"My objective this year is to look for a better way of approaching farming either by changing to another crop that does not need much water intake or keeping doing vegetable farming and relocating to an area I can carry out irrigation. After identifying a better plan, I hope to be able to at least generate a respectable income to cater to our basic necessities,"

"There has been a very serious hunger threat in my area since we did not have any harvest last year and the year before. Even people who relied on irrigation were dealt a blow since all the rivers dried up. GiveDirectly came in handy and people were able to buy maize in bulk and save themselves from the serious effects of this drought. Today as we speak there has hardly been any rain on these sides yet we see other places experiencing heavy downpour. We are so happy that GiveDirectly has cushioned us a great deal from these effects of drought.That is a change enough to be proud of as a family and as a village as well."

"In the next one year and beyond I hope to accomplish a lot and my plans are more clear now that I have received a transfer from GiveDirectly. I am happy with what I have been able to accomplish so far and looking forward to making much more informed decisions that will improve my life and that of my family as a whole. Once I get my second transfer of $450, I intend to use the money to buy water pipes that will help me irrigate my five acre farm and increase crop production from it. Once this is established, I will then quit the matatu job that I am currently doing and concentrate fully on farming. I stay in a five acre piece of land that is situated between two rivers. This will make it easier for me to implement this plan that I have had in mind for the longest time now. I also have a neighbour 2ho started off as a young farmer but who has now advanced with the help of irrigation from these two rivers. He is willing to give me the guidance that I so much need to see this implemented. This project shall greatly improve my life and that of my whole family and make us have better living standards generally. In this farm I will be planting bananas, mangoes and oranges."

"Given that I am just beginning to plant a new crop, I will take things more slowly for the time being to ensure that I am giving it my all and am not taking on too much. Making this a significant source of income is my goal this year, especially as irrigation is mostly practiced  so I will be able to plant tomatoes season after season even in the absence of rain."

"When I dropped out of school at an early age due to financial challenges, I opted to be a farmer. I do livestock keeping and crop farming but as a result of inconsistent rainfall, I left venturing into crops. For the past three years, my income has not been stable, and providing the basic needs for my family of 11 is an uphill task. Receiving these transfers will enable me to supplement my income and ensure food security for them. I plan on leasing an acre piece of land at an irrigation site and planting maize from which I project earning profits after four months. The rest of the transfer I will use to purchase school necessities for my children and pay for school levies. The transfers have come at the time that I needed them most and I am thankful to God for the chance to change our lives for the better."

"There are very many things that I am thinking. I plan to set aside some money for emergency health needs at my age. I feel because of our ages it's good to save some money. I will set aside $100. The cost of living is very high. One bag of maize costs $80,plus transport. Will buy 5 bags, which will sustain us for almost 10 months. This means good food supply for my family. To produce my own food for the long term. I plan to fence my 2 acres of land using $200. This will protect it from disturbance by wild and domestic animals. When I secure this, it means I can plant food continuously. There's a permanent river close-by that will provide consistent water for irrigation. When I farm maize, I can easily harvest at least 20 bags an acre. That can support my family for a long time."

"I intend to do an investment. I chose to create a grocery store after doing some research because, as a result of the prolonged drought, vegetables are difficult to get in our village. I am convinced that doing this would generate significant sales because consumers travel great distances in search of vegetables. I will be able to support my family's needs because of this business. In addition to buying and selling vegetables, I want to build a vegetable garden next to my home because I can use the adjacent access to swamp water for irrigation. As a result, purchasing vegetables for sale will be more affordable."

"Sleeping on the floor with empty sacks as bedding was not giving me peace of mind. Upon getting the second transfer, I opted to buy a modern standard bed and a mattress. Currently, I am very happy that I have a nice sleeping place and I no longer wake up tired as I used to before. I also bought some clothes for my children. Since we are faced with water scarcity in our area, I decided to buy a water tank of 400-liter capacity for storing water during the rainy season. The aim of the collected water is for domestic uses as well as for agriculture in irrigation. In addition, I used $18 to buy three plastic chairs because I had only one chair at home. This was shameful once I receive visitors and I had to borrow from neighbors or offer the visitors some logs to seat on. Thereafter, I saw it prudent to keep the remaining amount for the family's use."

"I would like to start farming maize. My villagers consume a lot of maize flour and I would need $200 to start with the project. Buy an irrigation system for the drought season and wait for the rain"

"I would like to start farming, especially cabbage. A lot of the villages consume it and If I would get $30000 from the shop's profit, I can start within three months. The current drought has delayed me and as for now I cannot depend on rain and so I have to save for an irrigation system that would help me."