"I have four children. Two of my children are going into grade 1, one is in grade 4 and another is headed to grade 9. I am a single mother as I lost my husband during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was the sole breadwinner working as a houseboy in an copmound owned by an Asian. She lost her husband during Covid period. He was working as a gardener in someone's home. She hopes to be able to educate her children courtesy of the Givedirectly tansfers that she has recieved and will be receiving from Givedirectly."

"Food security is our biggest challenge in this village. I was married in May this year to my husband who's a mason just working right here in the village. He normally makes around $8 daily whenever he manages to get a job. We only have one child right now to take care of so most of our income is spent on food and outfit. But the challenge is that he doesn't get job so often and so I had to start a business to ensure our child doesn't go hungry. I have been hawking some pastries in the village earning me around $3 daily that has been handy in supplementing his income."

"Lack of reliable sources of income. My husband is a motorcycle taxi rider at the nearest shopping center. He bought a motorcycle on loan from a particular credit company to be repaid weekly at $24 after giving a deposit of $250. The total amount should be $2300 when it's all paid. This is around 170% of the actual value. Personally, I involve mostly in burning and selling charcoal which can only buy is food. It's been tough times for us repaying the loan and trying to pay other bills. This has led to a lot of instances of my children staying out of school because of school fees areas. I have two children in grade school paying termly fees of $30 together."

"My future shattered when I dropped out of school for lack of school fees. I was forced to do casual jobs to earn a living for my family of five.Since then, life has been difficult because on most days I cannot buy food for my family. My children sometime go to school without taking breakfast also missing out on classes due to hunger. This has affected my self esteem as a parent and it saddens me when I cannot provide all the basic needs for them. I believe if I had a stable source of income, they would be living a comfortable life."

"My biggest challenge is unreliable sources of income. I dependent mostly on subsistence farming but because this is also seasonal given the arid climatic conditions over here, I have a business selling piped water. Averagely this business earns me up to $30 monthly but still I have challenges with perennial outages and the fact that during rainy seasons most villagers prefer to get water from free water sources like water pans. Sometimes water outages can last up to a whole month that I just have to sell my chicken to be able to pay the fixed charges amounting to $5 monthly."

"In my opinion, Give directly has done well to enroll our village which has many poor families. The support funds have ensured that the children are back in school and most of the families without homes have built their own homes. Our area had water issues. The funds have helped most people install water meters and tap water in their compounds, others bought water tanks, which have enabled them to collect and store water during this rainy season. There is nothing that can be measured on the impact of the unconditional funds received from GiveDirectly."

"I would like to complete the flooring of the house. After completing the window panes and installing plywood, I left the floor unattended. With an infant, this is important because the dust would affect her. I plan to sell a few bags of maize from our farm in the coming season and start on the flooring project, which is about $600. We looking at completing the project before the next planting season."

"My husband is unemployed, and we are both peasant farmers who mainly depend on planting maize and beans. At the time I got enrolled, the village had experienced drought and famine, which made food to be costly, and we had to look for alternatives to survive. My husband would work on construction sites which pay as little as $3, which is not enough for a family of six members. My first transfer was used to start a second-hand clothing business, and I paid the remaining amount for my children’s school fees and food. The second transfer of $300 was used to build a two-roomed house which was an improvement of our old house from a thatched roof to an iron roof and using cement to hold firm the foundation of the house. Food was a major challenge and used $140 on food that would last the family for another two months as my husband desperately looked for a job. I used the remaining cash of $90 to buy three goats, which I intend to keep and sell in the future."

"The transfers have brought a big difference in my life. I have lived with frustrations on how to support my family. My family used to live in a thatched house that was almost collapsing, but the funds have improved my living standard and I could afford to build a two-roomed house. Food was a major challenge, and the funds helped me manage the issue for a few months as I embarked on my usual job. I am grateful because, with the goats that I bought, I can still open up a business that will support my family."

"GiveDirectly ensured that the enrollment process was transparent and that everyone in the village who met their eligibility requirements had a fair chance of being chosen. Despite the fact that many people wanted to give them advice, they stuck to their plan and ensured they verified everything themselves in every household. They also gained our respect because they were professional and did not waste time after work. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for giving me such a large sum for the first time and allowing me to choose how to spend it. We realized at the end of the program that some people who we thought deserved help were excluded due to the strict criteria that was used. It is my hope that GiveDirectly will consider visiting our villages to confirm their concerns in the few households that were excluded."