"Chamawa village has never received rain for the last three years. This has caused drought and famine. The community walks for almost 10km looking for water from the water pan. One plastic cost $.0.5 for the water pan. I use $3 every day for water expenses. I was family clothes once a month due to lack of water. This is an abnormal behavior but due to the water shorted I have adopted it."

"I have a family of ten with two children at secondary school and six at primary level. I do a casual job making charcoal for sale which is tedious. In a month I sell approximately 10 bags at $ 6 each. This gives an income of $60. The two children at secondary each have a school fees balance of $420 and 200 respectively. The duo are at home now due to a lack of fees. The money I get from my work caters for food only. So lack of reliable sources of income is the current challenge I am facing."

"The main challenge that I am currently facing is related to the land that I am currently living on. Since I am a single lady, my brothers believe that I am not entitled to inherit this property from our parents. They have been threatening to burn down my house and they sometimes beat up my children for nothing. I am worried that someday they might as well kill or maim my children. I wish I could give them their space and settle somewhere else where I can have the peace of mind that I deserve. My children also will stop living in fear and have some freedom."

"I am currently experiencing challenges with my business and also my health. My business was doing so well before the 2020 covid pandemic but it seems like the pandemic eroded my customer base. During that time my monthly profits could amount to $120 monthly. At the moment making a profit of $30 is pure luck. I have also been asthmatic and the condition has been deteriorating for the last year. I think this has partly contributed to the downfall of my business since I can't stay until late at night because of the extreme cold which may worsen the situation."

"I have subdivided my farm among my 4 sons as culture demands leaving just an acre for my use. This has affected farming activities because now I have a small portion left. I do not have surplus milk for sale because I had to reduce the number of cows I had from 12 to 2. This has subjected my family to a financial crisis that I have never seen since I was born. At my age, I cannot do casual jobs like young people and I have to adapt to the new norm."

"I work as a masonry helper on construction sites here in the village where I earn $4 per day. I am the sole breadwinner in the household because my wife is still a student and cannot engage in any economic activity. My two children are in school and I am required to pay $30 every term toward their school fees. I also pay $150 every term for my wife. I am in a financial crisis and I am just surviving by God's grace. I do not remember the last time I bought myself or my children a new pair of clothes because I live from hand to mouth."

"I don't have land where I can dig and grow my crops so that I can avail food for my family to eat. Also it is hard to get food to feed the whole family since my husband is not around so I have to budget with the small money he sends us. He may send us about $20 to spend for a month as he is still looking for more money."

"My biggest challenge is poverty as I lack enough food to eat and even money to get medication. Also water is always comes from the ground to enter my house especially when it is raining. My garden was also destroyed found in nahatore village in bulucheke subcounty in 2021."

""One morning while lying in bed, I heard people shouting that the GiveDirectly money was on their phones. My son ran to me and said "mother! the GiveDirectly money is here". I was very much excited upon hearing this news because, as an old woman who does not have a good house and a good business, I am about to havee a house of my own and increase in my business. I was overly happy and the first thought I had was to begin the process of building my own house and to improve my small business which is collapsing already. This old house is almost falling and nothing will make me more happy than to have a house of my own"."

"Currently I only have one challenge and that is poor housing. This house I am staying in is small for me and my grandchild and it leaks whenever it rains. This brings me discomfort and unease. I constantly have to move things around so that they don't get soaked."