"The promise I had made to the GiveDirectly staff that came was that I wanted to gave livestock at my home. My aim was to get some cows but looking at how the weather was, I opted for some goats. I bought 6 goats which I am sure they will multiply as soon as possible. I also bought a small solar panel to provide us with some light at night. I did this because the paraffin price is very high and the paraffin itself has become very scarce something that made us to stay I darkness in some days. In collaboration with a family member who is also a GiveDirectly beneficiary, we bought a motorbike to aid us in fetching some water as well as doing some light transport to earn us something by the end of the day. For the remaining amount I bought some foodstuff and also saved some for family emergencies."

"After withdrawing the money, I opted to get some livestock as a long-term investment. But before committing the money to the livestock I first paid the debts from the shops where I used to take some items. Thereafter, I bought some goats and a ploughing jembe which will aid me in weeding during the rainy season. The remaining amount, I decided to keep it for the family upkeep because the hunger that is in our area plus the water hardship is becoming abnormal. Everything needs money."

"Nowadays, all we care about is getting water to cook and drink, we don't care if we bathe or wash our clothes. The nearest water point is about 30 kilometers away and since it is only my daughter who can get there, she manages to bring a 20litrs jerrican. Water scarcity has been the biggest challenge for us."

"Scarcity of water and food security is the major challenge that we are facing as a family. My kids are still young and therefore can't manage to walk for about 30 kilometers to fetch water and all the burden of looking for water has been left for me. Having to go to fetch water for about five hours means that there is little that I can do to provide for my family at the end of the day and this means having to sleep hungry some days."

"I plan to start the construction of a small dam which is going to collect surface water. The water collected is going to be of great help to my cows during the dry season. During the dry season, we usually experience a lot of challenges getting water because most rivers dry up.As a result we have to trek long distances as far as 2 km looking for water for our cattle. The construction of the dam is going to cost me KES 10000. I plan to use the money that I will get from my business of buying and selling cows to construct the dam. I usually make a profit of about KES 2000 per market day and in a week I go to three markets. This is when the business is good. Despite the many responsibilities that I have, I believe that little by little I will be able to construct the dam though it might take time to complete it."

"When I got this money, I prioritized my children's education first. This meant I had to spend KES.2000 on their school fees. I paid for my two children who are still in school. I wanted them to experience sitting in class throughout without the disturbance of being sent home. I was able to spend KES.1000 on food and water for the family so that we can have the energy to face the day's tasks. We have to buy water due to the drought. I am grateful to Give directly for the opportunity to better myself and my family."

"On that day I had gone to the nearest shop to buy water. During this drought, it has been tough as nearby streams dried up and we now have to buy water. When I got back home there first thing I did was check my phone as it is now second nature. I checked and saw that I had indeed received the money I was so happy and relieved. Thank you Give directly for looking after someone like me."

"After having a good talk with the GiveDirectly staff, I took their advice positively and implemented some of the things I had promised to do. I bought 4 goats for KES 8800.00 and a sack of maize for KES 3300.00. Considering the fact that I have been sleeping on a small traditional bed, I bought a modern standard bed and a mattress for KES 10000.00. I also bought a 120 litres water tank for KES 1300.00 and paid KES 1000.00 for my young child school fees. The tank will aid me in storing water. Having that done, my husband took KES 15000.00 and sent it to my parents as part of his dowry and saved the remaining for the family upkeep."

"I received a message in my phone at around 7am when I had just arrived home from fetching some water. Since I do not know how to read, I requested my husband who was just a stone-throw away from me. Without hesitation, he broke the news plainly and directly due to overwhelming. “Hurrah, finally the GiveDirectly transfer id here with us”, he said. I jumped up and down in appreciation knowing that, I was going to solve the issues that have been bothering my family for a long time now."

"As a teacher who is employed by the school's Board of Directors, I only earn KES 8,000 a month. Sadly, this amount is not enough to cater for my family's living expenses, including food, shelter and clothing. This has led to the accumulation of debts. So I spent KES 15,000 to settle some of these. Since I live in an area that is prone to drought, I also spent KES 15,000 on buying a water tank so we can harvest some water. I then spent KES 20,000 on buying a heifer and KES 3,000 on foodstuff so we could have enough for ourselves."