"Floods have been persistent over the past four months, we have been displaced. During this period we've been forced to ask for hosting by neighbors from safer villages. Additionally, we also lost some of our household items such as utensils, beddings and ten chickens as a result. It has really made our lives hard and feeding our family is an uphill task. We depend on aid which hardly covers our needs and getting casual jobs or burning charcoal is difficult during the flood season."

"I am a retired primary school teacher and a father of five children. Two of my children have already completed their studies, while the remaining three are still in college. My most recent transfers were dedicated entirely to paying their college fees. The decision was driven by my deep belief in the power of education. I want my children to have the best opportunities in life, and ensuring they complete their studies is a critical step in that direction. Investing in their education means investing in their future. By covering their college fees, I hope to empower them to become independent and responsible individuals. I believe that a good education will provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in life. I want them to be able to stand on their own, make informed decisions, and contribute positively to society. This is why I chose to allocate the entire transfer amount to their education, as it is the most valuable gift I can give them."

"My current living situation is neither conducive nor safe, as my house is on the verge of collapsing. My greatest wish has always been to have a new, safe, two-room house where my family can sleep safely. I had already started building a house with my previous transfers, and now my focus is to make sure that it is complete. To make this dream a reality, I plan to use a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly to gradually purchase the necessary building materials and pay labor for it to be completed. By steadily investing in the construction, I am hopeful that, without any major setbacks in the near future, I will be able to complete this house and provide my family with a safe and comfortable living space. Once the house is finished, I intend to redirect a portion of the transfers to buy goats. I am hopeful that these goats will multiply and increase in number and value over time. In the future, when this program comes to an end, I want to have something valuable that I can rely on as a source of income to help me whenever needs arise and to take care of my family."

"Since I have a really particular place in my heart for livestock farming, I have always dreamed of being one. Growing older has made me realize that I won't be able to support myself just through hard labor, so I need to make sure I have a steady source of income, especially when this program ends. My plan for this year and beyond is to keep buying goats with the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly in the hopes that their number and value will grow over time. These goats will be traded for female cows, which will be essential to my dream of being a farmer. I already have a bull that I acquired from trading my goats, so getting a female cow will enable them to breed and grow in number.This growth will not only create a valuable asset for me but also provide me with financial security for the future. In addition to the financial benefits, having a female cow will also provide milk for my household, enhancing our diet with fresh, nutritious dairy. This is particularly important for my health and well-being as I age. I am committed to nurturing this dream and working towards a sustainable livelihood that will support me in my later years. With dedication and careful planning, I believe I can create a thriving livestock farm that will serve as a dependable source of income and nourishment for years to come."

"My mother has been unwell for quite some time, and her health and welfare are my top priorities right now. I plan to use the transfers that I will receive from GiveDirectly to buy her the necessary medicine and nutritious food to aid her recovery. My goal is to ensure she regains her strength and fully recovers so that I may turn back and take care of my family as well. Once she is well, I plan to redirect my focus to helping my son, who recently got married but has not paid the dowry yet since he is unemployed and struggling to raise the money. In our tradition, it is not acceptable to live with someone's daughter without fulfilling this obligation, and I, as a mother to my son, would lose respect in our society. I therefore want to earn the respect of my community and proudly call my son's wife my daughter-in-law, so I have decided to help him raise the money. I intend to save a portion of my transfers until I accumulate a substantial amount, then take it to the girl's parents to pay part of the dowry. This will not only fulfill our cultural tradition but also show my support for my son and his new family."

"With my house construction in progress, my priority is to utilize my upcoming transfers from GiveDirectly to complete the building. I plan to use a portion of these transfers to acquire a few more building materials and pay for labor, with the goal of completing the house by September this year. Once the house is finished, I will allocate a portion of the transfers to pay school fees for my children, ensuring they can continue their education without interruption and also use a portion to address the hunger issue in our region by purchasing food until we are blessed with harvests to sustain us. By strategically allocating the transfers, I aim to provide a stable home for my family, ensure my children's education is not disrupted, and mitigate the effects of hunger until our crops are ready. I am grateful for the support from GiveDirectly, which enables me to make progress on these important priorities."

"My house was blown away by strong winds that encountered our region, leaving me homeless and inneed of a new house. Currently we are living in a makeshift shelter which is not quite good for my family. I therefore have a plan of acquiring building materials to construct a new two-room house for my family. For me to achieve this, I plan to use a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly to gradually buy the necessary building materials and eventually build a new home for my family. In addition to this, I aim to acquire a substantial number of livestock, starting with chickens and goats. I hope that the chickens will multiply, allowing me to buy more goats. As the goats increase in number, I plan to trade them for a cow, which I also hope will multiply so that I can eventually sell some of these animals to help fund my children's education in the future. I believe that with the strategic use of these transfers, I can achieve my dream of having a stable home and livestock, which will serve as valuable assets, especially when this program comes to an end."

"With the roof of my house repaired, I am now focused on securing my financial sustainability, especially for the future when this program comes to an end. I have been saving my previous transfers from GiveDirectly in our local savings group, and my plan is to continue saving a portion of my future transfers so that when they mature, I can use the funds to buy goats. I am hopeful that these goats will multiply and increase in number and value, allowing me to trade them for cows in the future. I believe that the cows will also multiply and provide a substantial source of income to help address any challenges my family may face. Being a livestock farmer has always been my dream, as I believe livestock can be a significant source of wealth that will support my family when we encounter needs that require a considerable amount of money."

"Right now, I can't make any immediate plans for this year because hunger forces me to redirect almost all of my transfers from GiveDirectly to buying food, ensuring that my family does not go hungry. Once this challenging moment is behind us, I intend to use my transfers to buy goats and chickens. I am hopeful that these goats and chicken will multiply and increase in number and value, resulting in a valuable asset that will provide me with a reliable source of income so that once this program comes to an end, I will have something dependable to support my family as well as take care of my grandchildren's education. Additionally, having livestock will help me manage future emergencies more effectively, as they act as our banks, where we save our money."

"I have been unwell and in need of surgery, but the doctors informed me that I cannot proceed due to an underlying condition. Right now, what I need most is to eat healthily to boost my immunity and improve my condition, which will eventually allow me to undergo the surgery. Given the current hunger and the unavailability of food in our stores, I plan to continue using my transfers to buy food for my family, ensuring that we all stay healthy while I take care of myself as well. I will maintain this approach until we have good harvests from our farms. After that, I also plan to set aside a portion of the transfers to buy some goats. My hope is that they will multiply, providing me with a reliable source of income as I grow older. This way, I can sell them in the future to support my family, especially when this program comes to an end."