"We spent most of the transfer money on buying a cow. We bought it at KES 35000. Apart from the cow, we also bought a water tank at KES 10000, and with the remaining amount of money, we used it in buying two bags of maize and clothes for ourselves. We decided to buy the cow since we had only one cow and we wanted another so that when one dries, we can still have a constant supply of milk. This way we will avoid the cost of buying milk when the cow dries. We will thus be able to have milk for our consumption and a little for sale. We were not in a position to buy the cow before because we didn't have the huge sum of money needed to do so. We usually plant maize and when it ripes well, we usually sell some of the bags to get income. My husband is a mason and the money that he makes is what we usually use to purchase food, clothes and household necessities such as soap, sugar. We are thus grateful to GiveDirectly because the transfer was of great help to us."

"The transfer brought a very big difference in our lives as a family. This is because, with the water tank that we bought, we have been able to collect rainwater and hence we no longer make the long trips to the river which was consuming a lot of our time. We now have water for our household use and the cows. We have hence had more time to concentrate on our farm work."

"We spent most of the transfer money on buying a water tank. We bought a 5000 litre tank at KES 32000. The water tank was our topmost priority upon receiving the transfer. This is because we usually make long trips to the river to fetch water, especially during the dry season. The tank was going to enable us to collect rainwater for our household use and thus we will no longer have to make the long trips. We were not able to buy the tank before because we didn't have the money. My husband is sickly and hence he is not able to work a lot. I am hence the breadwinner of the family and I usually depend on the milk sales to earn a living for my family of seven. Most of the money that I make usually goes to the payment of school fees for our five children and buying food, especially maize. Apart from the tank, we also spent KES 4150 on buying the gutters and installing them. We also bought two bags of maize at KES 3200 per bag, a bed at KES 4000, and a mattress at KES 3600. With the remaining amount of money, we used it in paying school fees, buying clothes for the children, and some foodstuffs for consumption during the Christmas day. We are so much thankful to GiveDirectly because all these became possible due to their help."

"The biggest difference in my life today is that I was able to purchase a water tank, our area is semi-arid, getting clean water for drinking is a bit of a challenge, therefore we thought of buying a water tank so that we would be able to harvest rainwater. I am grateful for the support that brought so much happiness in our lives, I have never witnessed any organization giving out unconditional cash in my entire life."

"I spent part of my second transfer on buying some building materials such as iron sheets at KES 12000, building poles at KES 7000, nails, timber at KES 2500, and the labor costs of KES 7000. I bought all these so that I could construct a new house for my children who have been sheltering at their friend's houses which were quite far from our compound. I later bought a water tank of 200litres at KES 2500. It's a relief for me because I can now harvest and store water. I will no longer be stressing myself in fetching from the dams. In addition, I bought new clothes, shoes, and enough foodstuffs for my children."

"No, I planned to purchase a bicycle which has been helping me in transporting water from the dams which were very far from the dams. Initially, I used to hire from my friends which were expensive. Most of the time, I have been using my hand when carrying the water which was tiresome."

"In the last six months, moving to my new farm gives me a lot of joy and hope for a better life for my family. This is because, here, I have access to a road where I can do business and also its proximity to a water pan. I can do my subsistence farming more easily using simple irrigation, pumping water with a foot pump. This is new dawn emancipated by the cash I am about to receive when I spend it to buy a water pump."

"I had a terrible accident in June 2021. I fall from a palm wine tree and hit the ground so hard that I lost consciousness for about 15 minutes. Luckily there were people around who came to my rescue. They poured water on me and when I regained consciousness they took me to the hospital. Since then I have been at home recuperating. My waist however hurts a lot especially after walking, I have to lie down first then sit to help deal with the pain. I am also asthmatic and this makes it harder for me to move about. When I lose breathe while walking it forces me to sit wherever I am till it passes. This condition came later on."

"Water is a necessity in our lives. I have a tap at home but it is not reliable, it can go dry for almost a week. As a man, It has been hard finding water in such times. I live with my three children and it has been very difficult since their mother is away for work purposes. Harvesting and storing water was the only solution at hand. My plan, therefore, is to buy a 10,000-litre storage tank, which can harvest and store water during the rainy season and when there is consistent running water. This can cost 50,000 KES including purchase, transport and mounting."

"At the age of 57 years, I am still a bachelor and this has pushed me to unavoidable mockery from my neighbors. They usually laugh at me especially when they see me doing women-dominated activities like fetching water and cooking. This has made me feel so ashamed and sometimes, I even fear going around the village. All this has been contributed by the fact that I lack money to facilitate a dowry payment. Hence, I consider financial instability as the greatest challenge that I am currently struggling with most."