"After our house was destroyed by floods, my family of 9 is now living in a tent. We don't have the funds to build a proper structure. Our livelihood depends on fishing, but the daily income of KES 300 isn't sufficient to cover food expenses and school fees for my 2 secondary school children. The floodwaters swept away our household items, bedding, utensils, and the children's learning materials. Due to financial constraints, we're unable to replace these essential items."

"Aside from farming, which poses challenges like climate changes, I am eager to diversify my income sources. I plan to spend $300 in acquiring more goats to add to the current 2 I own. Goats are appealing to me because they breed quickly, and our environment here is conducive for them. Additionally, I intend to spend $100 towards purchasing furniture, as we currently lack durable furniture at home therefore improving our living conditions and comfort. Moreover, I plan to spend $200 in recultivating the 1-acre plot of land that was washed away by floods. This is crucial for ensuring food security for my family of two and also aims to restore our agricultural productivity. Furthermore, I will also spend $100 towards relocating my house to higher ground within our compound because our current location often gets waterlogged, hence ensuring our living environment is safer and more sustainable.Overall, these investments aim to make my family more food secure and financially stable, providing a sense of excitement and optimism for the future."

"After receiving my first transfer from GiveDirectly, I was finally able to address my long-standing health issues. I spent $55 on medical expenses, as I had been unwell for about six years due to financial constraints, which prevented me from affording a good hospital. Instead, I had been visiting public hospitals, but they never identified the problem. My health issues worsened, and I eventually reached a point where I couldn't even walk or stand on my own. However, the private hospital was able to provide a diagnosis, and I'm grateful to GiveDirectly for making this possible. Due to my health issues, fetching water and firewood became a problem, Especially since I lived alone after losing my wife. To address this, I bought a water tank for storage at $38 and spent $10 on firewood. I also invested $16 in two plastic chairs, as I had been sitting on stones outside my home, including when hosting visitors. Additionally, I purchased $15 worth of household items and utensils, and the remaining $66 went towards ensuring I had a balanced diet, as I had just been from the hospital. I'm thankful to GiveDirectly for this life-changing support."

"It was at midnight when the whole village was flooded with water. The water was flowing violently and the air was filled with screams. I was desperate and worried about losing my three children aged seven years, five years and two years. Lucy enough some youths in my village came to our rescue and we were taken to the higher ground as we waited for the evacuation team. I was filled with happiness to see all of my family members safe."

"Happy me! The GiveDirectly message popped up on my phone while I was at work in Tiaty sub-county. I was overjoyed, and the first words out of my mouth were, "Wow! God is with me." The excitement bubbled up inside me, and I immediately called my wife, forwarding her the message. She was at home, and when I told her the news, she was very happy too. "Finally, the money from GiveDirectly has arrived," I said. We shared a moment of pure joy over the phone.Even though I received the money on Wednesday, I decided not to touch it until I got home on Friday. After hanging up, my thoughts turned to how we could use this blessing. The first thing that came to mind was investing the money in our farming. Specifically, I thought about paying for water for irrigation. We often have to pay $40 to the irrigation board in Kenya to ensure we have enough water for our crops.With this money, I knew we could secure the water we needed and improve our farming efforts. My family and I are very grateful and thank God for using GiveDirectly to bless us with this unconditional cash."

"Water shortage in our area is the biggest challenge that we face as farmers in our area. Iam lucky to be living approximately 600 meters from river perkerra which supplies most farms with water. With GiveDirectly's cash transfer, I will budget $500 to buy generator and plastic water pipes so that I will be able to pump water from the river and irrigate my farm. This will help me support my family without relying on casual jobs. I will also use $250 of my transfers to relocate my family to another piece of land which is on higher grounds. I will also use the remaining money to stock food and clothing for my family"

"I face several challenges currently. I don't have enough money to pay school fees for my four children. Recent floods damaged many household items, and I lack funds to replace them. For my maize plantation, I need money to buy fuel for pumping water from the river to the farm to ensure a good harvest. Sometimes, my family cannot afford three meals a day due to financial constraints, resulting in breakfast and dinner being our main meals."

"Two months ago, we were displaced by floods and we had to flee our homes to a safe place. After spending a month in a school sleeping under tents, we came back to our homes when the water subsided. I am happy because life is getting back to normalcy."

"GiveDirectly's cash transfer program gives me a second chance of investing again in farming. I use $460 of my transfers as capital and plant maize crop on my three acre piece of land. It is through this farming that I will be able to support my family of five. I will be able to pay school fees for my children and buy them clothes. I will also plan $150 to pay school fees for my two daughters. I will use the remaining money to buy a water pump generator, this will help me irrigate my farm during dry seasons."

"I am trained in Early Childhood Education, but unfortunately, I lost my documents, which means I am not allowed to teach without tangible proof of my qualifications. As a result, I have been saving part of my transfer towards acquiring these lost documents. This month, I spent $55 from my most recent transfer towards this effort. Occasionally, I get jobs to teach, but once the head teacher realizes that I lack the necessary documents, I am dismissed and asked to return with the certificates. This is why I am striving so hard to retrieve them. Additionally, I have a child who will be starting school soon, so I need to save up to support him. I also spent $22 to buy five chickens. In our area, we experience prolonged droughts, making poultry rearing the best option since chickens consume less water, and their feed is relatively inexpensive. I also bought chicken feed for $8.50. Investing in poultry is practical because the market is readily available, and I can sell them if I face any financial difficulties. Finally, I used the remaining $16.50 to buy personal items like soap and body oil for personal use,"