"As a family of 12, we are facing significant challenges, particularly related to food insecurity and school fees. Due to our large family size, providing quality education and ensuring an adequate food supply are ongoing struggles. The recent failure of the short rains from April to June 2024 has exacerbated our difficulties. We heavily invested in agriculture, allocating resources to cultivate over 6 acres of land for $200. Unfortunately, our investment did not yield the expected results, as we only managed to harvest a single bag of 25 kg. This setback was particularly disheartening, as we had hoped that agricultural production would alleviate our reliance on expensive food purchases from retail shops. Given the size of our family, purchasing food from retail stores is financially burdensome. We typically require 4kgs of maize flour daily, solely for lunch and supper. Despite my husband's occupation as a carpenter, the income he generates from his work is insufficient to meet the needs of our family. As a result, we often seek additional employment through casual labor within our village to supplement our income. Education is another area of concern for our family. With four children currently pursuing a college education and the rest attending primary school, our family relies solely on my husband's income to cover all educational expenses. This makes the financial strain even more challenging to manage."

"My husband, now 70 years old, has experienced a significant decline in health over recent years. His age and deteriorating health have rendered him unable to engage in any economic activities or contribute to our household's financial needs. This has placed the entire burden of supporting our family squarely on my shoulders. To make ends meet, I have taken up charcoal burning as a means of livelihood. This work is not only physically exhausting but also poses serious health risks. I am currently suffering from chest problems, which I believe are related to the prolonged exposure to smoke and pollutants from the charcoal burning process. Despite these health challenges, I have no alternative but to continue with this work to provide for my family. Our four children are still in school, and the financial strain is affecting their education. We struggle to provide them with basic necessities, including nutritious food, which is becoming increasingly scarce. The situation is dire, and I am deeply concerned about the long-term impact on their well-being and academic progress."

"My name is Kazungu Mae, and I am 83 years old. For the past six years, I have been navigating life alone after my wife left. This solitude has been compounded by a kidney problem that has plagued me for quite some time. It wasn't until April of this year that I discovered the issue was due to kidney stones. The financial burden of the required operation is beyond my means, leaving me in a precarious situation. Living alone presents daily challenges. I struggle with managing household chores and, at times, even the basics of daily living become overwhelming. My financial constraints often limit me to just one meal a day, which makes maintaining my health even more difficult. Each day, I face the challenge of balancing my health needs with the limited resources available to me. Despite these hardships, I strive to manage as best as I can, but the strain of living with such challenges is an ongoing struggle."

"By the time my husband passed away, I was a full-time housewife, relying on him as the family's breadwinner. His death turned my life upside down. Shortly after, my youngest child, who had just gotten a job, bought me a maize flour milling machine to help me stay active and earn an income. Unfortunately, last year the machine broke down, and I haven't been able to fix it. This setback has left me in a similar position to where I was before, and financial constraints remain the biggest challenge I am facing."

"I live in a three-roomed house with my family. The house is semipermanent with a muddy wall. The challenge is that all the poles that were used to build the house were damaged by termites and the walls are now weak. Whenever it rains with lots of wind the family moves out of the house till the rain ceases. This is because the house can be brought down by the strong winds due to the weak walls. The house has been in this state for two years now."

"My name is Kache Kenga Ngala, and I am 77 years old.For most of my life, I was blessed with a family that provided companionship and support. I had one daughter, who, though she was my only child, brought great joy into my life. Now, however, she is married and has established her own family, which has left me living alone. This transition has been particularly challenging for me, especially given my age. Each day, I find myself grappling with tasks that have become increasingly difficult due to my advancing years. My daily routine is a strenuous one, as I must manage all activities by myself. From dawn to dusk, I engage in the demanding work of farming, tending to the land and the crops that are crucial for my sustenance. This physical labor, while once manageable, now leaves me feeling exhausted and worn out. In addition to farming, I am responsible for all aspects of cooking and maintaining the household. The process of preparing meals, managing the household chores, and taking care of my personal needs is overwhelming. The exhaustion from these activities makes each night difficult, and I often go to bed feeling physically drained and mentally weary. These challenges are not merely about physical exertion; they also impact my overall well-being and quality of life. My age and the burden of managing everything on my own have taken a significant toll on me"

"Relying solely on subsistence farming due to unpredictable rainfall has caused me immense stress throughout my life. I have been contemplating the idea of starting a small high-quality chicken farm to increase my income, but I have been unsuccessful. Acquiring 34000 shillings to initiate the business has been a nightmare for me. I am truly struggling to provide for my family of four, and there are times when we go to bed without food. At 70 years old, I have lost hope that things will ever improve, and my health is deteriorating due to the lack of balanced nutrition. My family has become a burden to me."

"Lack of investment is a a challenge I am facing in life. What I earn from my daily activities is a hand to mouth kind of. This has made my son stay home for the second year now. He was supposed to join college last year but he failed due to lack of money. His certificates are still at Magogoni secondary due to fees balance of $40. His colleagues joined college and they are doing well. Their parents have cows and goats and used that to get school fees for their children."

"We are a small family of three which faces daily struggles that seem insurmountable. Festus Mumba, my husband, is a tuktuk driver who tirelessly navigates the bustling streets of Mombasa. Despite his hard work, his earnings amount to a meager $18 each month. For many, this may seem like a modest sum, but for my family, it represents the thin line between survival and despair. As the wife, I'm left with a crucial role of managing the household with relentless determination. Our one-year-old child, who should be in a phase of joyous discovery, is growing up amidst severe financial constraints. I'm faced with the monumental task of stretching that $18 to cover not only our daily needs but also the necessities for our infant—a challenge that seems nearly impossible. In a village where the cost of living is perpetually on the rise, every cent counts. Thos situation finds me constantly juggling bills, attempting to prioritize our limited resources. The price of food, healthcare, and other essentials continues to climb, leaving little room for flexibility in our budget. My days are marked by an exhausting routine of searching for the cheapest food options, often settling for meager portions that barely provide enough nutrition.I meticulously plans each meal to ensure that my child receives the minimum required sustenance. This often means sacrificing my own needs and those of my husband to ensure our child has enough to eat. Healthcare is another enormous challenge. The family’s financial situation limits our ability to access even basic medical care. With our child’s health being a top priority, i always make heart-wrenching decisions—opting for home remedies over professional medical advice due to the prohibitive costs of healthcare"

"The challenge that I am currently facing is food insecurity. I depend on crop production for a living. Last season long rains were not adequate and consequently all plants dried up. Due to this, it has been hard to put food on the table for my family of 4 The second one is lack of money to take my son to College. He completed his secondary school education the previous year and it has been his dream to persue a course in Community Health and Development. He is now forced to do casual jobs such as motorcycle riding inorder to make his ends meet. Besides, he does the work in a shift with his friends because he does not have his own motorbike. He gets around $3 a day which is not sustainable for his college expenses."