"I have always wanted to boost my charcoal business so that I can be able to take care of my household responsibilities with ease. The poor economic situation in the country has made things worse because the food prices rose and this made it impossible to feed a family of 12. I had to cut my budget by half to accommodate both food and water which is also a problem for our community due to the drought plus paying school fees for my children. I feel overwhelmed most of the time with too many obligations that have brought frustration into my life. My challenge, therefore, is the insufficient flow of money from my business to take care of my family."

"Two months ago when the cooking gas prices hiked up I was very happy because many people opted to use charcoal. This rose my daily income from 300 KES to 350 KES due to the high demand. My family's ways of living also improved because I was able to buy them new clothes and food without straining too much as I used to before."

"I have been selling French fries to school pupils and the villagers too. The business was giving me a daily profit of 1000 KES which is a good income considering that I live in the village. However, things changed a few months ago when our economy was affected and prices of the commodities rose including cooking oil which is what my business depends on. I had to shut it down because I started to make losses rather than profits. This demoralized me and almost gave up since I had no other way of making an income yet I have a child who depends on me. Receiving this money, however, is coming at a time when I needed a financial boost so that I can recover from the losses I made and restore my business. I plan to use the first transfer to stabilize it before venturing into other things."

"My life since becoming a widow has not been all rosy. I have faced a lot of challenges in providing basic needs for myself. These challenges result from not having a job. I currently depend on my son, who works as a casual laborer on a construction site in Mombasa. Due to the unpredictable nature of his job, he does not work daily, limiting his income. When this happens, I am affected because I am left with no option but to either skip meals or sleep hungry until he can secure a job. When I received my first transfer, I spent it all on purchasing food and water for my own home use. Water is a scarce commodity in our area because of the drought. As a result, I have to buy the water from vendors at very high prices."

"My husband works in a motorcycle taxi called “Bodaboda”. In recent months, he has struggled to make a killing in his business due to several challenges beyond his reach. The scarcity and high prices of fuel have contributed to his low income. In helping my husband pay the family bills (food, water, school fees, and clothing), I previously burnt wood and sold charcoal. Currently, I no longer sell charcoal because I am expectant and the tedious nature of the job will affect my health and that of my unborn baby. Because of the financial struggle we are going through as a family (husband and seven children), I spent KES 2000 to buy food and water, which is a scarce and expensive commodity in our area. Besides buying the food, I bought 5 hens as a start in my poultry business. With a lot of economic uncertainties, the poultry business will ensure I become financially stable and take care of the family's needs."

"I thank the organization for helping needy people in society. The situation would be unbearable were it not for the unconditional transfers. I would urge the organization to increase the amount so that we can tackle the ever-growing prices of food items in our village."

"Chicken rearing is the easiest and fastest investment. As much as I do not have it on a large scale but at least I have been keeping some. They reproduce faster hence the increment in their numbers and the eggs too are the cheapest source of proteins. When I received the first transfer, I bought a chicken at KES 300 to add to the few I had. The remaining KES 850 I spent on corn and some of the foodstuffs for my family. We had no food at that moment and being the breadwinner in the family, I felt relieved of the burden. I burn charcoal for sale which is done by nearly everyone in our area. The few people who can afford them purchase them at very low prices."

"The tough economic situations which have led to rising prices of commodities with no reliable source of income have made it challenging to meet our household needs including the most basic like food. Having a meal a day has been our norm, at times we would go without any meal for the whole day. I am glad the corn we bought with the first transfer has been pushing my family. I am hoping to see more improvements with the coming transfers."

"I have an incomplete house, iron sheets prices inflated and I was unable to buy them. Receiving this money means goals realization. I will complete my house so that I can be able to welcome any visitor to my house. I married recently, and as per my culture dowry is not paid in full. I will use some of my transfers to pay dowry to my wife. With the remaining amount, I will buy two bulls so that I can train them to cultivate my land and rent when any customers show up."

"We don't have enough maize harvest to sustain the family for a year with food supply. Harsh weather conditions have lowered the maize production in our area.This is a challenge because maize prices have gone UpTo KES 4000per 90 kgs from KES 2000. We use 270 kgs a year as a family which is very expressive."