"My primary goal for the upcoming year is to purchase an irrigating machine to start growing vegetables for sale. Luckily, I have a nearby water source, making this project feasible. By investing in the machine, I can ensure a steady water supply for my crops, even during the dry season. I plan to save gradually for this investment. Once I have the machine, I can grow a variety of vegetables throughout the year, providing fresh produce for my community and earning a reliable income to support my family."

"Since we'd like our children to pursue their education without being sent home. We plan to sort their fees problem. An estimated $500 will go a long way in settling about a year of fees owed. It will give us peace of mind. Water shortage is rampant here due to lack of water sources. We depend on borehole water which is about 5 kilometers away. It's difficult and we plan to buy a water tank. It will help ease the burden, we can harvest rain water or purchase water through local home delivery vendors. A water tank can cost about $100. Grass grows well here, we plan to add more grass into our farm. Hay fetches good money and they grow faster here. It will also help us feed our livestock. Enough land is available to expand our current acreage under grass from 4 to 10 acres. The remainder of the transfer will serve this purpose. An acre of land can produce approximately 200 pieces of hay. It's sold for between $2 to $3 depending on the market availability."

"With my most recent transfer, I used $30 to repay a solar loan. I installed solar lighting and am paying for it in monthly installments. I also spent $12 to settle a fee balance for my younger brother, who is in secondary school. Additionally, I allocated $22 for food and water due to the ongoing drought resulting to scarcity of water in our area. The remaining $14 was spent on a new pair of shoes and some personal clothes. These clothes are essential for when I take on casual jobs. The investment in clothing ensures I have suitable attire for work. Overall, the transfer was used to cover essential expenses and support my family’s needs."

"Since we were hit by floods that led to the destruction of our household and also loss of our property, receiving the cash transfers means so much to us. We have planned to use the first cash transfer of KES 10,000 to purchase 2 goats and the remaining KES 8,000 on food. For the second cash transfer and part of the third cash transfer we have planned to build a house. This is important because we are living in a mud house which gets affected by rain and flood water. With the new iron sheet house we are intending to construct we shall live without worry of it getting destroyed whenever it rains. We have planned to use about KES 65,000 of the cash transfers on this. We have also planned to use KES 25,000 of the third cash transfers to do mellon farming. We intend to plant a one hector melon farm. This is important because we will have an extra source of money when we sell them."

"Charcoal burning is our main source of family income, this comes with numerous challenges on my health and ability to put food on the table. As a result of this, I can feel the pain of being the sole breadwinner of the family. Our source of family income is not sustainable to support my family of four. We often find ourselves with no food, and therefore we end up borrowing food from my mother or even our neighbors. It is at times embarrassing but I do not have otherwise. The waters of Lake Baringo are just a stone throw away. The lake is swelling and encroaching each and every day. It is sending fear to me and my family, we are hoping that it will not displace us some day."

"Receiving GiveDirectly cash transfers is a significant breakthrough for me and my family. My dream is to purchase land on higher, safer ground to escape the threat of floods and to rebuild our livestock, which we tragically lost, one by one, to the waters. My plan is to use the first cash transfer to buy livestock for my family, ensuring we have a sustainable source of support during challenging times. I also intend to allocate KES 45,000 towards purchasing a piece of land on safe ground and use the remaining funds to construct a one-room shelter for my family."

"I completed my university degree in mechanical engineering 2 years ago but I have never been employed. I resorted to farming, livestock keeping and charcoal burning to earn a living. Recently I have had a lot of business ideas with those of farming and livestock keeping seeming viable. Unfortunately, I lack capital to kickstart this business. If it does not rain, then the farms are idle here. I do not have the money to purchase the farm equipment and machinery such as a water pump and pipes to irrigate my farm on dry days. It pains me to see this land lie bare when it could otherwise be productive and earn me income."

"Due to food shortage, we plan to prioritize food stuff. We'll spend the first transfer of $200 to buy food, uniforms and home clothes for our children. We lost most of our household items during the floods period. Additionally, I have one child in secondary school and others about to join. We plan to set aside about $100 for their school fees. My children will have a better life with a good education. Goats do well and are sustainable. We plan to buy about five goats. It will cost approximately $300. They breed well and fetch good prices. Goats can also be milked for home usage. Farming is lucrative here, when the Lake subsides we plan to lease land. Planting maize, vegetables, watermelons or butter nuts fetches good profits. We'll try farming with the remainder of the transfers."

"Currently, I'm faced with the challenge of lacking food. Having cultivated my 2 hector land and planted maize in the month of April, I had hoped that I would have a good harvest. However, because of the rising water level of lake Baringo my whole farm ended up submerged with part of my crops. I only managed to get 2 bags of maize which is not enough for my family. This has stressed me greatly since I don't have enough money to buy more food. This has made life quite difficult for my family and I."

"Receiving the GiveDirectly cash transfers is a tremendous blessing for my family and me. This money will allow me to resolve our water challenges by purchasing a 5,000-liter water tank, enabling us to harvest rainwater for our needs. I will also use the funds to pay my child's school fees, purchase essential household items, and invest the remaining amount in livestock keeping to secure my family's future."