"I am currently in secondary school doing my third year, my dream is to attend college after completing my secondary education. To achieve this goal, I need to use my transfers wisely as they will soon come to an end. I have managed to join a merry-go-round group where I save $20 every month. Receiving support from GiveDirectly has been a life-changing blessing for me and my family, allowing me to dream bigger and plan for a brighter future. My ultimate goal is to maintain my poultry farming. I am glad to say that I currently have 30 healthy chicks, and in the coming year, I hope to expand my poultry farm. With this growing flock, I envision building a thriving business that will sustain my family by providing fresh eggs and meat for sale. Once my flock reaches fifty, I will start selling them. The income I generate from this will be used to buy goats. I decided on goats because I will need some of them in the future in case I need money to support myself, my family, and to pay my college fees. Additionally, we experience frequent droughts in our area, and goats survive well in dry areas. Therefore, in the coming year, I want to focus on poultry and goat rearing project."

"For many years, my husband and I relied on casual jobs to ensure our two children could attend school, and sometimes we had to fundraise to cover their fees. We also depended on these jobs to put food on the table. For the first time, after receiving GiveDirectly's first transfer, we were able to pay our daughter's high school fees and buy food without relying on casual labor. We even managed to take a week off from work, which was a meaningful relief for us. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for your support."

"With about an acre of maize ready for harvest, I decided to buy 20 bags for storage at $6 each. We were harvesting as a family due to a lack of capital. As soon as I received the money, I hired workers to help with the harvest, which cost about $9. Afterward, I transported the maize to a drying area, which cost me $18. Unfortunately, I experienced low yields and lost some of the maize to floods, resulting in losses from about an acre. Determined not to give up on crop farming, I decided to try again. I spent $77 on land preparation and $11 on vegetable and green gram seeds, and we planted as a family to cut costs. Additionally, I bought a flask for $5 since I had been using a plastic jug to serve tea at home. My daughter needed a warm jacket for the cold season, so I bought her one for $3. I also purchased shoes for her and my husband for $5. I spent $20 on food items because, despite having maize, we lacked other essentials. Since we rely on charcoal production and casual jobs, which are not reliable, I also repaired my generator, which had been damaged during the rains, at a cost of $36. Thank you, GiveDirectly."

"I was at home milking my goats when I heard a beep on my phone. I ignored it, thinking it was just a promotional message. About two hours later, my neighbor came to ask if I had received something. I asked, "What do you mean?" She replied, "Money from GiveDirectly." I hurriedly checked my phone, and, to my surprise, I had received the transfer. I was so excited! When my husband returned from the farm, I told him, and he was happy as well. We then budgeted the money and began spending it two days later."

"I drilled a borehole at home, but I don’t have the funds to pump the water yet. I plan to install solar power to operate the pump so I can use the water for crop farming and sell it to neighbors. Water is often difficult to find, especially during the dry season. I’ve already invested in storage materials and plan to add more. I will sell the water at a low price to support community members. With the income from this, combined with crop farming and my current shop business, I will create financial stability. This will help ensure that my children and my wife won’t struggle when I get married."

"Following the recent floods, our house was submerged since we lived near the lake, and the area remains completely covered by water. With my second transfer, I purchased a plot on higher ground to protect against future flooding. When I received my final transfer, I used it to build a one-room iron sheet house on the new plot, costing $270. I repurposed materials from the old, flooded house and bought additional ones, ensuring we now have a house free from floods. The floods had destroyed everything, including our bedding, bedclothes, and household items. Using the transfer, I bought a mattress for $45 and a bed for $40 for my wife and me, and another bed and mattress for the children, costing $38. I used the remaining funds to buy food. Losing my crops was devastating and made it nearly impossible to put food on the table for my family. Thanks to GiveDirectly, we were able to secure food items worth $50, which sustained us for some time."

"Before receiving my first transfer, my wife and I had already planned our budget. Buying furniture had been one of our goals for two years. We wanted to purchase a sofa set, but our reliance on crop farming proved unreliable due to frequent droughts and floods, which limited our yields and income. We had only two plastic chairs for our family of six. With the transfer, we spent $55 on a three-seater sofa set and $21 on three additional plastic chairs, giving us more than enough seating. The floods had damaged my generator, so I spent $30 to repair it. My maize, which survived the floods, was ready for harvesting, so I spent $20 on harvesting. I used the remaining money to pay off a $20 debt for food items and spent the rest on groceries. Getting food was a challenge, especially during the rainy season, as crops were destroyed and the surviving ones were difficult to harvest due to excess water. Thank you, GiveDirectly!"

"I used to own goats but lost some to disease and sold others to meet family needs. From my experience, goats multiply quickly and provide milk that I can sell to address my financial requirements. They are also easy to manage. I plan to start with about four goats: three females and one male. I am confident that as they grow, they will help me meet my financial needs in the future."

"I plan to open a retail shop in the village, taking advantage of the limited local options, as there is only one shop and people often travel far for certain items. I will continue selling my vegetables outside the shop while using the income to start crop farming in the future. This will help me achieve financial stability. With crop farming, livestock production, and the business, we will have multiple sources of income. I will also be able to support my husband as we work together to meet the needs of our children."

"The current aim is to start keeping livestock, especially goats, at my home. This will help ensure that my needs are met promptly, as this has been a challenge for me. It will also ensure that even after my transfers end, I can sell some of the goats to support my children's education expenses, as some will have transitioned to secondary school by then. I need to plan so that by the time they graduate to higher levels, I will have a substantial herd. I plan to start this goal with the small savings from my casual jobs, and I hope to achieve it by the end of this year."