"I hope to start a dry-maize business in the nearby shopping center in the coming year. The majority of people in the immediate community do not plant maize on their farms; instead, they focus on short-season crops that thrive in the short rains. They intend to sell the produce and use the proceeds to purchase maize flour. Providing and selling maize fills the gap because they will no longer have to walk long distances to find maize. I intend to source from farmers in the following counties who grow maize on a large scale. I am currently in constant contact with a friend in Narok County and my sister in Nakuru County, both of whom provide me with real-time market prices for dry maize grains. I have been a member of 18-member actively participating village savings group, where each person saves $12 per month and requests a withdrawal when a need arises. It is a relief that I will receive my share early next year, which I will use to purchase the initial stock."

"I am always excited at the prospect of one day possibly starting my own retail business selling food stuff. Flour, salt, cereals, toiletries, etc. I believe the extra cash would put me in a better position to secure my kids' futures."

"I was at one point the one handling the school fees and other expenses. Inflation has hit my husband's business and were it not for GiveDirectly stepping in when they did, I would have been lost. GiveDirectly are best at making the dreams of their recipients a reality. All I would ask is for them to continue to bless recipients for years to come"

"I received the transfers from GiveDirectly and proceeded some sheep to breed. I bought four and they gave birth , though 2 of them died. I also stocked up on food by purchasing 3 sacks of maize, as well as other dry foods. A mattress was also purchased, and some repairs commissioned on the house. The roof was in bad shape and we also found a way to plaster the house floor with the money as well. Receiving the funds from GiveDirectly was the best part of an otherwise very difficult time. My wife had gone back to her maternal home since I had not completed the dowry payments, and with her took our 2 children. The eldest had just completed her Class 8, , while the youngest is 6 months old. I have been cultivating our 2 acre farm and growing cassava and maize. The drought really affected the maize, hence why I resorted to buying. GiveDirectly helped me find the physical and emotional strength to soldier on by the positive injection of funds into my life. I'm eternally indebted."

"Maize and cassava farming has been my main job, with the occasional casual job on construction sites, for a while now. So you can imagine the boost that GiveDirectly gave me in achieving my goals by sending me the transfers. I started building a 3-bedroom house when I received the first transfer and completed it with the second. Food was also on the purchase list, but the majority went to school fees. I sent my child to college. Between what my wife makes selling omena and mandazi at her kibanda and what I manage to scrape together, we would have been unable to pay for the college course my 3rd child is taking hairdressing course and for which we are paying $80 a year. She lives in Munaranii, where she goes to school. We have another who just completed class 8, two in grade 3, one in grade 2, and the last born is yet to start school. Their tuitions are $10, $8 each for the two in the same grade, and $5 for the youngest in school, respectively. My first two kids are looking for jobs, meaning we would have had no one to assist us financially to cover these expenses were it not for GiveDirectly stepping in. They truly have changed our lives for the better."

"The transfers from GiveDirectly gave me a chance to finally build a 2 bedroom house for myself. I put a roof on it as well, which is a true luxury in these parts. Prior to that, I had been living in a mud walled ,1 bedroom with my wife, while the kids live with their big brother in another mud walled 2 bedroom house . I have 9 kids, 2 girls and 7 boys. The girls are both married and living with their husbands, while of the boys, one finished form 4, two of them are going to form 4 and 2 respectively, while the rest are trying to find jobs in Mombasa and Malindi . As a 68 year old masonry retiree, it has been 10 years since I was working and my 48 year old wife and I mainly provide for ourselves by tilling our 10 acre farm on which we grow maize, beans and greens for our consumption Hence GiveDirectly sending us the funds was the only way I could pay for the $170 and $452.25 in tuition fees at both Msengo and Godoma Schools, for my kids. These funds were truly a blessing to me and my household."

"I'm a charcoal seller and sometimes , I also sell alcohol . I'm the sole bread winner for my family . Actually I'm not married , so my family is made of my child and I . When I received this money I was so happy because I knew that I would finally solve most of my problems. I have always wished to venture in livestock keeping because they will give birth and I can later sell them to pay school fees for my child . So I spent $160 on four goats . I also had less water storage containers and this would make me suffer during drought . So I wanted to fully secure my water storage capacity . I bought a big water tank worth $120 . Previously , I used to sleep on a rope bed and a mat , and sleeping was so uncomfortable . So I bought a mattress and three bed sheets worth $75 . Getting food for us is usually a tough struggle I wanted to ensure that I buy something that would take us for a long while , hence I used $70 to buy one sac of maize flour . I also spent $15 on a high quality thermos which I now used to keep our tea home. Even when my child wakes up in the morning , I do not have to strain preparing tea that early , because we use the tea I had prepared the previous evening and stored in the thermos . I have saved $15 which I'm planning to buy a beautiful 'Christmas dress' for my child (a dress specifically worn on December 25th) . I'm spending the rest of the money on food items ."

"Being a subsistence farmer in an area where drought can persist for a whole year means a lot of stress. I am currently depending on my husband who is a security guard and his monthly income is $80, an income that can not fully cater to all our basic needs like food and school fees. This means we sometimes survive on one meal a day and my children have frequently missed classes, a situation that has directly affected their performances. Therefore, I consider the financial crisis as my biggest challenge."

"Taking care of my family of 11 members is a big burden to me because it requires a lot of effort to provide all the basic needs. Considering the nature of jobs in our area being casual and energy-intensive, my charcoal and manganese work never earn me much, usually $40 per month. This means my husband also have to go extra mile in his casual jobs to supplement the income. Due to this challenge, my children have been missing classes and forfeiting some meals, a situation that has affected their studies. Therefore, I consider financial instability as my biggest challenge."

"Lack of a stable source of income is the biggest challenge that I am currently facing. At the moment, I do some casual jobs such as laundry services for my neighbor who pays me utmost $3, which is not on a daily basis. This means on some days, I stay idle at home and depend on my husband who works as a taxi driver. Since his income is also not reliable, I sometimes feel so bad seeing my children forfeiting meals on some days, a situation that has robbed away my joy as a mother."