"I am currently living alone. My wife lives with our children who lives in the Malindi sub-county. I am a farmer doing crop farming and rearing animals. It has been three years now without rain in our village. This caused drought and famine. I had ten cows and they all died due to a lack of water and grass. It happened last year 2022. I am now having a challenge of getting food. I rely on my children and neighbors for food. Food is the current challenge I am facing."

"I would like to extend the size of land from the current 0.2 acres to at least 0.5 acres. This will cost me about $450 of the transfers and I believe it will change my life. The remaining $550 I will use to purchase a water tank and two dairy cows. The water tank will serve my family as well as provide water for the dairy cows. I hope with the dairy cows I shall be able to sell 10liters of milk daily which can earn $7 a day. I am now happy that I will no longer have to depend on my husband to provide for everything but I will also be contributing to the family's expenses. I am so grateful to you for empowering me."

"I would like first to construct a decent modern house with a metal roof and buy a 5000-liter water tank to collect rainwater for our daily use. The water that we are currently using is from a nearby water pan and is not safe for drinking though we usually risk and that might have health risks later in life. To supplement our income we would like to purchase a dairy cow which approximately will be giving us 5 liters of milk every morning and this can earn us at least $2.50. We are so determined about our plan and we will do everything that it takes to see that we actualize this which shall improve our lives."

"Two months ago I managed to buy a 3000-liter water tank at $220. We experience perpetual water shortages because of persistent drought. I am now happy that I have a water tank to store clean water for drinking."

"Our kitchen house is old, dilapidated, and leaks a lot, especially during the rainy season like at the moment. This makes it unconducive to stay in it, even cooking is a problem since when it leaks the water drops on the fire and extinguishes it making it hard for food to cook. My daughters have bore the brunt of it all since the kitchen also serve as sleeping place for them and so it is cold during the night. I am afraid it might lead them to contract diseases associated with the cold. We intend to use $ 350 to build a better house, timber walled and iron-roofed because at my age I am not able to smear the wall using soil. We will use the rest of the money to buy maize grain for household consumption."

"My husband is a casual laborer who works as a masonry on construction sites. I am a stay-at-home parent and it has been a struggle to support our small family of four members. The cost of living has gone up and with the current drought, it’s expensive to afford a decent meal in a day. The floods affected the house years back, and it is almost collapsing. We are lucky with the current climate because, with strong winds and the rains, we would be homeless. As soon as I received my first transfer, with the anticipation of having the rains, we immediately used the cash on the renovation of the house and the rest on food and water. When I received my second transfer, I wanted to have a lasting effect from the cash transfer; I took a step of faith and opened a business selling sardines, tomatoes, and onions for $300. I also cleared all the outstanding school fees arrears for my two children with $150. I spent the remaining amount on buying some new clothes for my family. I am grateful for the support program that has changed my financial situation in a short time."

"Since the beginning of the drought three years ago, life in the village has been a living hell. In order to use this water for my own home, I am required to walk more than 60 kilometers over rough terrain. Some of the water pans we used to get our water are drying up, which is bad news for the future. I spent $10 on a 110-liter water tank when I got my transfer so I could store water. Along with the water tank, I also bought food for my family. I take care of my own livestock while my husband works as a watchman and makes a pitiful living. Finally, I used the last $10 to purchase six hens. Due to my previous experience with raising goats, I made a wise investment in hens. Purchasing the hens will increase the number of animals I have; once they multiply, this will result in a doubling of my livestock."

"I've struggled with a severe chest infection for the past two years, which results in severe chest pains. I am unable to perform physically demanding tasks like working on the farm, making charcoal, or fetching water because of these chest pains. I make very little money from my small business selling "Omena," on which I rely heavily. There is nothing left over that I can save or use to cover medical costs because the profit I make is only enough to cover one meal per day. I spent $5 to buy prescription medication from a pharmacy when I got my transfer to ease the pain in my chest. Finally, I used the $25 I had left to purchase a goat. Owning livestock, which in our culture is a symbol of wealth, has long been a dream of mine. Owning one was very difficult for me due to a lack of money, but I'm glad I've now realized a long-held dream."

"My life fell apart after I lost my job due to the Corona pandemic two years ago. To begin a new life, I returned to the village. A few months later, I became seriously ill. I am currently bedridden and completely dependent on my wife to look after the family. Six of my children attend primary school. Since she doesn't have a steady job, my wife must rely on odd jobs like selling charcoal and having to carry people's water to make ends meet. She does not make enough money from these jobs to support the entire family. I spent a total of $28 on a goat when I received my transfer as a result. This was influenced by the fact that I have children who will eventually need me to pay for their school expenses. The goat is a significant investment because it will grow over time and increase my initial investment. I'll sell some of them and use the proceeds to pay for my daughters' tuition if they need it. I then used the remaining money to purchase a packet of maize flour to feed my family, who were going hungry due to a lack of funds to purchase food."

"I here in Bakor when I received the first money. I was so happy and I am still happy. I was pregnant and unable to do anything to help my husband pay our children school fees. My husband was really happy when I told him that GiveDirectly has sent us money. My husband is one of the people who never believed GiveDirectly. "What kind of people who do not drink even water from people" he always said. So when I gave him the phone to withdraw the money he was happy more than me. We agreed to pay for the children education first"."