"I was lucky I had a permanent job in the Teacher Service Commission. I am a widow, and I thank God for the job I had since it helped me see my family through. I had decided that once I retired, I would engage in a posho mill business to earn a living. I made sure that I bought the machine and this was my happiness while I was still earning my salary. With little knowledge in business, I put up my structure in the wrong place where few villagers could access it. This has made my business standstill with the money I invested not giving me any returns. After receiving my cash transfer, I am planning to spend KES 50000 to relocate this business along the road. This will be my breakthrough to my retirement happiness. I am certain this will allow the villagers access it thus will be enjoying the returns. I am sure this will help me meet my daily basic needs and reduce the hardship of farming, especially at my old age."

"Due to limited resources, I have not been able to fully cultivate my small pieces of land. I prefer to hire it out to have liquid cash to meet my daily household needs. As a result, I have not had a good harvest for quite long. Food shortage is the current biggest challenge we are facing. Buying food every day is expensive thus most of the days we do not eat enough."

"Receiving this money means financial relief to me. I have been struggling to meet the basic needs of my family of 7 such as food,clothing and school levies. Last year in June, after working for three years as a security guard in a private firm, I lost my job because there was downsizing of employees due to COVID-19 pandemic and I had to come back home. I depend on casual jobs which is not sustainable as I earn an average of KES 150 per day. I am so excited that Give directly will help me achieve my dream of being a dairy farmer. I plan on buying two dairy cows that will be producing 10 litres per day. From this I can earn an average of KES 300 per day which will cater for my family needs and I can save up for my children school fees as one will be joining secondary school in four years time."

"We have been struggling to make ends meet through casual work and our ambition has been to have an alternative source of income. My husband is engaged in the business of buying and selling cows. The business itself is unreliable because he rarely gets one and when luck comes, he gets an estimated profit of KES 10,000 a month. That cash is not enough to cater to a family of 10 members: 3 in tertiary institutions, 1 in secondary level, and 5 in primary level. We, therefore, intend to purchase one dairy cow of approximately KES 30,000 and add to the two we have to increase milk production for sale. Our projection is to sell 10 liters of milk a day at KES 30 a liter. This will immensely contribute as an alternative source of income. I am glad that Give Directly came into our village at the hour of our need."

"Scarcity of food and drought is the biggest challenge am currently facing. Hunger has greatly affected my family in the past 5 years, this is because the staple food which is maize has been affected by pests and diseases hence resulting in poor yields. The main economic activity in this area is crop production and livestock farming and due to the poor effects of drought the crops and livestock have been unproductive.There are some days in a week when my family has had to live on one meal a day and on many occasions two meals a day because of lack of finances to buy food .The nutritional conditions of my children has deteriorated due to lack of a balanced diet.As a result, I have accrued a large debt in some of the shops in the nearby town due to the acquisition of foodstuff on credit."

"I was lying at home when the Town chief who happens to be my trustee sent for me. I reached his house and he informed me that my money has come. I was so happy. I jumped up and down for joy and also dancing."

"I have planned to invest into business and my business attention has been drown to fire coal business. I'm planning to do this coal business there is no one around my surroundings here that do such business. I don't wish for my hands to ever go dry financially anymore like what I have been passing through before the coming of Givedirectly cash transfer. I believe that my life will be very better than ever before."