"I have been residing in a small and dilapidated house for almost a decade without the means to upgrade to a better, more comfortable house. My long-cherished dream of living in an iron-roofed house seemed unattainable due to financial constraints. However, the support from GiveDirectly has been a game-changer for me. With the help of the funds I received, I was able to purchase 24 pieces of iron sheets, building materials, and nails, amounting to almost $400. This enabled me to start the construction of my new, spacious, and iron-roofed house. The financial support was crucial in making this dream a reality. In addition to using the transfer for housing, I also spent $100 to pay for my son's school fees, ensuring that he can continue his high school education without any disruptions. This has brought me immense peace of mind, knowing that my son's education will not be hindered due to unpaid fees. Furthermore, I spent the remaining portion of the funds on purchasing enough food supplies to sustain my family for some months, ensuring that we would not face any food shortages."

"My greatest challenge currently is the floods that wrecked havoc in our village. I had planted butter nuts on my farm and was about to harvest when floods came and destroyed it all. This has left me without money and I have difficulty providing for my family since the small amount I expected to get from the farm got taken by the recent floods. This saddens me so much and I have been left with worry and uncertainty about my family's future and survival."

"Currently, I'm facing a lot of challenges. However, the most pressing challenge I'm facing at the moment is the sickness that has made it difficult for me to work and provide for my family. I haven't been able to go to the hospital because of a lack of money which has made it even worse for me. I'm in a lot of pain which makes life almost unbearable."

"While my spouse Kazungu earns $10 a week as a cleaner, I operate a small business and make $1 per day.Our combined income is insufficient to educate our children and provide food for a family of eight. Consequently, the difficulties I am currently facing stem from not having enough money to meet my family's basic needs."

"I own a retail shop and a posho mill in the village, but the revenue from these businesses is inconsistent. One reason for this is that the prolonged drought in the area brought on by climate change has discouraged people from harvesting maize, which has decreased the number of people visiting the posho mill.Furthermore, the majority of customers in my retail store will purchase items on credit rather than paying cash because the majority of the local population does not have a reliable source of income. Due to the lack of revenue from these businesses, it has become increasingly difficult to provide for the majority of my family's basic needs."

"Once this financial aid comes to an end in the future, I want to be in a position where I will have financial security and can totally rely on myself. To achieve this, I want to keep on saving my transfers from GiveDirectly in our local savings group, and once they mature, I will use the money to buy more goats. I am hopeful that these goats will multiply and increase in number and value so that in the future, when I am faced with pressing issues in our family, I may be able to sell them and help my family out. I am glad about this envisioned future that I have, and I am hopeful that I will be able to achieve it so that I may have the financial independence that I have always longed for."

"My house is in a very poor state where the roofing is made of nylon covers, and this is really depressing. I want to improve the roofing from nylon to iron sheets. My plan is therefore to keep saving my transfers in a merry-go-round savings group where we pool funds together so that when it is my turn, I may use the pooled funds to buy the iron sheets and give my house better roofing. Having a better-roofed house will make me very happy, and I am hopeful that this will come true. In addition to improving my home's roofing, I also plan to keep using part of my transfers to buy more chickens and, if possible, goats with hopes that they will multiply and increase in number, and I can then sell them and use the proceeds to buy small cows. These cows will be a great source of income in the future, as once they grow and increase in size and value, I can sell them and use the money to provide for my family."

"I had mentioned before that I wanted to build a new house for my family, as the one we have right now is old and deteriorating and will soon collapse. To achieve this, I intend to use a portion of the transfers I've received and top it up with my earnings from my charcoal-burning hustle and casual jobs. Once the house is complete, I want to start a kiosk business next year using proceeds from my hustles and part of the transfers as well. This business will generate daily income, which will help with our daily family needs. Finally, livestock farming is also a great asset that I have ventured into, and where possible, my plan is to add more of these animals with hopes of them multiplying and increasing in number so that in the future, they will be a great source of income for my family and help in educating my children."

"The transfer was a huge relief for me. My two children were about to return to school after their mid-term break, and I didn't have enough money for their school fees. I had recently sold about 12 goats from my herd to invest in a tomato farming project, and I was reluctant to sell more as my herd had already decreased in number. I was full of worries. When the transfer arrived, I used $100 to partially pay the school fees. While it wasn't enough, I'm glad that the amount I paid will keep them in school until I can sell my tomatoes to clear the remaining balance. I also used $60 to buy petroleum for my generator, which I need to pump water to irrigate the two acres of tomatoes. I have high hopes for this crop and expect a bountiful harvest. I plan to use the income from its sale to pay school fees for my six children, as I also have four children in a private primary school. Providing them with the best education is my greatest achievement. Additionally, I plan to buy land on higher ground if my income allows, to make a small deposit. Our current home is not safe as it is at risk of flooding, just as it occurred previously. Finally, I used the remaining amount to buy food for my family. Thank you, GiveDirectly."

"This dream of building a house is far from reached. We took out loans which we used to buy building material but are yet to start the actual construction will take an amount similar to the amount we used for material. I aim to finish paying my loan by October so I am able to take another loan to start construction This will allow us to have a three roomed house to house my wife and our four children."