"The challenges that we face are a continuous dry season and the unavailable source of milk for my family. I am forced to buy milk daily for the town for my children and this cost me so much, KES 40 a liter. Having a dairy cow will reduce the cost of buying milk and also be a source of income for us."

"When I get this money I would like to start a kiosk selling vegetables. I believe this line of business is exactly what this area needs. Right now people walk about five kilometres to the nearest market which is Ganze. Starting this business will save them the travel which affects the grand cost of acquiring the commodity. If I can get around 40000 KES, it would be enough for initial investment where I'll use my father's main house for a premise and the whole amount for stock and display racks. At the moment my husband is a motorcycle taxi rider in the village since the beginning of the year while I'm a cook at a local kindergarten. Both our earnings can only amount to 500 KES daily. It might be enough today but we have children who are attending school and soon enough, they'll be a bigger need for their school fees. This is why we need to create new sources of income."

"I have been sleeping on a small bed (3 by 6) for 15 years now with my wife. We have been persevering this condition because we could not afford to buy a big and decent bed to accommodate the two of us. Receiving this aid money from Give Directly means I buy a new bed and a mattress big enough for us and I believe through it we will be having the best nights and rest which we deserve. I will spend 15000 KES on this. 10000 KES will be spent on school fees for my daughter and the rest of the money will be spent on food."

"Food insecurity is the biggest challenge that I face at the moment. My homestead sits on a 0.2-acre piece of land and that means I do not have space to even plant vegetables. The situation has forced me to buy every food item making it expensive for me to afford. My husband who is a teacher earns KES 5000 but our monthly expenditure is KES 6500-7000. We have been forced to borrow money to sustain our lives but it has reached unsustainable levels where we cannot take it anymore"

"My husband is 98-years and has not been feeling well for the past 3-years now and this has affected his mobility. He cannot walk on his own without being supported and this has forced me to be by his side every other time, denying me the chance of doing other productive activities. I have sold family assets like livestock to raise money for his medication but doctors have told me that nothing much can be done to salvage his situation because of his advanced age. His condition is getting us worried and I pray that he gets better"

"I have longed to build a house that will accommodate our family of four children, with all the plans I had I have not been able to achieve it. My husband is also the breadwinner of the family as I am jobless, he is also depended on by his parents leaving him with nothing to save on a house construction project. Receiving this money means I will immediately build a house for my family."

"I have the desire to start goat keeping as these animals are resistant to adverse weather patterns especially in our area which is prone to prolonged droughts and there is a readily available market for goats. Receiving this money means using 20,000 KES to buy 5 nannies and a buck. Goats can give birth twice in a year meaning within a year I will start selling them to help in settling my daily family expenses."

"Financial problems have really been weighing me down. I have been studying and raising my two children at the same time. As I await my graduation, I have no source of income. I am a volunteer teacher in a neighboring school and I get an allowance of 10,000 KES. This is barely enough to cater for my needs and that of the children. Sometimes my children get sick but I lack money for their medication. Such needs together with the basic needs are currently my biggest challenges."