"Droughts have been incredibly damaging, especially when they strike right after planting season, destroying all crops and leaving us with bare lands and a significant loss after purchasing farm inputs. We have not received rain in more than six months, so we have been learning how to deal with high food prices. My husband owns a motorcycle taxi, while I am regularly at home with my child, tending to the poultry project I started. The sale of a few eggs that I collect has always aided in the payment of some household bills. I am grateful that GiveDirectly's financial support was timely and significant in purchasing a $52 sack of maize for my family of three. I also paid $20 for the land we had been paying for in installments. Furthermore, I paid a $50 lease fee on land that is currently under butternut. Because the management practices required for butternut are few, and market stability is high, we expect higher pay after harvest. We spent $50 on clothes and the rest on other household items."

"After finishing form four, I was forced to look for a job because of the financial constraints that made me not join any technical or college. I intend to start saving money so that I can enroll in a driving school. I want to learn how to operate a truck so I can get a job as a truck driver. I want to be transporting specialized loads to Mombasa as I have seen there are a lot of things that need to be transported and not enough drivers are available." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"Our plans were clear from the beginning when we enrolled because we were already aware of the difficulties in our household. After collecting a portion of it in a nearby shopping center, I spent $55 on a sack of maize, $6 on 10 kg of beans, $6 on five kilograms of sugar, and $3 on transportation to my door via motorcycle taxi. Food had to come first because my husband and I were struggling to put food on the table without a steady source of income. Since I had some money in the account, I spent another $50 on Christmas celebrations, which included purchasing food and clothing for my children. In addition, I spent $10 on two water containers, $7 on two washing basins, and the rest on other household items."

"The past year has been difficult for me because I lost a casual job where I was paid on commission to ride a motorcycle. When I returned home, I could not stay idle and resorted to producing charcoal and selling it in the nearby shopping center before the government ban ended the venture. Despite the fact that I have been living alone with no responsibilities all this time, I have had to work hard on other casual labor whose wages are sometimes insufficient to meet my daily needs. I am glad GiveDirectly came through with the support that I am hoping will change my story in the end. I spent $137 on household goods with the first transfer, including a cupboard that has improved utensil storage, a sofa set, and cushions worth $57. My house had a large space with only a small space occupied by a bed, but at the moment, I am pleased that it looks good and presentable to visitors. I also purchased three pairs of trousers and two shirts for $23 and used the remainder to purchase foodstuff that I had been using all along because I live alone." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"Life is hard and has so many struggles. We are faced with a myriad of unsurmountable challenges. Day after day we live from hand to mouth. I am a casual laborer who tends on other people's farms for a meager wage while my husband does motorcycle business for someone who pays him at an agreed price of $4.50 per day, then any other amount above that is his take-home. It is a very ambitious target and sometimes he cannot meet and that means he has to come home empty-handed after laboring out there. It is such a bad state of things. Food insecurity is what has pushed us to untold suffering. We have a small piece of land that can hardly sustain any meaningful agricultural produce and as such we have to purchase maize at the nearby Kapkwen market. The cost of the commodity has gone up as a result of the increased cost of living. A 2 kg packet of maize goes at $1.70 which is high for the people of little means like us. Sometimes we go to bed hungry when we are not able to afford it, at such circumstances my children bear the brunt of it all and it worries us a lot." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I have plans of using my transfer to expand my business and to improve the house that we are currently living in. It has always been my prayer and hope that I start a motorcycle spare part selling shop alongside a gas station. Having successfully launched a gas station with the loan that I took, my plan now is to buy some spare parts and start selling them to make profits. I look forward to receiving these transfers and being able to start this business as soon as possible. I will be very happy to start this business.ave plans of using this transfer to expand my business."

"I decided to build a third room onto my mud-walled house when I withdrew the money. This is due to the fact that the one I had was only big enough to fit my family. My kids would have to move aside if we had guests over, so that they could be accommodated. I was really troubled by this circumstance. Based on that, I decided to add a third room that anyone visiting us might use. In order to build the third room, it cost $150 in iron sheets, roofing timbers, poles, rafters, and labor from the contractor. After that, I spent $45 on a mattress for my kids because they didn't have one. I am content right now since my children have a permanent place to sleep. Although my lower primary school-aged child was already enrolled, I decided to pay the $45 in school fees for the following term to make sure he wouldn't be expelled for lack of money and could instead focus on his academics for better grades. In addition, I paid a debt of $150 that I had taken out to purchase a motorcycle and purchased a sack of maize for $56 to guarantee that I have food security at home. I spent $82 on four ducks and seven chickens because I wanted to keep poultry as an investment. I bought some clothing for my family and other necessities for my family using the remaining money."

"I took a motorcycle on loan but it was re-possesed because I could not make the prearranged payment on time. I was able to at least settle $140 but due to the tough economic time I was unable to settle $50. I am currently moving up and down in my search for a well paying job and I am confident that once I do, I will get the motorcycle back and save enough money so that I will start a little business for my wife so that she has a way to make money and buy everything she wants for herself. I will also make sure I open my own business and make huge profit and have the life we as a family desired." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"My most recent transfer that I just received I bought two bundle of zinc. I'm also thanking of starting a business with my next transfer.Gd has done great things for me and my family.life was difficult for with me and my family. I have been living on farming just to support my children." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I have a young family with one child who is about a year and a half old. Washing a lot of clothes with the scarce water has been extremely difficult for my spouse, who spends a significant amount of time walking to and from the river with only a single pot of water. Connecting piped water to our doorstep was a priority during enrollment because it would reduce the cost of purchasing or transporting water daily from the river. I am glad that when we received the first transfer, we spent $100 on pipes and fittings and later paid a labor cost of $10 during installation and a county government registration fee of $15. Despite the fact that there has not been a consistent supply due to the severe drought, I am glad I also purchased some storage facilities that hold at least 1000 liters when full. I will pay $2 per month when the supply is consistent and negotiable if there is a period without a water supply. I also dug a pit latrine worth $70, which I am yet to finish, and used the remainder to repair a motorcycle that I had been using as a source of income for my family. When my bike is not working, I rely on subsistence farming to provide for my family, which includes selling fruits from my farm as well as eggs collected from my current brood of 30 chickens." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)