"Financial inadequacies have been the biggest challenge we are currently facing. Even though my husband works as a casual laborer earning some cash through commission, he seldom gets that job forcing us to depend on the village members for upkeep. He sells other people's cattle during market days which comes only on Mondays and he occasionally earns commission from that. This has lowered our self-esteem because we don't have an alternative source of income. Seeing my family languish in poverty angers me as a parent and makes life meaningless."

"My husband and I agreed that we would use our first transfer in paying school fees for our three children who are in high school, school fees as been our major challenge because we do not have a stable source of income, therefore I used KES 25,000 in clearing the fee arrears, I then used the remaining part of the transfer in stocking up foodstuffs and also bought clothes for the children. I am grateful for the support that gave us financial freedom."

"I separated from my lovely wife 9 years ago due to family conflicts. This resulted from the financial crisis I face. Working as a casual laborer baking doughs in a nearby restaurant earns me KES 200 a day. Providing food and other basic needs became a challenge especially when there was no work. As a result of the inadequacy of resources my wife and I split. She went back to her parents because they were better off than me.This transfers means a reunion for my family because I will be able to start farming in my piece of land which was initially rented out.Therefore my family will be food secure and also get increase asset ownership in terms of housing structure and dairy cow."

"GiveDirectly does well in giving free cash which has enabled me to built a decent house. GiveDirectly helped me to build my house so there is nothing that it does not do well"

"I have been living in a grass-thatched hut that I built 6 years ago and it is now somewhat leaking when it rains. For the past 2 years, I have been yearning to build a 2 roomed iron-roofed house but finances could not allow me. Although I secured a job as a tractor driver at Chebunyo, the KES 400 I earn daily only caters for food for the household. With Givedirectly, my hope will be renewed as I will have a comfortable house for myself as well as reunite with my family. I plan to utilize KES 40000 to build a house and further use the rest of the transfers to pay the bride price to have my wife back. I will be glad that my family will reunite and we will live happily thereafter."

"I am a single mother of 2. I engage in casual jobs mostly selling potatoes on market days on Monday in the nearby Chebunyo market. Businesswomen bring potatoes to the market, they offer me the job of distributing and selling them around the market. At the end of the day, I get paid depending on the number of sales I have made. I get KES 300 per crate sold. This enables me to get disposable income for use as it enables me to buy foodstuff for my family. It is a good business that I do well. I have always wanted to start mine but due to lack of capital, I have not been able. I am so glad that my dream of starting my own business will come to fruition now that Give Directly transfers are imminent. I intend to use KES 30000 to start up the business and use the rest of the money for establishment of a poultry project."

"Spending a whole day figuring out what to do has been the genesis of my sorrowful life. Am an industrious woman. Reflecting on the days I used to work, I could not fully rely on my husband for the supplication of every need.Today, this is not the case. I look at myself and feel like I beg too much. I have for several times gone hungry without telling my husband because I pity his struggle and the little money he gets is enough to cover a fraction of the family's basic needs. This has led my life to be unenjoyable."

"We do not have enough land to do farming or engage in dairy farming and as such we are food insecure. Also, we cannot engage in any meaningful economic activity that can support us. It is a struggle to put food on the table as we have to do casual jobs which sometimes cannot be found. The cost of a 2 kg packet of maize retails at KES 100 which to us is expensive. This suffices to say that we hardly afford enough decent meals, other times we skip lunch to save for supper."

"With my first transfer i had thought about what to do with it way before i even got it, my biggest hardship is of shelter,as you know for one to build a substandard house it is no child's joke,and all along i was living in a rural designed house thatched with glass and nothing else. I had a dream that one day my condition will change and like a fairtale GiveDirectly made this small dream of mine came into reality,so with my K307,200 i removed K150,000 to buy ironsheet which we use for roofing the house,i also used K50,000 for bricks,i then used K50,000 for matress and beddings and the remaining amount was used to buy food(5 bags of maize to be precise). As of now i have bought house building materials and I'm patiently waiting for the second transfer to start up with the actual building of my new house."

"There is a myriad of challenges, but notable the problem of raising school fees is a major one. I have 1 boy who is in University and 2 girls who are in secondary schools. I am yet to clear the last term fees arrears of KES 27000 plus this term fee of KES 26000. I sometimes pay in kind like delivering maize and beans. The school principal has been kind enough to allow me to pay over along time because he sees the effort that I put. It is the hope that has kept me otherwise I could have broken down."