"I owned a small restaurant and food stand at the beginning of last year, close to my house and by the road. I set up my business after saving my transfers for the previous three months. I had to shut down the business five months later because it was difficult to get clean cooking water. We've had to travel great distances for such a precious resource because the drought has devastated our area. I saved the subsequent transfers after closing the business, then I constructed a shop. I spent a significant amount of money on rent during the time I worked as a cook. I'll save money by building my own store because I want to open a boutique and a tailoring shop in the same location. My life will improve once the business is up and running. I'll be able to assist my family with household costs, such as covering my siblings' tuition. Now that I have finished building the shop, I have confidence that the business will be operating soon. I am appreciative of the financial assistance I am receiving, which will help me achieve financial stability."

"As I speak to you today, I am a very joyful person. Since I began receiving the transfers from GiveDirectly, I can already see a change in my life. Both of my grandchildren attend Kinarani Primary School: my son and my daughter. My inability to pay my children's school fees on time caused them to frequently be sent back home, which caused them great suffering. I am glad that is no longer the case for my kids, who are consistently attending school as a result of the monthly stipend that has assisted me in covering their tuition. I used $10 of my December transfers to pay off a debt for my two grandchildren's school fees. I spent $10 on food and water for my family in addition to paying off outstanding school fee balances. The ongoing drought in our village has made life difficult for us, but the monthly stipend we receive has made it possible for us to get by by purchasing food and water for my family. As a final step toward assisting my children in attending school and concentrating on their education, I set aside $10 to pay for school fees when the schools resumed this year."

"Recently in October last year, we were able to purchase a water tank from the little savings that we had made. Water is a major problem here and we had been suffering since we were forced to buy from the water vendors or to travel for more than 6 Km to a dam near Kapkuikui primary school. So the acquisition of the tank was a big achievement that has helped us a great deal. We are now able to harvest clean water for household use and divert the little money that we could have use for water purchase for food."

"The biggest challenge I am facing currently is not having a good house to live in with my children because when it rains, all the water comes in the house and it becomes a flood. Another thing is that I do not have a specific job to do which can bring food on my table."

"Even though I completed my secretarial course up to the college level, securing a formal job has been difficult. I have been a stay-at-home mum just raising my children and fully dependent on my husband who does motorcycle taxis to provide all the basic needs for us. If I had a source of income, I would supplement his making our lives easier and better. I then plan on buying goats with the transfer which will earn us a living after some time. Also, my child will get nutritious milk rather than buy it from the shopping center. The last transfer will go into purchasing a water tank that is efficient to harvest drinking water in case it rains or even storing enough water. I am happy that my family will get enough and balanced food upon receiving the transfers"

"What a sigh of relief after learning GiveDirectly has come to our village! For a long time, I have been buying water from my neighbor which is very costly, approximately $10 per month. Since I do not have money to pay this daily, I have a huge debt pending clearing. With this money, I plan to install some water pipes that will enable me to have a tap within my compound. This will ensure water scarcity is a problem of the past and I will no longer spend money to buy water. To ensure this comes to reality, I plan to spend $200 of my money. The remaining amount will help me to repair my house which is braving the strong wind in our area, I plan to spend $400 on this. In addition, I will support my daughter who is about to join form one this year. Hence, this is generally what receiving this money means to me."

"Due to the extensive droughts in our region, farming practices have become so difficult that most people have resorted to livestock farming. Even though getting them water is still difficult, raising goats that eat herbs and shrubs is a little easier. When I first received my transfer, I spent $80 on two goats from my neighbor, Benjamin. In addition to the two I already had, I now have four that I intend to breed and sell later to feed my family of five and pay school fees for my son and two daughters. My plan also included purchasing new clothes for my children, as well as a pair for my wife and myself. I spent $30 on this, which made my kids happy when I returned home with new clothes. I also gave my mother $10 for household shopping, $20 to my brother, who is currently looking for a job after finishing his secondary level exams, and $10 of the remaining amount to my niece's hospital bill when she was diagnosed with cancer. We held a fundraiser, and she was grateful to everyone who received transfers and generously donated her medication. I am grateful and pleased that GiveDirectly was available when I needed it the most. It left an impression on my heart, and especially on my niece, who was grateful for the medical assistance she received while in the hospital."

"After enrolling in the program, I was eager to begin spending the money on the goals that my spouse and I had set for ourselves. When I got the first transfer, I went to the list we had and made sure I spent it in the order we had set. With the first $100, I bought a chain link fence and used it to keep out stray livestock that had been invading and feeding on the growing grass. I intend to bring in at least a dairy cow and a goat to provide milk for my family of three, but first I need to ensure that I have enough grassy grazing grounds. I also spent $11 on a horse pipe, which I plan to use to connect piped water to irrigate my land. Irrigation is completely dependent on farming in our region, and I hope to venture into irrigation-aided farming to ensure food security and reduce food purchases. I also spent $35 on food, which included dry maize, beans, and rice, all of which we still use. In addition, I purchased other household consumables and saved the remainder to inspect and replenish any depleted household items."

"I am anxiously waiting for the transfer to come as I plan on restarting my retail kiosk business which had been closed during the lock-down in 2020. I used to transport materials like floor, cooking oil and cosmetics from mbale and sell in the nangako trading centre where we had set out some kiosks. During the lock down, I was not able to move to mbale to re-stock materials due to the hindrances in any movements by the government guidelines. So after this period I did not have capital to re-open again the business so I am planning on restarting the business after getting the transfer. This may cost me about $649 to restart this business again. Am also planning on acquiring some land near the nanagko trading centre which may cost me about $833. Am interested on purchasing from nangako trading centre because it would be near my business and uts not affected by water. Am planning on constructing a three bedroom house costing about $555 that I can relocate to."

"The last time that we had good rains was 2 years ago. There has been prolonged drought in this village. It's been very difficult getting pasture for our livestock. I have 5 cows and 10 goats. To feed my livestock, there are specific kind of trees we cut for them. These trees are scarce and no one will allow you to cut from his/her land. Last year I lost 2 cows. I am worried about the remaining livestock. This has affected my life, since their value is low when underfed. I cannot sell them at a good price. The livestock also lack good drinking water."