"As a subsistence farmer, one thing that I consider to have made my life harder is the unreliable seasons. This is because, rains in the area are unpredictable and sometimes, our harvests are very low making my household food insecure. Due to this situation, any amount that my husband sends me goes to food and to support my children in school. Sometimes, I become so worried about my future since I lack savings to depend on. Hence, I consider food insecurity and financial instability as my biggest concerns."

"Food insecurity is the challenge I am currently facing in life. My husband and I do casual jobs which are rarely accessible in our area. This makes the family to go without food most of the time. My children sometimes miss classes due to hunger ."

"Accessing reliable job is the challenge I am currently facing in life. I do casual jobs with little income that caters for food only. Sometimes I go without food. My father is aged and sick so I lack the capital to take him to have better medication."

"My goal this year is to start a goat-rearing business, which holds great promise, especially if the goats multiply. This venture is well-suited to our area, and if successful, I plan to trade some goats for a cow. I will use the saved transfers to kickstart this business. Having an additional income source will ensure my family's well-being and enable me to comfortably educate my son. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of this program."

"I have spent most of my cash on livestock"

"I reside in a small house with my 3 grandchildren, all attending school. This humble dwelling has posed considerable challenges as it has collapsed twice already, leaving me no choice but to prop it up as best I can, given my financial constraints. I therefore used $300 of the 2nd transfer from GiveDirectly to construct a 2 roomed house for us. While it's not yet complete, witnessing its progress fills us with hope and joy as we eagerly anticipate the comfort of sleeping in a warm and dry place during the rainy season unlike before when we endured the discomfort of a leaking roof and cold. I then spent $120 to clear a school fees debt for my grandchildren who had been sent home from school and were not to return until the debt was cleared. Resolving this issue ensured their return to school, allowing them to resume their studies without interruption. Lastly, I spent $90 of the remaining transfer towards settling a debt for a plot of land I had acquired earlier with the intentions of setting up rental houses that would help us in future. I am so grateful for GiveDirectly because my lost hope for the future of my family has been revived."

"In the coming years, I have a dream of building my own house. It's something I've wanted for a long time, but money has always been tight. Most of what I earn from my casual job goes straight to buying food and taking care of daily needs. But I'm not giving up. I've come up with a plan to slowly save up for my dream home of a 2-roomed house. Every month, I buy just one iron sheet to start building. I'm also part of a merry-go-round savings group, which will help me put aside a little money each month. It's not going to be easy, but I believe with patience and determination, I can make my dream of owning a house come true."

"In the next few years, my biggest goal is to build my own house. It's a dream I've been holding onto for a long time. I've come up with a plan to make it happen: buying just one iron sheet every month. It's not much, but it's a start. However, it's tough because most of the money I make from my casual job goes towards food and other basic needs, leaving very little for savings. Still, I'm determined to see my dream come true because it would make me incredibly happy. Alongside building my house, I also want to help my niece get a good education. Even though I don't have much to spare, I hope to support her with whatever little I can manage. It's important to me that she has opportunities to succeed in life."

"In the coming years, my main focus is to finish building a house for my children and to pay off all the debts I owe.To ensure a stable future for my family, I plan to invest more in our farm. Right now, our harvests haven't been great, so we end up buying most of our food. By putting more effort and resources into farming, I hope to provide enough food for my family without relying too much on buying everything from the market. It's important to me to create a secure and comfortable life for my loved ones."

"I have always desired a chance to build a new house. Mine is in a poor state. The grass-thatched roof has decayed over the years, and the big holes in it allow water in when it rains. I would have loved to build a new house when I started receiving cash transfers, but I was constrained by the school fees of my son Baraka. At that moment, I would have rather slept in a damp space than see my son miss school due to unpaid school fees. I am happy that he recently completed primary school, scoring a whopping 370 marks, which earned him a government sponsorship for his high school education. With this relief, I can go back to my goal of building a better house; one with an iron sheet roof and mud walls. I hope to start saving some of the cash transfers to effect this course."