"It has been a challenge getting food to eat. I am a farmer, the past year has been hard due to no rainfall. We were lucky that it rained for a few weeks in December and were able to plant some cassava. I live from hand to month and most days I rely on one meal a day. I live with my son who burns charcoal for a living. His income is not consistent and the little he gets he has to share with his family and me."

"Receiving this money means that I will be empowered financially and be able to buy a dairy goat. I have always desired to buy one so as to be sufficient in milk productivity for household consumption. The cow I have hardly produce enough milk since it is an indigenous one. It is also alot of work to feed it unlike a dairy goat that is not labour intensive. At my old age I do not have the energy to feed the cow and as such I prefer a dairy goat. Goat milk are also highly nutritious ,they also multiply very fast. I intend to use KES 10000 to purchase one and use the rest to put tiles on the floor and do painting on my house."

"I am a farmer, my husband works as a driver, together we are blessed with one child, I had a dream of pursuing my education further, but I never had the funds due to financial constraints, at some point, I thought that all was lost, but when GiveDirecctly visited our home and promised us of the unconditional transfer, I saw it as the only opportunity of furthering my education, therefore I used KES 34,000 to enrol in a course, I then used the remaining part of the transfer in buying foodstuffs and other household items. I am happy and relieved that finally, I will be able to follow my dreams."

"In the year 2019, I fell sick and was taken to Tenwek hospital where I underwent an operation. Due to the expensive nature of this treatment, my husband sold all the assets including livestock and a portion of land to raise more than KES 150000 that was required before the operation could begin. As we talk my family is financially drained and nothing seems to be working. I feel like I am the cause of all this because had I not gotten sick my family would not be in this state. I am yet to fully recover because I still go for regular checks and my doctor has warned me not to engage in any activity that is energy-draining"

"Give directly does well in giving cash which has really helped me improve my livelihood. There is nothing that give directly did not do well"

"I used the money to buy 5 bags of cement, window and door frames, 32 window glasses, 2 doors and 5 bags of maize. I also paid labourers who constructed my house"

"My husband is a motorcycle operator of which he is employed to operate the motorbike. I have been living a destitute life for the passed 3 years without any business, depending on my husband for almost everything in my house. I have not made any step in development. I have been thinking of raising capital to do a business of selling smoked fish and vegetables but I was not able because raising the capital (KES 30,0000) was not easy . Receiving this first transfer will mark my start of opening my business I have dreamed to have in life. I will assist my husband on meeting a our domestic needs in our house and will be saving my profits because I have 2 children who are growing and they will need excellent education and a better life.I need to build the future for my children."

"A house which has no stable income generating activity is a house with many challenges . Food insecurity is the greatest challenge in my house. Raising school fees for my son who is in secondary school also has been a challenge of which if it were not for my elder son who is a motorcycle business operator, my son's education could have been paralysed.I have more than 3 years in my house without buying new clothes because whenever I get little money, it either goes to school or goes to meet food budget for my family."

"I earn KES 4000 from the casual work I do at the quarry. I spend this money on all the necessities of my household which consists of 3 members. Due to my old age, I do not go to work consistently because the job is cumbersome and therefore I need some days to rest. As a result, the proceeds are not sustainable hence financial instability is still the major challenge that my family experiences. Since the demise of my husband ten years ago, I have always been struggling to make ends meet. The house is leaking during the rainy season and sometimes I seek accommodation from relatives which is shameful."

"We own only one cow at the moment which doesn't produce much milk to sustain us. I have been wishing to purchase one more cow mainly for milk production, which will not only feed my family but also give me an income through the sale of milk. I plan to use KES 30,000 for this. Receiving this money, therefore, means my family will be well-fed and I will not strain much financially. The rest I plan to build a house for my young son who graduated to manhood two months ago and as culture dictates, he should have his own separate house."