"My husband died long time ago. I was left with three young children who were still requiring very much care and attention. I never went to school and so the only thing i could survive with is charcoal making. The job is not an easy one so inorder to get something from it, i do admit blisters on the hand is a must. I have been doing that up to now because the little i get from my sons and daughters working is not sustainable. One of my daughters left me with three children who are a headache to me. The mother is in mombasa and there are some moments she fail to provide for them. Fetching water for them and myself is the biggest challenge. Water is very far (3km) to and fro. This sometimes make them go like a day without taking shower."

"Water is life and hear i can not do without five jericans of 20litres in a day. I normally get clean water 5km away from here, a distance that it's not easy considering that i have other duties to tackle. With my first transfer, i plan to use 25000KES to connect water here because there is new water piping project that was started last year and it is 1km approximately from here. By doing that, i will ease the burden of carrying water on the head for a long distance. If i sell the same water to my neighbors, i will earn something that will help me cater for other house bills. And that will definitely improve our living standard."

"I own a water tap in my compound but water tends to run out of our taps for more than two weeks this makes me buy it at a higher price using motorbikes. I intend to buy a water tank where I can store water and sell it at a higher price to others who need it. I have one child in secondary school I will pay his school fees to give him ample time because I believe education is the key to success. I will also buy mattresses for the children to have comfort. For the remaining amount, I will buy food and one goat to rear."

"Upon receiving my money, I went to fish water, on my way home, I hear the phone message ringing ,when I reached home I presented the phone to my son to chilk the message,in that movement he jumped up telling me that GiveDirectly had done it again ! We all started to dance all in the house."

"I had gone to get water early in the morning when I heard the message notification. Because I cannot read, I went straight to my helper as soon as I got home. I was overjoyed when he confirmed that I had received my transfer. My entire family got into a celebratory mood because that was the start of a major turning point in our lives. I was confident that I would be able to obtain some essential items, such as a mattress and a bed, that I did not have then."

"I was on my way back home from the river that morning when I heard a message notification. Because I was so tired after walking for several kilometers in search for water, I couldn't stand to read the message and I waited until I got back home when I checked the message. I found out that it was the cash transfer message and I was so happy to have received the money because I had so many pending bills which needed to be sorted out. I couldn't contain my happiness as I jumped several times out of excitement."

"Maize rust posted a big challenge on maize production in our region. This affected food basket making food sell at an exorbitant prices. This raises our cost of living making our life expensive stressful. As a result of this, my monthly income of KES 4,000 is a water drop in the ocean compared to family expenditure."

"I built my house in a swampy area. Whenever the rain season comes, we are surrounded by water. This problem has remained affecting us for more than 2 years. The land we bought is swampy and we have no option but to survive on this problem during the rain season. Receiving this transfers will mark the end of this problem because I will buy another piece of land on a raised ground, rebuild my house and live happily."

"I make cassava farm to sustain me and my family. I was very much happy when I receive my first transfer from GiveDirectly. The previous house that I am living in with my family is not in good condition. During the rainy seasons, I experience lot of difficulties along with my family. We have place pans under the places that are leaking to stop the spread of water in the house. With this money from Givedirectly, I will be able to build a new house that will give family and I better comfort and future."

"For the passed years, I have been living in a very deplorable house. The roof of my house have made me and my family to be uncomfortable during the rainy seasons. We have to place pans under the placesthat are leaking to stop the spread of water flows. Because of this, I have planned to wait for my second transfer before I take my transfer out of my account because I need to change the roof over my house to have a better place to stay with my family in the future. Through the same transfer, I be able to pay people to do the job. Moreover, my son is also in the10th grade, I was thinking about how to get his tuition when I receive the transfer. I am so much happy because it is through the transfer I wss able to pay his tuitions and give him a better future."