"Eight years ago I lost my sight, it took me by surprise since I could comprehend why. As years passed I started having difficulties in hearing, I would hear noises and they would go away. This went on until I was about to lose my hearing. Today people have to shout at me so that I can hear them and in return, I respond by shouting so that we can communicate. My legs are weak and can not move as I used to. All I do is stay indoors. I long for the day someone will give me medicine that will be a cure for me to avoid being deaf, at least I salvage my ears."

"The main challenge is my health. I have high blood pressure which really affected me to the point I had to stop working with a flower farm I was working as a casual worker. Due to the kind of work I was doing at a flower farm, the high chemicals, and the toxic environment, caused me to have rashes on my body and high blood pressure. Being a single parent and raising three children singlehandedly is challenging financially and sometimes I use traditional medicine when I cannot afford to visit a doctor."

"I am currently facing financial problems. I have a small drug store attached to my house where I sell medicine but I don't earn much because most of the important medicine which people want to buy are not available."

"We spent our first transfer money on various things that were important to us. We bought a calf at KES 20000, furniture at KES 5000 where we bought some chairs plus its cushions and a table. Apart from that, we also bought fifteen chickens at a cost of KES 400 per chicken and a bag of maize at KES 4000 for our consumption. I then saved KES 15000 so that I could be using it to cater for my medical expenses, that is, seeking medical attention and buying medicine for my diabetic condition. Buying more chickens was my biggest priority upon receiving the transfers. This is because I am a commercial poultry farmer and I have been rearing chickens for quite a long time, that is, since the year 1995. I usually sell the chicks hatched and the eggs. The money that I get from the sales has been helping me in seeking medical care for my diabetes. Apart from the chickens, we were also targeting to buy a calf with the transfer to add to the other cows that we have. We usually sell milk and with the calf, we will be able to increase our milk supply and income when it matures and calves. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for your support."

"Getting medicine and food is my greatest challenge. I want to move to cestos to better treatment."

"I am a form four student, in my final term with an outstanding balance of 17000 KES. My parents who are peasant famers can not afford to pay for my school fees and I am afraid I might not finish my studies. Moreover I have been spending most of the days out of school and eventually this has negatively affected my academic performance. Receiving this money would mean a new hope and dawn to my life as I will be able to clear the fees balance as well as pay 5000 KES for my two young siblings who are in primary school. Through this aid money I believe my dream of joining college after high school will come true as I look forward to pursue clinical medicine."

"It was in the evening and I was having my supper when I got the SMS confirming that I have received the money from GiveDirectly. I felt great peace in my because I had a lot of things that I desired to do but I didn't have much of an ability to since we only depended on our small business of selling some veterinary medicines. This business could hardly raise enough money to even meet with our family's immediate needs let enabling me address some the challenges we were facing as a family. I was so happy because I only got the ability to address them through GiveDirectly."

"When I finished high school last year, I had high hope that I would join medical college for a clinical medicine course. My hope died when I realized that my parents did not have the financial muscle for this. I had good grades but now all my potential is on the verge of going to waste. I have tried to follow up on bursaries but nothing seems to give. I will save up all the money I get for a year. That means I will have KES 36,000 to start. My elder brother promised that once he is settled in his new teaching job, my fees will be catered for. I am in prayer, day and night that this dream I have will come to pass."

"I spent KES 8,000 to purchase sufficient food stock for my family of 5 members. We are experiencing famine in our area and being jobless, I was struggling to feed my family single-handedly after my husband died some years ago. In addition, I used KES 6,500 to purchase medicine for my daughter who was suffering from a stroke for two years now unable to move. Furthermore, I bought 12 iron sheets, I intend to construct a decent shelter for my family since the one I have at the moment is collapsing and it is risky to my family members. Lastly, I bought one goat a future investment for my family."

"For the better part of my life, I was self-employed. I worked hard as a farmer to grow different types of crops. I sold the produce I got from my farm in the market and earned money from it. I also reared some livestock such as chicken and sold them when I need money. Five years ago, as I was farming, I pricked my leg. The small pricked wound started developing from a minor wound to now a big wound that affected my normal way of life. I since then visited many hospitals but I have never gotten a proper diagnosis of what the problem with my leg. Some doctors told me its cancer while others told me it was diabetes, so I am not sure what it is. Due to lack of funds, I could not seek proper medication, which includes the tests required to find out the real problem. It is the reason I started a small kiosk to earn profit and save for my medical care. Prior to receiving my third transfer, I had visited a tradition doctor who prescribed some herbal medicine. I paid KSH 1000 for the herbs using the remaining amount from previous transfer. Now that I have received the transfer, my plan is to use the money to seek proper medication. I want to be back to my normal situation where I can again work on the farm and feed my family."