"When we received the second transfer, we used $300 to clear some debt owed to is by someone who sold us a piece of land on credit terms. When we were made aware that we would be enrolled into the program and there was someone selling the piece of land, then we committed some amount that we had towards buying the piece of land. We are so happy that we now own a piece of land in addition to the one that we lived in. We feel we can even advance our agricultural activities and make more income that will henceforth improve our living standards and that of our two children. We also invested the remaining amount of $200 in livestock. We made a conscious decision to purchase a young heifer which is an additional to the one that we owned. This is a very convenient investment fir us that will also earn us profits quite easily. We will no longer have to rely on subsistence farming alone to earn a living neither will I rely on my husband who does casual jobs to earn a living as well."

"In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well in coming up with a cash transfer program in our village. Additionally, the cash being unconditional and non-refundable was such a nice idea. We had the opportunity to spend the transfer on what we choose to transform our living conditions. I am very grateful for being enrolled in the program. All the processes were open and fair, I do not see anything that did not go well."

"My husband is a butcher and I am a stay-at-home parent for our three children. The drought affected our business negatively because most of the livestock starved to death. Most of our customers narrowed down their needs to basic needs and consumption of meat was a luxury for a few. It would be expensive for my husband to lease a motorcycle and look for goats to slaughter and, with the challenges, business was on the low. As soon as we received our first transfer, we bought a secondhand motorcycle and the remaining cash was used to buy food and pay my children’s school fees. The second transfer of $430 bought two cows and one calf, which would be a lasting investment in our business. I also bought my children a bed and a mattress which was $75. The remaining cash was used to buy food, which would last us the next two weeks. I was grateful that my children were no longer sleeping on the floor."

"My biggest accomplishment is self-employment. In the next few months, I would want to put my tailoring skills into practice. My interest is specializing in tailoring classes every month. Currently, I have one student, but I intend to grow the numbers with time. The fee charged to every student will enable me to expand and buy more sewing machines and support my basic needs. This will mean so much to me because as much as I will earn from the training, it feels good to give back to the community by passing down my skills."

"My goal is in the next few months to save and clear the outstanding balance and get my certificate, which I believe could secure a teaching job in a government school. Initially, I owed the school $800, but with the funds, and the little have paid, the debt has been reduced to $450. The pay is better in a government school and the job is a permanent position that would allow me to support my husband in achieving our long-term goals. It also means that my children will be provided for."

"My most recent transfer was spent on buying bundles of zinc for the construction of my new dwelling place, and I also used some of the money to purchase food and save the balance so that when the next transfer comes I can start my construction process."

"I was really worried about paying my daughter's tuation. But with the cash transfer from GiveDirectly, I was able to pay and bought cement to improve my house which I have been my worried I am so grateful and I know that my life is improving for good."

"Buying an additional parcel of land would be my next investment in the coming years and I would also wish to build a decent house for my family. I am looking forward to realising this dream once I am recalled back to work. I believe that this would be easy to accomplish with a stable source of income."

"Raising a family of three single-handedly is the biggest challenge. We have a sickly child, which means my wife has to stay at home to look after him while I fend for the family. I work as a tout at the nearest town earning $5 a day. This amount is unreliable as it is seasonal and I hardly save any for future use. All of it goes into purchasing food and medication for my child. Living like this makes me sad but I am hoping to change my life for the better in future."

"My ambition would be to purchase a parcel of land. I am optimistic that with hard work and determination I would be able to raise money from my business to realise this dream. Above all, I am grateful for the support that amazingly lifted my living standards."