"Pregnancy is a delicate state that requires attention. The availability of clean and safe water for household use is a challenge I am currently facing. I often use the water I fetch from the borehole in the neighbourhood to cook and clean. Sadly, this is not fit for drinking as I have either treat or boil hence prompting me to acquire some rainwater from immediate neighbours. It pains me that I have periodically fallen sick due to such hence using more finances for treatment."

"We spent KES 20000 of our recent transfer on buying a heifer. We decided to buy one so that it can help us in the future when it calves. We will be able to get milk for our consumption and we can sell some. We didn't have a cow and hence we usually buy a liter of milk every day at KES 50. Other than that, we also spent KES 17000 on buying a water tank. We bought the tank so that we could collect rainwater for our household use. We usually go to the river to fetch water and at times we do not get time in the evening for fetching the water. My children usually get home late from school and I usually go to the market to sell maize. We are thus glad because we now have enough water for use at our disposal since it has rained. We also spent KES 8000 on paying school fees for two of our children, and with the remaining transfer amount, we used it on buying food, clothes, and solar lamps for our children to use when studying at night. We are hence so much grateful to GiveDirectly for their help."

"The transfers my mum is getting monthly from Give directly are truly helpful. We use it mostly for food and water. It has reduced some burden on her."

"For the last fifteen years, I have gone through difficulties in raising my children, after my husband walked away from our marriage. The casual jobs of selling charcoal and fetching water for other people earn me little (1800 per month) which is not enough of taking care of all my family's needs (paying school fees, buying food, and buying clothes). When I received my transfer, I spent much of it (KES 2000) on paying tuition for two children who are in primary school. Because of my poor financial status, I did not pay their school fees on time, and as a result, they were often sent home. The interruptions affected their studies, and they performed poorly in their final examination. Paying tuition for my children is important so that they can perform better and catch up with the rest of the students in their classes. Besides paying tuition for my children, I spent KES 700 to buy 2 chickens. I have always dreamt of having livestock of my own and buying the hens gave me the chance to realize one of my dreams."

"I have always wished to own livestock as I have been keeping other people's livestock at home in exchange for milk. My husband and I are peasant farmers and the prevailing drought seasons have always made it difficult for us to reap enough havest for our family. This means that, we have to look for casual jobs such as delivering water to homestead or cultivating in people's farms to inorder to be able to provide for our three children and educate them. Therefore, we couldn't afford to buy livestock with the little wages that we were earning averaging to KES 300 per day, given that the jobs were seasonal and unreliable. When I was enrolled in the program, I committed to be buying at least a goat in every two months. I spend my recent transfer to by a goat and I'm looking forward to adding more as I believe this is a great achievement as I will be able to sell them in future and pay bills such as school fees when my children will be joining high school."

"Water shortage is the biggest challenge that I face as a resident of this village. This is occasioned by prolonged drought that leaves rivers and streams dry. The situation is made worse by the fact that I do not have a water tank to store when it rains. The distance to the nearest water pan is 1kilometer away. I have no one to help me carry water home since all my children live far away. At 69-years, I cannot carry a 20-liter Jerry can of water instead I use a 5-liter. This forces me to make several trips to and fro which eventually leave me exhausted."

"Three years ago I experienced a terrible accident whereby hot water ran over my body. I had a 20% burn over my body and up to now the wounds are affecting me. I have to attend a dermatologist time to time for a check up but due to financial problem sometimes I don't attend. The condition has affected my daily life so much such that I can not even cook for my children sometimes."

"The cost of living has increased and just being able to afford a plate of food is difficult. The climate has not been favorable, the rains have not poured and this has affected our harvests. I work casual jobs like carrying water for people so that I can at least earn a 100 KES to buy food for my five children."

"Access to water is a headache, every morning before the sun comes up I have to go to the stream to fetch water and in the evening I make another trip. It is tiresome and overwhelming. I wish we had a borehole nearby to ease this load."

"My house's roof is grass-thatched and I aimed to replace the grasses with iron sheets but this desire has never been possible due to financial problems in my household. With the cash grant from GiveDirectly, I am so confident that, this dream will materialize soon. I need utmost 30000 KES to offset this plan and this means saving my transfers of 10 months. In addition, I will also buy a water tank that will help me to store some rainwater because we lack a nearby water pan yet sometimes our area gets so dry. Thus, this is generally what receiving this money means to me."