"I am a father of 8 engaging in livestock farming.My ambition has been to engage in large scale dairy farming because this is the main economic activity in this area.I have a large piece of land equivalent to 5 acres,this is enough to keep atleast 5 dairy cows.Moreover ,we leave next to a forest which serves as a good source of feeds for our cattle and also gives access to clean water. In the past 5 years ,I had flock of cattle but all these were sold out to pay school fees for our children.Since then owning a dairy cow has been a challenge to me due to financial limitations verses numerous needs of the family. However,am now happy that I will be able to own two dairy cows because I will use KES 50000 to buy them."

"Being a housewife, my day starts by going to the dam to fetch water for the family's consumption. I had just woken up and prepared to start my daily routine with some relatives and my daughter to collect water. It was around 6 am when I received the message alert on my phone indicating that I had received the transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt extremely happy for receiving my transfer which would transform our lives for the better. I called my spouse to come home for planning on how to use the transfer before we could cash it out."

"It was around 7 am when I left home for the water point to fetch some water. Since it was in the morning, I had left my phone at home. When I returned my daughter welcome me happy with the good news of the GiveDirectly transfer. She heard a message tone from my phone and since she is the one who usually reads messages for me she hurriedly confirmed only to bump on a KES 55000.00 figure. I was so happy to an extent of canceling a trip that I had planned earlier and that was the very day for it. This happiness was a result of how life had been on my side having in mind that, from the night to the morning of the transfer I had slept hungry due to lack of food."

"I remember it was around midday and I was relaxing at home after walking for so many kilometers to fetch water when I received a message. Then, I was so tired and deep in my thoughts and the only thing I wished was to get money so that I can draw piped water home so that my children will not have to walk for that long in search of water. I was so happy to have received the money because I knew I was going to achieve my goal."

"Installing the fresh tap water in my home is the biggest difference that the money has brought in my life. I now enjoy having water and no longer walk for long distances looking for water. I am happy that I could achieve this and I am looking forward to selling to my neighbors at a cheap price and earning a living.    "

"I earned a living as a carpenter until I was diagnosed with heart problems and quit my job. I currently depend on my wife, who earns a living as a shopkeeper. The amount she earns is only enough to buy food for the family. When I received my first transfer, I spent KES 9000 on buying 3 goats. I bought the goats as an investment for the future. My principal aim is to rear the goats and ensure they multiply in numbers. Taking care of the goats will give me an opportunity to kill the boredom of staying at home doing no work. I also spent KES 6000 on buying a bicycle that will aid my wife is carrying the heavy jerricans of water from a faraway distance (50km) to my home. Finding water in my home area is difficult due to the drought that struck three years ago. I spent a small portion on buying food for the family and avoiding starvation. Finally, I spent the remaining amount on seeking medical attention for my heart condition."

"After my husband died, my life took a turn for the worst. He left behind a house that was halfway completed, which I am currently living in. When It rains I stay awake to guard my property because of the leaking roof and water sips through into my house. I earn a living through the sale of charcoal and I earn little (KES 350 per sack) due to the low sales caused by low demand. When I received my first transfer, I spent a large portion of it on buying 20 bags of cement, windows, doors, and building stones to improve the state of the house. I also spent KES 9500 on buying a bed. For over 30 years, I have never slept on a bed because I did not have money to buy one and slept on the bare floor on top of carton boxes and pieces of “Makuti”. Because of my poor source of income, I skipped meals and sometimes forced to sleep on an empty stomach. It is for this reason that I bought food in bulk and have plenty of food."

"My son came running towards me immediately. I arrived at my house after fetching water in the morning. He broke the good news that I had received my first transfer. I could not believe it and I checked my phone to confirm if indeed it was true. To my utter surprise, I found out that I had received my first transfer. I broke into a dance as I sang an old folk song, celebrating that auspicious moment. Later that evening, I sat with all my family members and we planned how best to use the money."

"My mobile phone rang out loudly immediately. I arrived at my house from fetching water in a nearby water pan in the morning. I checked my phone and realized that I had received my first transfer. I went into the house and shared the good news with my husband and we both smiled and knelt down and murmured a short thanksgiving prayer to the Lord."

"The biggest challenge I have faced is drought. Agriculture, the mainstay of the economy, is almost entirely rain-fed. We derive water for human consumption and other uses from rivers whose recharge depends on rainfall. The prolonged drought situation has caused a famine which amplified the effects of parasites and diseases that killed all my twenty cows. I live with my brother and my mother because I am not married and I don’t have children. Being born with speech issues and not literate has been my major hindrance to securing a normal job and so have lived all my life working as a livestock farmer. I used my transfer of KES 500 as my share of contribution to buy food, KES 250 to buy six jerricans of water which would last for four days, and KES 160 to buy “Pareo”(African fabric worn by Giriama men as an attire). The remaining cash of KES 2080 is my pocket money for buying food in the nearest whenever I am left at home without ready-made food."