"Food security is the challenge I am currently facing in life. I am just a housewife and my husband does casual jobs making little income which is not enough to buy food for the whole month. The family takes one meal per day most of the time. This has affected me since I have a young baby and I lack milk to breastfeed the baby." (Country: Kenya)

"In the coming year and beyond, my focus is on investing in livestock, particularly goats and chickens. Relying on subsistence farming has left me without a reliable source of income to meet my needs. There have been distressing moments when I couldn't afford school fees for my son, which pushed me to borrow from neighbors and accumulate debt. With livestock, I see an opportunity to generate income by selling them, alleviating the need for borrowing in the future. Currently, I own three goats and five chickens, and I aim to expand my livestock holdings further. Recently, I joined a merry-go-round with seven members, intending to use the accumulated funds to purchase more livestock when it's my turn. This proactive step aligns with my long-term goal of achieving financial stability through livestock farming, ensuring a more secure future for myself and my family." (Country: Kenya)

"My primary goal at the moment is to ensure that my four children can continue their education without interruptions due to school fees. Currently, I rely on subsistence farming as my sole source of income, while my co-wife works as a nanny. With the monthly transfers, my plan is to promptly pay my children's school fees and support their educational aspirations. Recently, I joined a savings group where I contribute $10 monthly, aiming to accumulate funds to purchase goats when my turn comes. With six goats already in my possession, I am confident that when the time comes for my children to further their studies, raising the necessary fees won't be a challenge. I can sell the goats as they multiply, using the proceeds to cover their educational expenses. With these strategies in place, I am confident that my children will have the support they need to achieve their educational goals without financial constraints holding them back." (Country: Kenya)

"I'm currently working on renovating my house, which is in poor condition. One of the walls was severely weakened by recent rains and was on the brink of collapse. I have begun purchasing some of the necessary poles to start construction, with plans to save more in the upcoming months to buy the remaining materials. My aim is to ensure its stability, enabling it to withstand the heavy rains we are facing. I'm confident that once the renovation is complete, I will not have to worry about rain damage anymore since my house will be secure." (Country: Kenya)

"As an elderly person, regular medical check-ups are crucial for me, but they come at a high cost. While my son helps by occasionally finding construction work, it is not reliable. He has his own family of six to support, which makes it challenging for him to assist me consistently. Thankfully, these transfers have become my lifeline. Given my ill health, I am grateful for the ability to receive treatment at home. My primary goal now is to maintain my health and use the transfers to cover my medical expenses, hoping for an improvement in my health condition." (Country: Kenya)

"I am currently responsible for taking care of my two high school grandchildren. It has been challenging for me to afford their school fees, especially since one of them is in a day school and I have to pay for his rent. Unfortunately, I do not have a steady source of income that would allow me to comfortably provide for their educational needs. However, receiving financial transfers has been a huge relief for me because it has enabled my grandchildren to continue their studies without any interruptions. My only goal now is to ensure that I pay their fees on time and help them achieve their educational aspirations despite my financial hardships." (Country: Kenya)

"I am currently surviving by taking on menial jobs such as burning and selling charcoal and sometimes selling snacks to make ends meet. However, despite engaging in these income-generating activities, I have always found it difficult to provide for my family. Due to the many household needs, even paying the school fees for my five children has been a challenge. I am, however, at peace because receiving my monthly transfers has ensured my children stay in school. This is because I have been able to pay for their education on time whenever I receive the transfer. My main objective currently is to ensure that my children's education is not interrupted due to financial constraints. I plan to continue using the transfers to pay their fees on time, allowing them to achieve their educational goals despite my financial struggles." (Country: Kenya)

"I am extremely happy and grateful for what GiveDirectly has done; they have significantly improved the living standards in my community. Many people who didn't have houses now have them, and others have ventured into farming, solving many of our food scarcity issues. However, what stands out the most to me is the directness and cost-effectiveness of the GiveDirectly enrollment process. The officers from GiveDirectly don't require any form of payment or compensation for their services—they simply register you and then go on their way. I have no recommendations for changes to the GiveDirectly programs because I haven't found any flaws in their process." (Country: Kenya)

"My top priorities for this year are still to buy livestock and build a house. I put up with my house's rusty iron sheets being in bad shape the entire previous year. Every time it rained, I would spend the entire night shifting furniture around the house to keep it from being ruined by the rain water seeping in through the roof. This year, I intend to purchase two new iron sheets each month until I have enough to fix the roof completely. I'll feel better once the roof is fixed, and I can then concentrate on getting more livestock to add to the few I already have." (Country: Kenya)

"In the next few months and years, I have some plans. First, I hope to buy a cow. With this cow, I can use it to plow my farm, making it easier to grow crops. Not only that, I plan to offer plowing services to others for a fee, which will bring in extra money for my family. I'm also relying on a local merry-go-round savings group to help improve our financial situation. I know times are tough financially, but I'm hopeful that with these steps, things will get better for us soon." (Country: Kenya)