"As a stay at home mother, my day revolves around house chores and errands in the village. I normally wake up at 7 in the morning, head to the stream to get Water for breakfast and house chores.At around mid-day I prepare lunch for my 2 kids then take our cow for grazing until evening. The happiest part of my day is at night when I have finished all chores and can rest with my children."

"My son who doubles as my helper was with me the time I received an mpesa confirmation message indicating that I had received transfers from GiveDirectly. I became so happy as I knew that I would finally be able to fulfill my goal of cementing the floor of my house. This is because I am usually forced to sleep in my son's house whenever it rains as water usually seeps in through the floor hence flooding it."

"Receiving this money would mean better and safe water for my family. It would also mean a better roof for my house and new furniture. I have spent all my life here toiling to pay school fees for my 4 children, luckily the last one completed school last year and we have no obligation anymore. In a year I was supposed to pay up to USD. 450 so I really struggled doing casual jobs in the neighborhood. This affected our development because our shelter does not have a good roof, this one is leaky and it cannot allow us to harvest rainwater. We would therefore like to build a better house and purchase a tank for USD. 600. The remaining USD. 400 we'll buy more livestock that we had sold to cater for school fees."

"This money will help my family alot. We have been planning to have a better house as the one we have now is build in a place that let in water . It is not comfortable to live in it especially during the rainy season because it is very cold and uninhabitable. Our plan has been to relocate it to another place but we had not gotten the funds. With this help it will now be possible to build a better one with a cemented the floor and also buy fittings and furnitures. This will cost us approximately USD 7500. We will use the rest for the purchase of maize for household consumption."

"In 2017, there was a great famine in our village which led to death of my 15 cows . They died due to lack of water and grass. The drought brought my life back to zero. That is the biggest hardship I faced in life."

"I spent part of the money I received from GiveDirectly to build a better and spacious house. I live in a small grass thatched house which is leaking from inside. The construction is on going, I will be so happy to move to a better house where I will no longer exposed to cold. I still have some money and I am planing to buy sofa set seats for the new house, water tank for storing water for domestic use and food for the family. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed my living standard."

"The moment I received the transfer I felt so happy. I remember it was around 11am when I heard a ringtone message from my phone. I was on my farm cultivating. I do not know how to read so I took the phone to my daughter in law to check it for me. She told me it was a message confirming that I have received money from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy and stop what I was doing to celebrate the good news. I knew I would be able to buy a water tank which had been always my wish. I felt so happy and overwhelmed. My daughter in-law went and withdrew it. GiveDirectly has changed my living standard."

"When I receive this money I will buy two cows at $300 each and also use $200 to buy goats as it will boost my family income though sale of milk and goats in future. Now that we always experience perennial water shortage in our area, I will then set the remaining $200 to buy a plastic water tank so that I will be harvesting water during the rainy season."

"My happiest part of the day is in the morning. It is at time because this is the time I usually receive a call or secure someone requiring my services. I am casual labourer who weeds or plough people land or transport water at a fee. Securing job everyday is what makes me happy because I know at the end of the day my family will have something on the table."

"This means a lot to me. I have a grass thatched house which I been living for the past 20 years. When I get this money i would like to build a iron roofed house that will cost around $350. That house will help me in water harvesting. In our area we get water from the river and its not safe for drinking. I normally buy drinking water from water kiosk in the nearby town which sometimes hard due to financial constraints. I also have children in school and i need to pay their school fees. I have fee balance of $900. The rest of the money will then go to expand my business so as to generate more income."