"I want to express my gratitude to GiveDirectly for the financial support. Through these transfers, I was able to acquire a motorbike, which I now use to earn a living and support my family. With my most recent transfer, I spent $61 on school fees for my five school-going children. I divided the amount among them to ensure they are not sent home due to unpaid fees. I also allocated $41 to purchase food for my family’s consumption. The ongoing drought has made food and water our primary focus, as the little income we earn is mostly spent on these essential needs. This support has been a lifeline for my family during these challenging times."

"Hunger is the biggest challenge my family is currently facing.The lack of jobs in the neighborhood has resulted to me and my family of 2 going without food on many occasions.I am a mother of one who engages in casual jobs such as cleaning , transporting water on my back and grading tomatoes in the neighboring location.These jobs are rare to find, one might engage in them twice or thrice a week .At the end of a week I always have at most KES 800, to survive on this my family has to live on one meal a day (super only) and have the last night leftovers in the morning if any .The insufficiency of quality food has impacted negatively on my health in terms of immunity and energy.I am no longer energetic enough to walk for long distances in search for jobs and transportation of water."

"When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $60 on food for my family. We are currently experiencing a severe drought, and the little income I earn is used to buy water and partly on food. Accessing basic needs, especially water, is very challenging. I also purchased two chickens for domestic rearing, which will serve as future financial security. With the remaining $28, I bought two iron sheets. I do not have a house and currently stay at a relative's home. So far, I have acquired four iron sheets and remaining 22, I am hopeful about buying the remaining ones, as I need a total of 26 pieces."

"Even though this year I planted maize and lost it to drought and lack of rain, my happiness over the last 6 months has come from the rains we received in April. This brought a big relief to us because it meant our livestock had enough water and pasture."

"Over the past 6 months my happiness came from the rains we received in the past 3 months. Our village is dry and it has been many years since we received such heavy rains. I felt very happy because with the rains we have enough pasture and water for our livestock."

"Drought is our biggest challenge, we cannot plant and also fetch water from far distances. This means we must look for other ways to get food. Charcoal burning is my main source of income to support my family. It's difficult albeit we're able to buy food through this. One bag of charcoal is sold for $6. This can only support food requirements for four days. I'm forced to burn more charcoal. One kilo of maize flour is sold at about $0.5. It's enough for a day."

"The main challenges I am facing in my household revolve around the lack of water. We are forced to travel long distances to fetch water for home consumption and our livestock, which makes life even harder, especially as we approach the drought season. Another significant challenge is the lack of stable employment. Without a reliable source of income, we struggle to meet our family’s basic needs. The high cost of living has further compounded this issue, as the small family business we run is not enough to cover all the necessities for our children. These challenges make day-to-day life difficult, but I remain hopeful for a better future"

"Our region has been severely impacted by a devastating drought and widespread hunger. This has forced us to go extreme distances in search of water since there is none nearby. Everything has dried up. This situation has been very challenging, and securing basic necessities like water has become an expensive and overwhelming burden. However, I am deeply grateful for the support I have received from GiveDirectly, which has truly been a lifeline during this difficult time. I, therefore, used $55 from my recent transfers to purchase food and water for my family, ensuring we could get through these trying times. While the cost of water continues to strain our pockets, this assistance has brought immense relief, and I cannot imagine how we would have managed without it. With a strong desire to build a brighter future, I saved $15 of my transfers, hoping to enroll in driving school next year. I believe this skill will open doors to new opportunities and enable me to develop myself further. Finally, I spent the remaining $14 to buy clothes as a gift to myself, allowing me to feel confident and look presentable. It brought me a sense of joy and dignity, which means a great deal to me. I am incredibly thankful for the support and optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead."

"For the past ten years, I have been deeply involved in crop farming, gaining valuable experience and skills across a variety of crops. I have seen firsthand that with sufficient capital, crop farming can be incredibly successful and yield good returns. My plan moving forward is to focus even more on crop farming, as I believe it holds great potential for growth. One of my key strategies is to secure land near the lake, where I can access reliable irrigation water, ensuring that my crops are well watered, even during dry spells. Additionally, I will prioritize timely planting to avoid losses from flooding, which has been a significant challenge in the past. To expand my farming activities, I plan to use my final transfer to invest in additional resources, allowing me to scale up my operations and increase my income."

"We have been living in a borrowed house for the last 2.5 years due to the flooding of Lake Baringo, and our house was completely submerged in water. I, therefore, intend to spend the first transfer on buying building materials for putting another house on a higher ground which cannot be affected by floods. This will be a means of achieving a fulfilling life for me and my children."