""If we are successful to get this money, our plan is to build a better house. We have planned to build a new house because as the house we live in is old, and it's not grantee, and decent. During the raining season we have no peace because the roof is badly leaking and the wall falls everytime. For the past 3 years we have rebuilt parts of this house over 6 times. Whenever it's midnight and it rain we will remain standing till morning. When it rains heavily during day time we either sleep in neighbors house. This house was built on an old dump site. We're afraid that one day this house fall on us. We're worried everytime it raining. It has always been our plans to have a better house of own where we will have no embarrassment and shame everytime it rains. With a new house we will not pay people everytime to dup, we will not sleep in water each time it rains or embarrass our neighbors for accommodation. When we able to build a new and solid house, we will be free from embarrassment and shame, and we will have peace. Building a new house for ourselves is a plan that had long been made by us just that we have not had money. So with this money, we definitely planed to build our own house so as to make us feel as a better family, and stop being mocked at."

"It was 8 a.m. and I had just gotten back home from fetching water from the well. I had heard murmurs from the neighbours that some villagers had received cash transfers from GiveDirectly, so I decided to check my phone. I was pleasantly surprised to see the message indicating that I had received KES 55,000. I was so excited and looked forward to building a new house for my family."

"The biggest difference in my daily life is the ease of accessing plenty of water from the large water tank I obtained. Livestock management and other household activities that needed water are no longer a major problem as the rains are still on. I am hoping to see the tank full in a week, and this means I will be enjoying enough water supply for a good number of months ahead."

"I spend my mornings doing energy-draining activities such as weeding and fetching water from a nearby water pan. It is in the afternoon that I get to rest and this, therefore, makes it the happiest part of my day."

"Receiving this money means a better house for my family. This is because I am now living in a house that is not in good condition, the iron sheets are old and need replacement. I am planning to spend KES 40,000 on the renovation as well as buying one bed and a mattress. I will use KES 15,000 of the second transfer to buy five goats. As they multiply I will sell at a profit and address any emergency that will arise. The remaining amount will help me clear school fees for my granddaughter and other basic needs such as food and water."

"Domestic violence saw me separate from my estranged husband 2 years ago. Thereafter, I had to bear the sole responsibility of raising my 6 children by engaging in charcoal production that gives me at most KES 1800 in 2 weeks. This money is barely enough for food. My eldest child did not get the privilege of going to school because of all these challenges. He now does casual jobs to supplement the family income. My biggest hardship is therefore lack of sufficient income for food, water, education and other basic needs."

"My day begins in the morning at 6am. I usually walk for about ten kilometres to fetch water. Due to the drought facing our village, I have to cover long distances to find water. I then come back at noon very tired. I cook lunch for my children who come for lunch break from school. I then spend the rest of the day doing my house chores. The only time I rest is in the evening after supper. This makes me long for evening because we have time together as family as we eat and make stories."

"The current challenge I face is the drought, I walk 3km under the scorching sun to fetch very tiring water. The drought has brought hunger, which has made it impossible for me to feed my 5 children. I depend on selling coconut for a living but due to the drought, I do not get good yields as before. I am afraid if it continues, my family will die of hunger."

"With the current drought in my area, getting water has been very difficult. Sometimes I am forced to travel longer distances to get water. This has had some negative implications on my health and productivity in the family because I spend longer hours on the road carrying water home. Traveling longer distances and at the same time paying for the water has been a great challenge given that I solely rely on my husband's motorcycle riding occupation which is not sustainable."

"I am from the first of SIXTEEN SIBLINGS of a polygamous family(Father with THREE WIVES) who had struggled to go through High School and fortunately graduated from the Centos High School. It has always been my wish to forge ahead and become a MEDICAL DOCTOR but due to lack of financial support from my parents, I decided to come back home to start FISHING in order to generate money to support myself in a HIGHER SCHOOL of learning but due to the increased in the water volume and roughness of the Ocean it has been a real challenge getting fish. Upon receiving MONEY from GIVE DIRECTLY, I will immediately travel to MONROVIA to get enrolled into the UNIVERSITY of Liberia to achieve my Goal because it will be a DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME."