"I have been taking refuge in a small hut with a sagging roof. I was staying in the small hut with my co-wife and our grandchildren. Even for us two, there was not enough space. It was even worse when it rained because all of our belongings, including our clothes, were rained on, and water poured all over the hut, rendering it uninhabitable. I did not have a close relative I could go to for help, so I had to endure the cold with my young grandchildren. The only solution was to build an iron-roofed house, which became possible after I received the transfer. I was finally able to purchase iron sheets and building poles, and I was able to construct a spacious and decent house. Moving from a grass thatched house that had served as a shelter for decades to a decent iron roofed house has been the most noticeable difference in my daily life."

"I am extremely delighted and filled with joy about the monthly stipend I receive from Give Directly. Thanks to this support, I am now the proud owner of a spacious two-room house where I reside with my four grandchildren. Previously, my house was in a deteriorated state with rusty, hole-filled iron sheets that allowed rainwater to seep in, causing damage to my belongings and making my life miserable during rainy nights. I had to constantly move my possessions from one end to the other to protect them from destruction. After completing the construction of my house, I used $24 from my May transfers along with my accumulated savings to purchase a goat worth $35. I plan to acquire more goats with my future transfers, which will be essential in case I face any challenges. I can sell some of them and use the money for future expenses. Additionally, I spent $10 to buy food. Although I earn a livelihood through farming, it doesn't generate much income, and there are times when I struggle to afford basic necessities for my family. I am immensely grateful to Give Directly for enabling me to fulfill the needs that I was previously unable to meet for my family."

"I aim to educate my children. I have five children in school and the budget for their school fees is above mine and my husband's earnings. My husband sells water in Mombasa and the money he earns takes care mainly of food due to the drought that was persistent. This being a basic need we found ourselves neglecting to pay school fees due to a lack of the finances and this would keep our children out of school. Now I see that through this transfers my children will get education and be able to have a fighting chance."

"We have a farm close to Marigat town, and since accessing water there is considerably simpler, we usually plant food crops like corn and practice some irrigation. We therefore spent $20 to buy water for irrigation using the first transfer received. There is currently a drought here, making it practically hard for plants to survive on their own, therefore this is the only reliable method of obtaining food. In addition to the goats I already own, I also spent $30 on a goat for rearing. Goats are relatively draught-resistant and inexpensive to maintain and thus the reason we keep them. I bought food for my family and paid for land tilling with the remainder of the transfer."

"The greatest challenge is that our land has been destroyed because of the landslides especially where we farm.The crops have been washed away by the floods and water leaving us hopeless.During the rainy season,water keeps flooding and sometimes it's too much that I fear that my children may drown."

"I am a young woman with a young family. I would call myself jack of trades, I sometimes sell water, other times I sell firewood sometimes I am farming and all this to make ends meet. However of this activities Givedirectly has facilitated my farming. I am able to call myself a farmer because of the transfers received. I used my March supplies, $25 to hire a tractor to plough the land for tilling while in May I bought maize, beans and greengrams seeds for planting using $25 of the transfers. I also bought a kid goat at $20 and 2 hens at $6 in April. I spent $800 of my transfers in March, $4 in April and $6 in May on food."

"In the coming years, I aim to repair the roof of my house. Currently, the house has a grass-thatched roof that has decayed over time, resulting in water leakage whenever it rains. I aim to replace it with a tin roof to ensure a safer and more comfortable living space for my family. The house consists of two rooms, so completing this project would require approximately 50 pieces of iron sheets. Due to my chest complications, I am unable to work and raise funds for the roof repair project. Therefore, I hope that the continued cash transfers will enable me to implement this plan and provide a secure shelter for my family."

"I've been married for two months now, and my first priority was to fill the house with comfortable furniture, including a bed. When I got the transfer, I already knew where I would get them for a negotiated price. I went there and paid $150, which served as a reminder of how I was changing from a senior bachelor to a responsible family man. Additionally, I recalled how, during the dry season, we would go great distances to gather water and that buying a water tank was not at all an option. I went to a hardware store and took out $100 to buy a 1,000-liter tank, and because it is now the rainy season, we will have plenty of water. Because of how highly regarded cows are in our town and how humiliating it might be to not have any at home, I felt compelled to purchase two cows at a cost of $150 each. As the man of the house, all of this made me feel satisfied, and my wife was unable to conceal her joy because it was so obvious on her face."

"I was filled with immense joy when I learned that GiveDirectly had promised to provide me with funds. This wonderful news meant that I could finally fulfill my lifelong dream of having tap water connected to my home, which was previously impossible due to financial constraints. As a teacher, I am still waiting for government placement, and my husband is also a teacher and we have two children. With our casual job earnings, we could barely sustain our family's needs. However, upon receiving my second transfer, I decided to allocate at least $260 toward the tap water connection. The remaining funds were wisely used to renovate our house and purchase essential food supplies. The timely and much-needed support uplifted our living standards and brought us great happiness. Unlike before, we now have an abundance of food in my home, which is a tremendous relief. We are incredibly grateful for the support that arrived at just the right moment and has positively transformed our lives."

"The challenge I am facing is water coming from uphill. This water destroys the house crops.As a result,there is a hunger strike in my family because the water never stops co.ingvfromup hill especially during the rainy season.Besides that,the rocks also fall crom up and our lives are endangered.I feel so scared."