"Providing food for a family of eight is the big challenge that we are currently experiencing. Maize is no longer productive in our area due to maize rust disease and unfavorable climatic conditions. We only rely on food from the market which sells at exorbitant prices. At times we skip meals to survive which is embarrassing to me as a family breadwinner."

"Receiving this transfer will mean alot to me. I have been really in need of a dairy cow. My household use 2 litres of milk a day which costs KES 80. This daily expense is a huge burden to me bearing in mind the current tough economic situation in Kenya. I am a motorbike rider and the business is currently affected with the shortage of fuel which has caused a sharp rise in fuel prices. Lots of worries runs in mind and the future is not promising."

"The economic condition of our country is the challenge we are currently facing. Prices of commodities have all risen for no valid reason which has made us opt for one meal per day. This has made us weak and unproductive in our daily activities. I am a shopkeeper and I sell mostly on credit to my customers because of the high inflation rate. This gives me loss every day, I have no hopes of what tomorrow will look like with my business."

"My main challenges are lack of finances to make ends meet. As the sole breadwinner, it is frustrating when I come back home in the evening empty-handed without food for my children. The economic situation has played a big role in frustrating my life because the prices of the commodities have hiked thus making it difficult to continue having three meals a day."

"I run a grocery business that I depend on for all the basic needs such as food, clothing, and water. The cost of food prices is high and in a day I spend KES 300. The proceed I get KES 3000 per month is not sufficient hence it has been a challenge to save enough money to build a big house. Lack of finances is the major challenge that I am currently facing. Sometimes, I have to ask my relatives to accommodate my visitors which is shameful."

"I opened up a hotel business at Sigor centre in January 2021 to support my husband in raising my family of 7. I am glad that the profits I earned have helped me transfer my daughter to boarding school thus bettering her education. My dream has been to expand this business but unfortunately, the economy has failed me since the food prices have hiked profoundly and I have no finances at hand. When I receive these transfers, I intend to use KES 20000 to purchase stock for this business. I will be grateful that my profits will rise hence be able to educate my children with ease."

"The tough economy has worsened things for my family. I strain to pay fees to my three children who are in college. Since I have to make sure that they study without any disruption of school fees leaves me with no other choice but to sometimes forgo some meals at home. I have a grocery store that is on the verge of collapsing because of lack of money to boost it and the hiked prices of commodities too. Having no other means of getting capital to boost my business which is the only source of my income is frustrating."

"After successfully spending a better portion of the first transfer on building materials for my new house and other household expenses, I did not manage to construct the house because I ran out of cash. The building materials were in high demand at that time which led to the rise in their prices. When I received the second transfer, I spent 25000 KES on both construction labor and some of the building materials that I did not manage to purchase with the first transfer. It is the pride of every parent to provide a reasonable shelter for their children, and I am not left behind after Give Directly came to my rescue. My household items will no longer be ruined by rain and rodents as was the case before. 3500 KES I spent on my children's clothes to replace the old worn out that they had. I have never owned livestock but on several occasions, I have seen my neighbors sell some of their livestock to raise school fees for their children. This motivated me to start investing in livestock therefore, I bought a goat for rearing at 3000 KES. They multiply first because they give birth twice a year. Out of the remaining 20000 KES, I paid 2600 KES in school for my child sot hat I could clear the balance he owed the school and spent 17000 KES on foodstuffs that can feed my family for quite some time."

"Livestock farming has been of great help to our family, especially in the payment of school fees for our children. When we received the second transfer we bought three goats for 12000 KES. I plan to sell some of them in the future once they will have given birth to raise money for purchasing a cow because they are more beneficial in terms of milk provision and additional cows once they reproduce. 20000 KES I spent on a solar panel for our household use. I have been using lantern lump in my lifetime but it is expensive when it comes to budgeting for kerosene considering the current rise in fuel prices. I have not only cut on the cost of kerosene but my children to have enough lighting for their studies. I am glad I currently have a decent sleeping place after acquiring both a bed and mattress worth 14500 KES. Previously, we slept on the ground on a mat. We not only ended up with painful ribs in the morning, but we could not get enough sleep due to the bites from crawling insects. The remaining 6000 KES I paid in school for children's primary school fees. This both cleared the arrears he owed the school and paid for part of next term's school fees."

"Inability to afford rental costs prompted the closure of my kiosk business that I heavily relied on for a living. Besides, the prices of goods were constantly rising, which suppressed the ability to acquire sufficient stock for the shop. Afterward, I set to construct a mad shed for the business, with intentions to reduce operational costs like rent. Therefore, I deducted 4,000 KES from the recent two transfers to acquire tree poles for the structure. Also, I cleared school fees balances for my son worth 500 KES, purchased two hens for keeping worth 400KES, and obtained food using 1,100 KES."