"I felt quite a huge relief when I had received the money from the renovation especially because during the time I was struggling financially. After I withdrew the transfers I ended up spending KES 900 on purchasing three hens because I was investing in poultry farming gradually. I then proceeded to spend KES 500 on paying tuition for my grandson because at the time his parents were struggling money wise and he was about to get kicked out of school. Lastly I was left with a balance of 1600 which I ended up spending on nourishment because we were almost starving so I ended up buying five packets of maize flour, sardines, a kilogram of sugar and drinking water to use on a daily basis because it was scarce."

"Over the last twenty years, I have been staying in a one-room grass-thatched mud house with my family. The roofing materials have worn out over time leaving holes in it that lets in water whenever it rains. This makes most of those rainy nights very cold and uncomfortable to the extent of depriving us of sleep. I have always desired to build a new two-room tin roof and mud wall house to provide a decent living for my wife and me but lack of money has inhibited the dream. Working as a casual laborer in house construction, the jobs rarely come by, making me work at most two days a week earning around $5. Given the size of my family (seven members) and the high cost of living, this amount cannot fund any want beyond the basics (food). I am glad that the Give Directly cash transfers are presenting an ideal chance to fulfill my dream of a new house. To start effecting this course, I used $20 from the transfer to obtain two pieces of iron sheets. I also spent $1.20 to pay examination fees for my two grandchildren examinations fees after they were sent home to collect the money. I spent the remaining transfer on food for we had starved the whole day. "

"I have been looking forward to continuing with my project of poultry farming. Therefore as soon as I realized I had received the transfers I went ahead and used KES 900 and acquired three hens. Afterwards I remained with a balance of KES 2,100 which I completely invested on ensuring that nourishment for my family and I was catered for because hunger was one of our biggest tribulation. I ended up spending KES 1,100 on purchasing six packets of maize flour because the cost of living has gone extremely high and as for the balance, I bought sugar, groceries, two kilograms of beans and drinking water because it was scarce."

"I spent KES 2,000 on purchasing food, clothes, and household items that I was missing at that particular time. Due to prolonged drought in our area, there has been a shortage of food and other basic necessities like water. I was able to provide all this and ensure that my family get this. The remaining amount of money I saved. I am saving to purchase a goat when the money is enough. investing in goat rearing is good since the goats reproduce twice per year. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has enabled us to provide for the basic needs of our family."

"My son had been my family’s breadwinner until June of last year when he started suffering from acute Tuberculosis chest pains, which cost him his housekeeping job. With my advanced age, I took on the mantle of providing for the family of eleven ( my son, my niece, and eight grandchildren) through charcoal burning. Due to the physical demands of the practice, my body cannot support the production of much charcoal, which leaves me earning at most $7 per week. Given the high commodity prices and the household size, this amount barely provides enough food for the week. We mostly get by on a cup of porridge and sometimes miss meals. By the time I received the cash transfer, my family was starving because the household had run out of food the previous afternoon, forcing us to go to bed hungry. I was so relieved to receive the money that I spent every penny on food and water. I only set aside $0.5 to save through a self-help group in the community. At least, my family enjoyed regular meals for a week as I sought to make and sell another sack of charcoal. "

"My sole source of income three years ago was agriculture, which I relied significantly on. When the drought first appeared, it compelled me to burn down woods and sell charcoal. I'm now jobless and have a much less source of income due to the lack of rain. The money made from the sale of charcoal is not much, just enough to cover a day's worth of food. My son (Charo) has occasionally worked on odd jobs in Mombasa city (selling water and snacks) to aid me with my financial need. So when I got the second transfer, I made a special effort to purchase six chickens at a cost of $5 each. By investing money in chickens, I will soon have a solid alternative source of income. The number of chicks doubles over the next three months. I want to sell some and spend the money on valuable animals like goats."

"Yes, the new goal that I have is to connect tap water to my household. This will ensure that I have readily available water for the family's use as well as selling them to other villagers. At the moment, we are spending a lot of time looking for this precious necessity due to the drought condition in our area that had drained all our water pans. The only hope is relying on tap water which is located away from our home and is available twice a week due to rationing."

"My new goal is to construct an underground concrete water tank at my house. I am also planning to purchase gutters to harvest rain water from the roof of the house and channel them to the tank. This is because we are currently getting water from a water pan which is more than two hours walking distance. Similarly, the water from the pan is not that clean for consumption. Achieving this goal will ensure that I have clean water for the family to use as well as selling some to the neighbors to earn extra income."

"After utilizing the second transfer as per my plans, I developed another goal that I aim to accomplish. If I get some money I want to fix fresh tap water at my home. Currently, we have to move to a longer distance to get some water. Apart from the distance, it is also expensive to buy some water every day at an average of $0.5 a day. Since I do not have a defined source of income, that amount of money looks so much to me every day which is why I developed that goal. Currently, I have I am in a saving plan with a group of 15 members where we save $5 a month. Through this plan, I aim to borrow some money to accomplish my goal."

"I am old and a widow, and my body is weak. I have a bad foot and that restricts my movement. With shoes I am able to walk and pick firewood and sell to find money for basic needs. I mostly depend on my grandchild who at times comes to cook for me and fetch me water when I am not well. So for the greatest part, my health is my biggest challenge. From it, I lack a lot of household and basic needs."