"I am an old man who lives alone. I depend on my skills to put food on the table. The greatest challenge of all I am facing is lack of a stable job. Consistently is key in a persons life so without a stable job I am not able to fully meet my needs. I get myself taking odd jobs like Charcoal burning and this does not guarantee that I would have sold the charcoal on time to get money. Charcoal burning is labour intensive and due to my age I am unable to be effective.I also try building houses sometimes, but as you know house building is also seasonal. No one builds houses in the rainy seasons too."

"My name is Sidi Mweri. A widow and a mother of six children. My first born son is 30 years old but cannot do anything for himself. He is suffering from a terminal disease known as Epilepsy and mental illness. He has been suffering ever since he was 5 years old and that has made me give up on my dreams and jobs just to take care of him. The main challenge I am facing is the fact that I am of old age now and I have to take care of him and myself. His medication is expensive and whenever he has a breakdown I am forced to buy him drugs and given I have no stable source of income it becomes a struggle on my end. Although I have other challenges in life but I would say that is the greatest of all."

"For this coming year and beyond, my plan is to continue repaying the solar panel I purchased on credit, where I have a balance of $220, using my transfers from GiveDirectly to ensure I meet my financial obligations. Additionally, my house is in a state where it is beyond repair and on the verge of collapsing. Because of this, I have plans of building a new house whereby I will be buying building materials strategically. I intent to invest a portion of my transfers in a chicken business and then use the capital and profits to buy more materials for construction. Currently, I have 16 iron sheets, with a balance of 4 iron sheets needed for the house. My plan is to slowly buy the last few iron sheets and other things I will need to finish my house and give my family a secure place to live. After my house is completed, I want to redirect my transfers and use some of them to start a kiosk where I will sell some domestic goods would help us earn extra money to support my family with daily needs. My goal in combining all of this is to provide my family with a stable and long-lasting future."

"Since I do not have a stable job or business to rely on, my primary focus as a parent is investing in my six children's education. My plan for this coming year and beyond is to unconditionally channel my resources, which include a portion of my future transfers that I receive from GiveDirectly and the little money that I earn from my unstable and unpredictable hustles, toward securing a brighter future for them through paying school fees, giving them all the school essentials, and letting them have a better education. My children's academic journey is not just a priority for me; it is the backbone of my aspirations for their success and fulfillment in life. I believe that by prioritizing their education, I am laying the foundation for a better future for them, which will enable them to have lives that we will all be proud of. I am giving a lot of thanks to GiveDirectly for allowing me to give my children the best that I can afford."

"For this coming year and beyond, my plan is to first start changing my door that has been infested by termites and is no longer serving its purpose of providing good security. My intention is to replace it with a grilled metal door, which will provide better security for my home. To achieve this, I intend to save a portion of my future transfers in a merry-go-round group and local savings group so that when I receive my accumulated funds, I will be able to get the door assembled and installed. Once this is achieved, I will be very happy because my house will have improved security and a better appearance. To add on to this, I would also like to venture into livestock farming, where I will be raising a herd of goats. Once the door is installed, I will continue saving my transfers in the savings groups so that I may use the accumulated funds to buy goats. I have great hopes that the goats will multiply and increase in number and value so that, in the future, I may be able to sell some of them and take care of my family, especially when in need. This will also enable me to have something to rely on as a source of income when this program comes to an end. I am excited about the potential of these plans and look forward to the positive changes they will bring to my life."

"My husband used to work at a nearby quarry as a foreman. Because of his age(65years) and underlined blood pressure, he had to step down from his roles. I also suffer from the same condition of blood pressure for over 3 years. Ever since things started getting south for us as a family because catering for our medical expenses was a big challenge. We now solely depend on our two sons whom are working as motorcycle drivers. This job doesn't pay anything to be happy about. In a day, one can get $3. This amount can't even sustain his wife and three children."

"I depend on subsistence farming which has been affected by the prolonged drought experienced in our area. Currently, I rely on charcoal burning owing to the 4 failed seasons. As a widow and the soul breadwinner, it is difficult to feed my family of 8.Therefore, food insecurity is the biggest challenge at the moment."

"Lack of reliable source of income is the current challenge I am facing in life. This has made me unable to build a spacious house for the family and also pay school fees for the children on time. The children have school fees balance of $40 . I do casual jobs which are rarely accessible."

"My top priority right now is to acquire more goats. Increasing the number of goats will provide a crucial safety net in case of financial emergencies for my family. They will also be instrumental in supporting my grandchildren’s education as they advance to higher studies. I’ve been their guardian since their mother, my daughter, relies on casual jobs. Education is vital, and I want to ensure my grandkids have the support they need to succeed so they can help us in the future as we age. Educating them is also the key to breaking free from the cycle of poverty that has affected our homestead."

"My goal for the upcoming year is to establish a livestock business, focusing primarily on goats, as I now have six of them. I believe this venture will generate enough income to sustain me through school and support my brother’s education, even after the project ends. This will help me continue pursuing the mechanical course I recently started, and I’m excited to soon acquire the skills that will enhance my life. I’m looking forward to building a future for the family I have yet to start. I know that once I graduate, I won’t have to struggle as much in my daily hustle because I’ll have the skills needed to find better job opportunities. This is the key to transforming my life and my household’s future, ensuring that my children won’t have to endure the hardships I’ve faced."