"I have two acre piece of land which I cultivated this season but due to lack of water pump for irrigation I lost 1/2 of it on dry ness because iam not financially able to buy one of my own, iam relying on charcoal burning to provide food and other basic needs for my family of 5 people. This is the biggest challenge I facing because if I had water pump I could not be struggling or depend on other people for assistance."

"I am a single mother of 9 children and raising a large village like this is a great challenge because I do not have reliable source of income, I depend on farming and charcoal burning to cater for their basic needs."

"I have school going children, two children are in secondary school and one child is in junior secondary school. Iam struggling to pay their school fees because iam relying on casual labour which earns me KES 300 which is not enough to cater for my family's basic needs."

"Managing school fees for my four children is really tough for me right now. I run a small retail shop in the village, and on a good month, I earn up to $300 in profits. All of that money goes towards their school fees, but it is still not enough. Sometimes, when I cannot make ends meet, my children are sent home from school until I can pay. It breaks my heart to see them missing out on their education while their friends continue learning.When things get really tough, I have to borrow money from friends, but it is never enough to cover everything I need. I am constantly worried about how I will manage to keep them in school without falling behind on other expenses. I have been trying to budget more carefully and explore any support options available locally, but it is still a daily struggle."

"After the floods hit my village Loldama 2 months ago, our family faced significant challenges. The damp conditions led to my children developing pneumonia, and malaria spread rapidly. Moreover, due to contaminated water, they also contracted typhoid. This health crisis has been financially draining for us, with numerous hospital visits. So far, we have spent $30 on medications, funded through the sales of vegetables from our half-acre plot of land. Despite these hardships, we remain hopeful and determined to overcome this difficult period."

"Living as an internally displaced for ten year has not been easy. In 2012 I was displaced by bandits and we fled with my family only to be displaced in 2020 again by floods. It has been challenging living in people land and borrowing houses. I am hopeful that one day I will get to settle down."

"Two months ago, my house and all household items got destroyed by floods. I was forced to seek refuge a nearby shopping center temporarily and life has never been the same since then. I cannot fend for my two children by doing hard jobs because I am expecting a third child and this makes me rely on my brothers for food."

"I rely on farming to make ends meet, it's seasonality makes it difficult to stabilize financially. Raising enough money to sustain my family basic needs is hard and most of the time am forced to do casual jobs to meet the needs of my household."

"I am currently facing a major challenge due to a lack of capital to expand our farming operations. Our family relies on farming for our livelihood, but financial constraints have prevented me from diversifying our crops. Recently, we faced a setback when flash floods washed away one acre of the maize I had cultivated on our three-acre plot. I am eager to replant on this land, but without the necessary finances, it has been impossible.I am worried that this year's yields will be significantly lower than our usual 75 bags in a good season. It is frustrating to see our hard work threatened by circumstances beyond our control."

"GiveDirectly's mode of operation has been truly commendable. The community meeting (Baraza) where their officers educated us about the organization and the source of its finances was instrumental in dispelling any doubts or rumors about the legitimacy of the funds. I was particularly touched by the fact that we were not expected to offer the officers anything, including food, during the enrollment process, ensuring that we incurred no additional costs. Moreover, GiveDirectly's approach acknowledges the diversity of human needs, and the unconditional cash transfers have given me the freedom to spend the money on my priorities without any external influence. The only area of improvement I would suggest is for GiveDirectly to investigate further before making decisions, rather than solely relying on what others say about an individual, to ensure that no one who deserves the support is left behind. Overall, GiveDirectly's approach is effective and inclusive."