"Since my husband passed on in 2016, I was left to take care of four children. All my children still depend on me and since stopped doing my business of selling food in schools because I developed high blood pressure, I had to depend on my eldest son who depends on casual jobs. This situation forced my daughter to get married early before going to college. It saddens me knowing that there is little I can do to help them."

"My parents are dependent on me. I am an only child. Whenever I step out of the compound to go work in the motorbike business, I have to remind myself that I have two families to feed. My own as well as my parents. That means I have to work extra hard to make ends meet. I am deep in debt. I took a motorbike on loan, I have to pay 2,817KES per week. Between raising money to pay off this loan and feeding my people, I'm left with no money. I feel like this burden has become too heavy and I do not know how to lighten it."

"For five years now, my stomach feels like it burns. Upon visiting various doctors, they all diagnose me with ulcers. My family has been unable to raise enough money for proper treatment. I need to take a few tests like endoscopy but finances have been the biggest constraint. With help from Give Directly, my husband and I will raise the required fees for the hospital and I hope to get good drugs and get it over with."

"I am jobless. With four mouths to feed, the money I make from making mats is not enough to sustain us. If I could find a farming job even outside Kilifi county, I would gladly take it. The drought situation at home is biting hard, as a man it hurts me to see my family suffer this much for a meal a day."

"I am a very old woman, because of my old age I am not able to work so I depend on my children to take care of me. Depending on them has not been easy because they also have families to take care of. For this reason, I plan to save money and buy 2 cows that will help me to plow my farm and also use them for hire to make money. Receiving this money means being independent."

"My husband depends on casual jobs to pay school fees for our children and I sell fish where I make 150 KES daily to feed my family. The money we both make is not enough to support our five children in food and education. My children are currently still at home due to a lack of money to pay their school fees. The fees arrears are amounting to 15,000 KES that I am supposed to pay before they report back to school. It is frustrating when my children are still at home while others are continuing with the syllabus."

"Would wish to venture into goat keeping. With KES 3000, I will be able to buy a goat each month. Since I work as a Boda Boda rider within the village, I have ample time to take care of them without seeking the help of an employed shepherd."

"Am a visionary youth. I have been partly supporting my education through chicken rearing. I currently have twenty chickens. Through GD transfers, I will construct a permanent and spacious structure for the kitchen as well as supply them with modern chicken feeds."

"Am stressed by the lack of money in my family. Am in my final year of secondary education. I have spent half of the current term at home and I have no hope of going back to school. I spend most of my time in meditation, sometimes losing appetite for food."

"Five years after my retirement as a teacher, I have not been able to get my pension. I have five children who are still under my care with two in primary and secondary schools. Being jobless, I depend on bursaries to pay school fees. Right now I have fee arrears of KES 17000 for my secondary schoolboy."