"It was in April this year when I came to realize that, truly, blood is thicker than water! I had my daughter at home who was sent out of school due to fee arrears of $45. Since I was desperate, I decided to reach out to my brother who is in Mombasa to help me sort out this challenge. Fortunately, he sent me $80, an amount that I never expected. This helped me to send her back to school and she is currently settled. It was a great sigh of relief to have gotten that help. Hence, I consider this as what has brought joy to my life."

"With the money I received from the transfers, I made a significant purchase of two goats valued at $65. As a casual laborer who sells drinking water using a cart in Mariakani town, this investment holds great potential. I firmly believe that these goats will multiply in a relatively short period of time, allowing me to expand my assets. The primary objective of acquiring these goats is to eventually purchase both dairy cows and bulls. These animals will play a crucial role in helping me cultivate my land during the rainy season. It is a step towards improving my agricultural activities and increasing my productivity. In addition to the goats, I also used a portion of my savings to buy six pieces of iron sheets, contributing an extra $34 to cover the total cost. My intention is to completely replace my current roof, which consists of old, rusty, and leaky iron sheets. This improvement will provide me with a better living environment and protect my home from the elements. I am genuinely grateful for the financial support that has enabled me to pursue these goals. With my limited income from my job, achieving such milestones would have been challenging without this assistance. The support I have received has brought me a sense of joy and optimism as I strive to create positive changes in my life."

"The capacity to acquire pipes for establishing an irrigation system has had the most significant impact on my everyday life. Financial constraints had rendered this purchase impossible in the past. I am overwhelmed with joy that I have now achieved my objective, which means we can now draw water from the river for irrigation. I will forever be grateful for this incredible gift that has transformed my life."

"My family of seven depends on goat rearing for a living. However, we have been affected by an adverse drought that rendered most of my goats dead, therefore running into losses and sometimes not meeting my family's needs. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the assistance it offered me, as this was a source of inspiration and a financial breakthrough for my family. When I received the transfers, I used $70 to pay school fees for my daughter in grade 10 and $55 to purchase maize for the family. I am now happy that my daughter has uninterrupted school sessions and my family is food secure. Additionally, I repaid $65 of the monthly loan that I took from the Kenya Women Trust Fund to purchase a water tank and construct my house. In an effort to secure our future income, I bought two goats for $100 and spent the rest on household goods."

"As the sun cast long shadows across the football field, I paused my coaching duties to check my phone, and there it was—a message from GiveDirectly. My heart raced as I read the words, and a radiant smile spread across my face. I couldn't believe it; this unconditional cash transfer was a lifeline for a widower like me. With this unexpected blessing, I knew I could finally complete the construction of our humble home and install a fresh water tap right in our compound. No more long treks for water; no more worries. The joy that welled up within me was indescribable, knowing that my children would now have a better, more secure future ahead."

"I currently face the problems land slides, water oozing from underground, floods and rock rolling which affect our crops and shelter leaving us with no where to sleep."

"The biggest challenge we face is landslides and water oozing from underground within the compound and in the when it rains heavily hence lacking where to sleep."

"I currently face the challenges of landslide, floods, water oozing from underground which our crops and a house making us sleep badly and with inadequate food."

"I am a business lady operating a shop at the town center. The business operates with capital of $200 making a profit of $10 per day. The market is good and I have hope to make more profit when I pump more Capital to my business. I have a family of seven members with five being children. Early this year, the business was affected by the current inflation and the profit dropped from $30 to $10 per day. I will use $500 to add capital to the business. I intend to make a profit of $40 per month. My water tap meter was taken away by the water company due to accrued bill of $100. This happened because of the drop in the profit margin of my business such that I could not pay the bills. I will use $100 to clear the bills and have clean water once again. The remaining amount will help me cater for other domestic needs."

"In the coming year and beyond, my focus is on bolstering my farming efforts, particularly in livestock farming, as it has proven to thrive in our region. Despite the occasional scarcity of water, I have confidence in the resilience of goat farming, as goats are hardy animals capable of surviving on minimal food and water, resources that are readily available in the expansive lands around us. If we are blessed with sufficient rainfall in the coming years, I also plan to reinvigorate subsistence farming as part of my agricultural endeavors."