"Financial constraints is the biggest challenge I am facing. My husband works as a casual labor and earns $5 in a day. I depend on substance farming but it has also been affected by prolonged drought. The earns are not enough to sustain all our needs such as school fees and this affected my children education because most of the time are at home."

"Financial constraints is the biggest challenge I am currently facing. I used to operate a business ( selling beauty products)which was an additional source of income but later it collapsed. Since then, life has never been the same because we rely on my husband alone. His salary is not enough to cater for all the basic needs such as school fees. My firstborn is in university and 2 are in secondary school."

"Being a widow is an experience that has forced me to live a very desperate life with my family of 3. The jobs that are available in our community are strenuous and require a lot of energy. These include charcoal burning, seeking casual jobs in neighbours' farms among others. The payments from these activities are very low, usually $5 in a day. It's worse when I have to focus on charcoal work since it takes me three days to make the $5. Considering this little income, meeting our very basic needs is a challenge and the most affected sector is the education of my children. This pains me most and I usually feel, the lack of a reliable source of income as my biggest challenge."

"In the coming year and beyond, with the support from GiveDirectly, I have a vision of acquiring a second plowing ox. Currently, I only have one, and to effectively plow my fields, I need a pair. My journey to this goal will be gradual, as I save bit by bit from the funds I receive. This second ox is not just a luxury; it's a necessity. Without it, I cannot fully engage in farming, which is the cornerstone of my livelihood. With two oxen, my fields will be plowed more efficiently, boosting my harvests and ensuring my family is well-fed and secure. Beyond that, the second ox will open new opportunities for me. I plan to offer plowing services to other farmers, which will generate additional income and help strengthen our community’s agricultural productivity."

"As a mother of seven children, my biggest challenge lies in the struggle to afford the school fees required for my children's education. Despite my husband being a hardworking plumber and my own efforts, we still find it difficult to meet the financial demands of our children's education. Each term, we are faced with the daunting task of coming up with over $750 to cover the educational costs for our children - one in college, two in secondary school, and four in primary school. This ongoing financial strain has had a significant impact on our way of life, forcing us to constantly devise new strategies to make ends meet. As a result, my personal development has been put on hold as I try to juggle our family's financial responsibilities with other pressing needs."

"Being a mother of a differently abled child is stressful and challenging most of the time because he requires special care. My prayer has always been that he will be able to walk and talk like other children his age. I have been taking him to KEMRI for physiotherapy for the past 2.5 years to help him walk again, but financial constraints have been my main obstacle. Due to financial constraints, I have not been consistent in taking care of him, which is why it has taken him this long to recover. I need to pay $13 for transportation and a hospital visit every other week."

"A reliable source of income is the challenge I am currently facing in life. I started a small business selling fish in the village and it is now three months old. The business has a capital of $10 and it has not generated profit yet. My husband works as a casual laborer at Mombasa . His income caters for food only since he does not secure a job every day. The financial instability has affected my family thus we lack bedding. I sleep on the floor and during the rainy season there are a lot of snakes and other moving animals ."

"GiveDirectly's approach is amazing. The community meeting organized before enlightened us about the organization and its source of finances. During enrollment, we were informed in advance about the transfer amounts and dates, which gave me hope and allowed for early budgeting. The officers were respectful, and the unconditional money gave me the freedom to plan with my family based on our needs. I am happy with everything; all promises were kept. The approach is unique and the best, and I hope you continue with the same method as you touch more lives."

"Receiving the cash transfer has truly been a blessing for my family. The first thing I did was buy six quality iron sheets and some roofing nails for $100 to repair our roof which was very old and leaked whenever it rained, causing a lot of discomfort and damage inside the house. Now, with the new iron sheets, we no longer have to worry about water seeping in during the rainy season.I also invested $320 in purchasing posts to build a latrine. This was a significant upgrade for us, as having a proper latrine improves sanitation and overall health for my family. Additionally, I spent $100 on buying goats which represent a form of savings for the future. Furthermore, I bought a second-hand bed and mattress for $70 because the old bed frame we had was unstable and uncomfortable, reducing our sleep quality. Lastly, I used $150 to pay school fees for my three children, two in secondary school and one in primary school. Prior to this, I had been doing casual labor to raise money for their education, which was always a struggle. With the school fees now paid, my children can focus on their studies without the constant fear of being sent home for unpaid fees."

"The biggest difference in my life since I started receiving transfers is that I no longer worry constantly about finding food for my family. With the GD transfer, I was able to buy a sack of maize, ensuring we can now eat three meals a day. I know this will last us until we receive the next transfer. Before this, I struggled to find casual work, which was not always guaranteed. Often, I could not find any work, leaving my family hungry and dependent on just one meal a day. This situation used to stress me out a lot, especially seeing my children go hungry and feel helpless because I could not provide for them."