"The challenge I currently faced is that I don't have a good sleeping place. Any time there is a heavy downpours of rain, the water enters my room from the ground and also from the roof. As a result of this, I don't sleep at night any time rain falls. I have been living with this condition for more than one year. I had a better house than this but I was in the house and the sticks got rotten and while sleeping one day, the house felt on me. I had no other option but to build a mart house with thatch to be sleeping in it for the time being."

"The moment I received the transfer I felt so happy. I remember vividly like yesterday that it was around 8am 9am. When I received a ring tone message from my phone. I was at a merry go round group that we started in our village. I reluctantly check it. I could not even believe my eyes, it was a message confirming that I have received money from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy and overwhelmed with joy. I went outside and called my spouse to inform her of the good news. She was so happy too and celebrated. I knew I would be able to buy a water tank for storing water for domestic use. After we finished the merry go round group, I went and withdrew the money and bought a water tank the same day. I am so happy because GiveDirectly came to our rescue at the right time."

"The happiest part of my day is in the morning. I am always grateful to be alive. When I wake up I go to the garden near the lake where I have vegetables but have not started selling them yet so normally I go and water the vegetables and chat with friends and come home."

"Receiving this money will mean water security for my family. We live in an arid area and it doesn't rain often. I have 5 children living with me while one has his own family. Because they are in Scholl it means my wife has to go fetch water to be used at home at a local stream. The stream is about 5km from our home and the terrain is hilly. She has to do this everyday and it's exhausting to her, that is why this money will help us in purchasing a big water tank worth KES 20,000. The water tank will be used to store rain water collected from our iron roofed house when it rains, the water can also be fetched just once in a week, stored to be used for a whole week. This will save us from walking for a distance everyday to collect it. The remaining amount of the transfer I'll use to pay school fees for my children and buy a dairy cow and 2 goats that will serve as future investments."

"We spent so much money buying milk, KES 1200 a month. We have planned with my husband that with the first transfer, we will buy a cow with KES 30,000. This will ease our spending on milk. We also plan to cement our main house because when it rains, the floor retains the water causing it to crack, and build a tin-roofed kitchen with the second amount because the one I have leaks."

"Receiving this money means an improved living standard. I live in a shanty which is small and when it rains, water oozes from the ground. Whenever it rains, I go to my parent's house to shelter and sleep which I feel is inappropriate since I am also old. I feel ashamed to sleep with my parents under the same roof. I, therefore, intend to construct a better house. With an estimated cost of KES 30,000, I intend to construct a better one. I also intend to spend the remaining money to purchase a dairy cow. Fulfilling this dream will rejuvenate my life."

"My biggest hardship I have faced in life is drought persistence in my area .This problem has hindered my development because I tried to do cattle farming but they all died due to luck of food and water."

"The biggest hardship I face is not harvesting enough maize. I find enough fertilizer to apply to the maize but my farm is near the lake. Most of the times the crops do not do well because they are washed away by water."

"Receiving this money means supplementing my income by boosting my retail shop business. My monthly salary of KES 8000 is not enough for food, water and other necessities such as education for my children. I, therefore, recently started selling maize flour, cereals and soap but I have not had the ability to increase my stock. My priority is to build a premise at an estimated budget of KES 5,000 and add a variety of goods amounting to KES 20,000. The rest of the transfer will go into livestock as an investment for future financial requirements."

"Afternoon is the happiest part of my day. I do my house chores very early in the morning. I start my day by preparing my 4 school going children, I then wash utensils, clean my compound and fetch water at a distance of about 2km. After I am done with the house chores, I head to the forest to cut down trees for charcoal burning. I cut down trees up to around 12 noon. I go back home to prepare lunch for my children. After we finish eating lunch, I get time to rest and even time to chat with my neighbors."