inside the house. Since enrolling in the program, my objective has been to construct a quality home for my family (husband, two children, and me). I've bought a total of seven pieces of iron sheeting since joining the program. Up until I have the required quantity to finish the house, I intend to keep buying more pieces. My transfers for January were no different, as I shelled out $30 to buy three more sheets of iron sheeting. I then used the final $4 to buy two packets of maize flour. I try to support my family by selling local palm wine, but the business is not doing well. The most severely impacted person is my husband, a casual worker who sometimes goes an entire week without finding work. I am very appreciative of the financial support I am receiving from the transfers as I work to improve my life's situation."

"I am a widow, lost my husband in 2014. It's really difficult raising children alone. The drought has been hard hitting. I mainly depend on casual jobs such harvesting tomatoes. In a day, I get paid $3. This is little for my family. It cannot buy enough food for us. Due to the drought there's limited jobs. If one's lucky you get 2 in a week. Lack of casual jobs affects my ability to feed my family. It's really hard getting a meal daily. Some days we don't eat. Just drink some hot water mixed with sugar."

"The most chlenging thing that we are currently facing is shortage of water. In the recent past we have been getting enough supply of water from a water pan near us. With time, this pan has been strained by the rapidly growing population in my village and prolonged dry seasons. The water that we get from the pan is nowadays very dirty and has a high likelihood of being contaminated. We as a family have even worked hard and bought a 5000 litres capacity water tank but we do not have water in it due to the prolonged periods of going without rain. We can only hope that the government will come in and address the situation at hand by providing us with piped water."

"In the past six months, the aspect that brought me joy is Christmas. I was very happy during Christmas since we sold a goat and celebrated with my family. It was the happiest moment in the whole year even with the challenges that I'm facing such as lack of food and water."

"Receiving this money means a comfortable life for my family of eleven. We live in a single house that acts as kitchen, living and sleeping area. It is very small to accommodate visitors and also there is a lack of privacy. I desire to own a three-roomed iron sheet house where my daughters and son can have a bedroom of their own and also host visitors. Give directly has come at the right time because I can be able to own a good house eventually and also school my children. I am happy because the transfers will help lift a heavy burden for us. At the same time I will purchase a water storage tank that can be helpful to store rain water which we can use for drinking and home consumption."