"Working as a herdsman, my salary can barely sustain my wife, mother, and seven children throughout the month. Besides, the high cost of living that is dominated by increasing commodity prices has intensified the hardships in my household. Regular meals are a luxury that we rarely enjoy; sometimes, the best we can eat is twice a day. To alleviate the situation, I budget my cash transfers to mostly cover the basic needs. I spent $14 from the recent transfer to enroll two of my children in kindergarten. Am glad that all my children are schooling; all credits to Give Directly. I bought food worth $10 as my family had starved for two consecutive nights from lack of money for maize flour. I saved the remaining $10 through a merry-go-round club in my community. The aim is to continue saving so that I can receive a lump sum sometime in April that will help with the household expenses, especially school fees. In December, I directed $19 towards new clothes for the children to wear on Christmas. To them, dressing up in new attire is what aces the festivities. I spent the remaining $15 on food as well. From November cash, I obtained a goat for rearing worth $31 and spent the rest on food. Am happy the goat recently delivered a kid, and I hope it continues reproducing to grow the herd.  "

"Together, my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and I made the decision to start a poultry farm. In order to ensure their security and rapid development, we first used our transfers to construct a henhouse. Following that, we purchased a total of 28 hens that are currently maturing and getting ready to be sold. I bought an additional three hens to make a total of 31 hens after receiving my January transfer. I'm happy to see that there are more and that the hens will soon be available for sale. I spent $7 on animal feed in order to aid in their healthy growth. I then used the $12 that was left to buy food for my family. I can only purchase food at very high prices from the store due to the effects of the drought because there isn't any to harvest from the farm. We depend on the transfer payment to assist us in providing for our families' nutritional needs."

"The persistent drought in my region has hindered farming activities over a long period forcing people to dwell on buying food. Personally, the only thing I can do to generate money to buy food is by cutting and selling chewing sticks, a practice that hardly yields enough. Besides, the highly rising commodity prices make it tougher to acquire enough food with little earnings. That is why I prioritize buying foodstuff whenever I received my cash transfers. From the recent three cash, I spent $24 on securing maize flour. At least this bought me time to raise money for more, and I never went hungry. I saved $10 from each of these transfers to buy a goat. As this animal reproduces, it will grow the herd, from which I can generate money by selling the goats. "

"Since the transfer comes once in a lifetime. We have thought of something sustainable for us. We plan to buy goats. One goat goes for $50. Will use $700 to buy 15 goats. I currently have 30. This will support us now and in the future. In December of every year, we have goat auctions, this will give us income since the goats fetch premium prices. We have a son in secondary school. I plan to use $200 to pay for is school fees. This will help reduce our school fees burden. My son will then study comfortably."

"As I mentioned earlier I cleared high school which means I can now pursue college education. I want to at least get into a computer college but with my current finances it feels next to impossible. I have created a plan that includes increasing the number of the chicken I own and then eventually selling them at a profit so I can be able to afford school fees. I want to at least get two hens per month but this will be determined by market price. I want to buy chicken from big chicken farmers which ensures I get them at affordable prices but also during a period when they are not so much in demand than I get a good value for my money."

"My January transfers were used to buy food. I completely rely on my sons for financial support because I am very frail, old, and unable to work. The severe effects of the drought, which has lasted for more than five years, have rendered unproductive the only asset (land), I have relied on for more than 40 years. The lack of grass for the livestock to eat makes starting a livestock farm a bad idea as well. We are left with no choice but to pay exorbitant prices for food at the stores. We only receive a small amount of food to sustain us when we purchase it at high prices. My two sons work as casual laborers and keep livestock, but they make very little money from these jobs. The amount is sufficient to purchase one meal a day for the nine members of the family. Receiving the money from Give Directly is a huge financial boost that will help me keep my family from ever going hungry."

"The moment I finish college I'm planning to go look for a well paying job. First, I will work to earn enough money and buy all the machines that are required for tailoring. I will also be saving the transfers I get and I believe after I raise enough I will start my own fashion store. I will be making and selling clothes at affordable prices that will make me get huge profits and give back to my society."

"Due to the prolonged drought that has hindered farming, hunger has become a major issue in my household. Even the little that my daughter and son send home, after a day of hustling in Mombasa, can hardly put regular meals for my family of nine people (four adults and five children). With rising commodity prices, it is difficult to enjoy at least two meals a day. This is why I spent almost every penny from the recent three transfers on food. I only had to deduct $5 to pay school fees for my grandchild who had been sent out of class to collect the amount and bought two chickens worth $5 for the purpose of rearing and wealth accumulation.   "

"Droughts have been incredibly damaging, especially when they strike right after planting season, destroying all crops and leaving us with bare lands and a significant loss after purchasing farm inputs. We have not received rain in more than six months, so we have been learning how to deal with high food prices. My husband owns a motorcycle taxi, while I am regularly at home with my child, tending to the poultry project I started. The sale of a few eggs that I collect has always aided in the payment of some household bills. I am grateful that GiveDirectly's financial support was timely and significant in purchasing a $52 sack of maize for my family of three. I also paid $20 for the land we had been paying for in installments. Furthermore, I paid a $50 lease fee on land that is currently under butternut. Because the management practices required for butternut are few, and market stability is high, we expect higher pay after harvest. We spent $50 on clothes and the rest on other household items."

"My husband is a hawker in Mombasa who makes and sells soap to his clients. Sometimes he makes profit and at times he sells nothing. I want to start my own business where I can sell vegetables and at least make a huge profit and help my husband out in meeting our day to day expenses. I am confident that I will generate a profit of at least $2 so that I will be able to save enough money. People are barely making it through this drought and some are dying because of lack of anything to eat and drink. I will also want to at least help out in curbing the hunger issue by selling to my locals at afford prices."