"Lack of a good shelter has been the main challenge for me and my family as our house is poorly constructed. It is a grass thatched and leaks during rainy season. I have to sleep at the neighbours house some of the days when it rains as the house if flooded with water."

"The happiest part of my day is in the evening. Having worked the whole day doing house chores and fetching water, it is in the evening that I get time to rest."

"Words cannot express how happy I was when I finally bought a water tank, we are now assured that the rainwater we will be collecting will not go to waste anymore because I now have a storage tank, I am relieved that this will minimize the number of trips we make to the stream daily, I also started a goat rearing business which I am hopeful that I will be able to earn an extra income from it, on top of that I now have a sofa set where my guest can comfortably sit, GiveDirectly brought hope in our lives and we are grateful for the support that has impacted our lives."

"Afternoon is usually the happiest part of my day. This is because, I wake up very early in the morning at around 5am. I walk for three kilometres to look for water. I then come back at around 8am. I cook break fast and prepare my children to go to school. I then leave at 9am for charcoal burning for three hours and come back to cook lunch for my Children. After taking lunch, I get time to rest and refresh my mind."

"It's a high risk going over the sea to fishing just to make sure I find food for my children and send them to school. At times I find it difficult catching fish due to the roughness of the sea and condition of my canoe which allows water to enter it why fishing. If am selected to be a direct beneficiary of Give Directly money transfer, I will buy a new Canoe, pay my children school fees and fix mud house due to its condition. Getting a newer canoe will enable me catch enough fish which I will sell to generate money to sustain my family."

"My happiest part of the day is in the evening when I am resting after a tiresome activities. Everyday I travel around 2 kilometres to the near by river to fetching water for both domestic and animal use. Carrying a 20 litres jerry can is not a easy task once get very exhausted."

"It was exactly 9 in the morning when I was at my garden watering the vegetable when my phone started ringing continuously. I was so curious and nervous and I had to call one of my grandchildren to confirm who it was. He decided to read the message only to confirm it was from Segovia Technology. I felt so happy and proud because I knew I would achieve most of my dreams liken renovating my house. I remember leaving the task and went back home to spread the news with my family members."

"I depend on casual labor that used to pay me 1000 KES in a day due to the unexpected prolonged dry spell of this area I cannot afford even 100KES to purchase foodstuff for my family of 4. The farm that was my saving grace has now turned to be unproductive due to short rains. Most of the time we drink water as our supper, something that makes me unhappy and depressed. As a breadwinner getting a guaranteed job has been so hard to acquire."

"I have a family of four, with two young children. We all share one house which is too small for us. With this money, I plan to construct a three-roomed iron-roofed house. It will help me harvest rainwater for domestic use. Constructing the house will cost me approximately KES 40,000. It will go a long way in making my family stay in comfortable housing. Currently, I do not own any dairy cow, I purchase milk costing me KES 1000 per month. This is a lot considering apart from my husband's casual job, we do not have any other source of income."

"The biggest challenge has been to do with my poor health. I hardly walk ,my legs and waist pains me alot.This has left me to do light works only. Even fetching water from the dam to carry in my back is a big deal. That is what has been giving me problems for sometime now."