"I decided to start saving a portion of the money that I received over the last few months of last year. This was influenced by the fact that the house I live in at the moment is quite a disaster, especially the roof. During the rainy season, we normally have to put pots in the house so that it is not left flooded with water, and we end up staying up the whole night sometimes just because the roof is leaking from everywhere. This year, I plan to finally use the funds that I have been saving to build a proper house and install a new roof. This will be costly because I have a lot of material to buy, including timber and sand, and I also have to pay the laborers, but I am hopeful it will all turn out well."

"During the Moi regime, almost all the households in my village were connected to water from Kikaech location. However, drought has impacted negatively on the supply to some households with mine being a victim. It is only those who are connected to the main pipe that has access to it presently. When I receive these transfers, I intend to use $4500 to connect the water to my farm and accordingly irrigate the crops. I will grow vegetables, sweet potatoes, mangoes and pawpaws to provide food for my family of 5. For the rest of the transfers, I will stock food for the household. Therefore be glad that the financial burden on my family will be eased and hence save towards other needs."

"My biggest challenge is money. My house fell on one side which limits my house utilization to just the two front rooms. My bed was broken as the house fell due to cyclone Ana. Now I sleep uncomfortably in the living room with my bicycle next to me and water reserves. If I had money, i would have renovated the house. I also don't have food because of money. The casual work I do doesn't pay me enough to afford eating comfortably. I also lack kitchen utensils and other household necessities."

"Over the last month, my house’s roof has been leaking rainwater, which has brought so much cold, especially during the nights. Initially, fixing the roof was challenging because I lacked the necessary funds for new iron sheets until I received the cash transfer from Give Directly. So, I prioritized buying two pieces of iron sheets worth $20 to replace the old perforated ones that had been installed since the ‘90s. I am glad that the house is warmer now and I no longer worry about catching a cold. Besides repairing my house, I spent the remaining amount on food for my family of four (my wife, two sons, and I). As the household’s breadwinner, I was compelled to replenish the stock of food in the house as I bought time to raise more funds. Honestly, at my advanced age of 70, the cash transfers come as a huge relief to the responsibility burden I bear. I commend Give Directly for the support extended so far and pray that they continue in the same spirit."

"My dilapidated, grass-covered, mud house collapsed one night two months after I joined the program as a result of strong winds that passed over it at night. My home collapsed, so I was forced to move into my eldest son's home. I spent a sizable portion of my previous transfers on purchasing water, iron sheets, and building poles, as well as to pay the mason who was in charge of constructing the house. A few months later, I am happy to report that the house I am building is almost fully complete, and I recently moved into my new home. I used $22 from my most recent transfers to purchase a piece of iron sheet and additional building poles so that I could finish constructing a small portion of the house that wasn't yet finished. I am eagerly anticipating my subsequent transfer so that I can use some of it to purchase one piece of iron sheet, which will be sufficient to completely cover the roof of my home. I used the remaining $12 to purchase food in addition to building the house. I stopped selling palwine in the village because it was no longer profitable, and now I am unemployed. My daughter, a Likoni-based housekeeper, is who I rely on the most. If she doesn't send me the money, I'll go to bed hungry. Purchasing this food gave me sufficient peace of mind that I wouldn't go hungry and die."

"We would like to put all our efforts in harvesting rainwater and digging up a water pan within our farm and these transfers will come in so handy in this water harvesting projects. We will spend it entirely in buying a 10,000 litre tank for $700 and the other $300 will go into digging up of the water pan. This will bea step ahead because we'll have doubled milk production in our cows and also we expect to spend the profits in doubling the cows from 5 to 10."

"At my advanced age, I cannot take on vigorous tasks to make money for basic needs like food and school fees for my three children. So, I rely on selling the livestock that I raise to get cash for these needs. However, whatever I generate is only enough for essentials, and it’s difficult to save enough to do other projects like building a better house. As we speak, the roof of my current house is in dire need of repair as it is corroded and perforated to the extent of letting in water when it rains. Courtesy of previous transfers, I have so far bought eight pieces of iron sheets for renovation. My plan is to continue buying iron sheets and hopefully repair my roof to completion by the end of the year."

"Due to my advanced age, I cannot actively contribute to the needs of my household. My son, who works from town, is the primary provider for the family of eight (two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren). However, whenever I get funds, I usually support him with the expenses because one finger cannot kill a louse. When I received the transfer, he had not sent anything home since it was only mid-month and his salary was not in. At that time, the household had run out of maize flour the previous night and my grandchildren had started crying from hunger. So, I used $10 to buy food and the children finally had supper after starving the whole day. Apart from food, I spent $800 on a blanket to replace the old one that was worn out and tattered over time. I also used $5 to buy a solar-charged lamp. This is because the solar system in my house posed a daily bill that was becoming hard to afford. So the lamp would be a better replacement. I have to say the money brought great relief. The food I bought lasted till my son’s next payday, I no longer worry about paying lighting bills, and I still have some change that helps with buying water and soap."

"I want to put up the gutters to help me harvest the water for use since that is the problem that I am facing at the moment. By doing so I will be able to harvest clean water for use.I anticipate to college enough water that I will even be able to continue sharing with my neighbours and by this we will be able to prevent waterborne diseases that are associated with dirty water.I plan to use $ 400 to do gutters and buy water tanks for water storage.I am so enthusiastic about the project and once it is successful it will be an achievement of a lifetime.I have a higher calling to serve the community. I believe service to humanity is service to God."

"Sometime in June, I made a maiden tour to Tenwek falls. It was a nice experience to see the rapid flow of water and how the water is harnessed to produce electricity. I was so excited and felt good about the visit. I long to visit there again in the future to unwind and have an easy time. For a moment I forgot the hustle and bustle of life. Once in a while, it is good to treat oneself."