"Ever since I was 3 years old, I have battled a strange illness where I often fall unconscious. I have visited different hospitals but I have never had a solution to the illness. The medicine I am given to suppress the conditions is very expensive and I cannot afford to buy them every month due to the poor financial state we are currently in. My tribulations with the illness came to a high when I was in class 3 and this forced me to drop out of school. Since then, I have stayed at home and helped my mother with light house chores (washing utensils, cooking, and washing clothes). My mother’s earnings (100 per day) from the manual jobs (fetching water for pay and selling firewood) are not enough to support the family (Mother and 5 siblings). Often we sleep on empty stomachs or survive on one meal per day when we cannot get money. Therefore, when I received my transfer of KES 1200, I spent it all on buying food. This was to avoid starvation amongst my family members."

"Since October last year, when I accidentally broke my legs while grazing livestock, I have been in and out of the hospital seeking proper medical care. I fully depend on my only son, who is a” Matatu” tout after the demise of my other four children. Due to my condition (can’t walk), I interrupt his work schedule since he has to take some time off during the afternoon to come back home and take care of me (cock food and administer some medicines). This has heavily affected his income and often lacks money for my medication and for buying food. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I spent KES 2000 to pay hospital bills after some check-ups by the doctor. Besides spending the money on medication, I bought 8 packets of maize flour for food. Buying the food in bulk will ensure I have a continuous food supply in my house."

"My house has a grass thatched roof and when it rains it leaks. During rainy seasons my children get sick a lot, especially from the cold that causes pneumonia. My financial status has made it impossible for me to repair the current house or even put up a new structure. When we a nearing the rainy season stress and frustrations are my daily medicine because of too much thinking. My priority is to first put up a good house no matter how small it is so that my family can sleep comfortably when it rains. The project will cost around 30,000 KES, I will also spend 20,000 KES to buy two mattresses and beds, 5,000 KES will help towards my children's fee payment and then the remaining amount will assist in buying food, clothes, or even medication when needed. Receiving these transfers means decent leaving conditions for my family and good education for my children too."

"If I'm successful to receive this transfer from GiveDirectly, I will use the money to build a house and start a business. When I graduated from Tubman University in November 2020, I started a volunteer job at Momaken clinic in December 2021. I also treat community dwellers privately. The money I earn from the private treatment I give to some community dwellers is what am sustaining on and is not enough to build a house and start a business of my own. I want to build a house and attached a pharmacy to it where I will be selling drugs to the community dwellers instead of them going to Kanweaken to buy medicines when the nurses prescribed drugs for them to buy."

"Constant headaches and swelling on my body has denied me peace for long. Sometimes my body gets itchy and starts swelling and this comes with pain. I have sought some help from different hospitals in town without success. Getting the desired medicine comes with lots of costs making it unaffordable."

"Two days preceding the day transfers were sent, by bad lack I got involved in a road accident as I was riding my motorcycle. When I received my transfer, I spent the whole of it on my medication. Despite the fact that I am still experiencing some pain, as a result of the transfer, I have been able to register some improvement in my life. Without the transfer, I would have not been able to buy medicine since I did not have any amount of money saved for such an emergency need."

"In the last seven years, I have consistently been sick. Sometimes back, I was diagnosed with heart complications, I struggled to raise funds to get better medical attention but it has not been possible. This condition has made it difficult for me to engage in any economic activities. It is sad that sometimes I collapse and faint as people watch helplessly. When this happen some neighbours ferry me to the nearby health center where I get some medicines but I have never fully recovered. Upon receiving the cash transfers, I will use KES 40000 to seek advanced medical attention so that I can fully recover and become economically active."

"I spent KES 48000 of my first transfer on starting a kiosk business that I am currently operating in the village. I have now been selling maize color, cereals, vegetables, sugar, and all sorts of essential household foodstuff. Initially, I did not have any job but my prayer was to be an entrepreneur and I thank God this is accomplished. To add to that I bought medicine worthy of KES 5000 for my spouse who was diagnosed with colon cancer a few months ago. I am happy that the money came at a good time since it was his review date and we did not have enough cash to facilitate the medication. With the remaining amount of money, I bought foodstuffs for my family and other household needs."

"After receiving my third transfer, I noticed a cold in my body and my health condition began to decline, I went to the hospital for a check-up, I was diagnosed with a chronic cold. I have used most of my recent transfer for medical bills and medicines, I hope to get well soon so that I can start from where I stop on my house project."

"We spent KES 30000 of the recent transfer on improving our house. We bought timber at a total cost of KES 25000 and we used KES 5000 to pay for labor. Our house was mud-walled and we decided to replace it with timber because getting mud for mudding the walls had become a big challenge to us. Apart from that, the mud walls usually get bitten by rains. We have always wanted to improve the house but due to lack of money we were not able to. I am a small-scale subsistence farmer while my husband is a motorcycle taxi driver. The money that he makes from his business most of it usually goes to the purchase of food for our family of six and paying for the merry-go-round contributions. Other than that, we also spent KES 1500 on treatment of one of our children. She had fallen ill the morning of the day that the transfer was sent and we didn't have the money to take her to the hospital. So when we got the transfer, we thanked God and we immediately took her to the hospital. She has not yet fully recovered, she still has to go for check-ups. We also spent KES 4000 on buying herbal medicine for two of our children. We also spent another KES 10000 on repaying back a debt and buying clothes for the children. With the remaining amount of about KES 10000 we used it in paying for a deposit for timber that we plan to use in constructing a shop. We want to start a shop business so that it can help us get more income. We are thus so much thankful to GiveDirectly for their help."