"One morning when I woke up, I saw a message on my phone showing I had received money from GiveDirectly, and I couldn’t believe it at first—I had to read it twice to be sure! I felt this wave of happiness wash over me, and the first thing I did was tell my wife, who broke into a big smile as soon as I shared the news. She was just as excited as I was because, finally, we could begin working on the house we’d been dreaming about for so long. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off our shoulders, and at that moment, we knew things were about to change for the better."

"I woke up that morning and realized my phone had run out of charge, so I plugged it in and switched it on around 9 a.m. That’s when I saw the message—money from GiveDirectly had been sent! I couldn’t believe it; I was so happy. The first thing I did was try to call my wife to share the news, but her phone was off, so I had to wait until I got home. When I finally told her, she lit up with joy. We had already discussed how we’d use any money that came our way—paying the children’s school fees and buying enough food for the house. This was going to make a real difference for us."

"For this year and the years to come, my wish is to get married and have a wedding, and I believe this will be possible if my farming succeeds. I’m hopeful because I’ve already leased land in the Parkera Irrigation Scheme, where I plan to grow maize. The thought of everything coming together fills me with satisfaction and joy, as marriage and family are highly valued and respected in my culture. In our society, staying single is not seen as ideal, and having a family is a sign of honor and respect. That’s why I’m determined to do everything I can to get married and have a wedding, fulfilling this important cultural expectation."

"Recently, I received $450 from GiveDirectly, and as a single mother of two children, I was thrilled and grateful. I knew I had to make smart decisions to secure my children's future. With this money, I spent $370 to buy a plot of land in a safe area, far from the risk of floods. In the past, we lived at my family's home, but I didn’t want to burden anyone with my children. This is why I decided to buy the plot, so my children can have a place of their own. With the remaining $80, I bought two goats, which will help generate income. I plan to raise these goats and sell them for my children's school fees. This will make things more sustainable, providing us with a steady source of income. I'm thankful for the support, as it has allowed me to take steps toward building a secure and independent future for my family."

"I am really struggling right now because I do not have an income-generating activity. I have to rely on my husband, who is an electrician, but he is currently not employed and only gets calls for work occasionally. On a good week, he might do one job, and that income barely covers school fees and food for our family of five. On the days when there is no work, it is incredibly stressful not knowing where our next meal will come from. Casual jobs on the other hand are unpredictable as they are occasional so I cannot always rely on them."

"Our village is heavily affected by the long drought period, and it's majorly rocky. Planting crops for food is a challenge. They dry due to the scorching sun and hot climate. We only depend on casual jobs for a living, which are also hard to get. If successful, the pay is low. I'm paid $2 per day. It can hardly meet our daily food needs. This has affected my ability to provide consistent food. We sometimes only have one meal a day."

"The quick deterioration in my health is the greatest challenge am currently facing. It was in the year 2020 when I started feeling pain in my waist and leg joints, on visiting the Marigat District hospital the doctors discovered that I had diabetes coupled with the weakening of joints due to high levels of florides in the body .The high florides level has been caused by the Lake Baringo water we have been using since our childhood.Since the onset of these joint pains I have been unable to vend for myself and my grandchildren because movement from one place to another is now a challenge to me .I stopped selling tea, porridge and Sweet potatoes around the construction sites in the village because I cannot not walk well .To make matters worst I still have to endure the pain for a lifetime because the doctors have said there is no remedy to this condition."

"Diabetes, as powerful and invincible as it may seem, is a mere fraction of a person's life. In the year 2016, our third born son was diagnosed with diabetes. We have been in and out of hospital for medication which has drained us financially. Being a university student, a forth year to be specific, has catapulted our financial constrains as we depend on livestock for upkeep which has proven to be an almost futile source of income during this time of drought. Getting this transfer will play a major role in meeting his medical expenses and part of it, we will pay for his education. I believe this will give him emotional and mental strength to escape interruption and continue living a normal life."

"Financial constraints are the biggest challenge at the moment. I lost my job in 2017 and since then, I depend on the honey business to earn a living. Recently ,the supply has gone down hence affecting my income greatly forcing me to compliment the charcoal business which is also costly to operate. The income is not enough to meet the basic needs of my family as opposed to if I had a stable source of income."

"Since my separation from my spouse about 5 years ago, my life has never been the same. Currently, I fend for my 3 children whom I live with. This is challenging for me because I don't have a permanent job and I only depend on casual work which is not enough fore to cater for all my household needs."