"Receiving this money means food security for my family. I have been struggling to put a meal on my table for long. I engage in subsistence farming but the production is very low because I still use the traditional farming methods using the hoe. This has rendered my family food insecure year in year out. I am planning to use 400 dollars to buy one pair of ox-plough for farming each valued at 200 dollars. This means I will be able to till a larger piece of land which translates to improved food productivity. I will further use 500 dollars to buy two indigenous dairy cows for milk production both for domestic consumption and for sale."

"The biggest hardship in my life is lack of sufficient food for the household. I am a single mother,relying on casual jobs to get what to spend on food. The $300 that I make is not enough because we spend about $200 on foodstuffs alone. If I start a tailoring business, I will be able to get at least $500 to cover both household needs sufficiently and have the remaining amount for my childrens education."

"My life is different than how it would have been if I never received the transfers in that I have renovated my house to look better. I used to live in mud floor house. I we were being exposed to dust. I depend on small scale farming and the harvest that we get annually is so small and only for consumption I didn't had any surplus to sell to earn an income to renovate my house. My children were being exposed to dust particles. Dust related diseases is so costly to treat. I was so worried, it has always been my dream to cement the floor of my house. When I received the second transfer I found it wise to build cement and other materials needed. I Currently I live in free dust floor and we are no longer exposed to dust. Cleaning the floor nowadays is so simple and take less minutes compare to mud floor. I am now so happy. GiveDirectly has made my dream come through. I am so grateful and thankful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed my living standard."

"In my opinion GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better houses and to buy dairy cows. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well."

"The moment I received the transfer I felt so happy. I remember it was around 11am when I heard a ringtone message from my phone. I was on my farm cultivating. I do not know how to read so I took the phone to my daughter in law to check it for me. She told me it was a message confirming that I have received money from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy and stop what I was doing to celebrate the good news. I knew I would be able to buy a water tank which had been always my wish. I felt so happy and overwhelmed. My daughter in-law went and withdrew it. GiveDirectly has changed my living standard."

"The moment I received the transfer I felt so happy. I remember it was around 10 am. I was on my farm when I heard a ringtone message from my phone. I reluctantly check it, I couldn't believe my eyes it was a message confirming that I have received money from GiveDirectly. I stop whatever I was doing and rushed home. I informed my spouse and children and the all celebrated. I withdrew the money the same day. Currently I have a dairy cow and this was always my dream."

"I spent half of the money I received from GiveDirectly on building a spacious and better house. We used to live in a small house which could not host all the family comfortably. I had always wished to build one but I didn't had money. I bought a goat, This is my investment I will sell them when it has reproduce to lay school fees. The rest of the money I bought food and clothes for my children. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed our living standard."

"Being raised by a single parent, school fees and food shortage was the biggest hardship I experienced. This lead me to drop out of school, I am currently struggling with casual jobs to earn a living and feed my family which is not easy for me."

"Hunger and food shortages have been my biggest hardship. We rely on subsistence farming but, unfortunately, maize has not been doing well in our region making us depend on casual jobs to feed the family. What I earn from this job is not enough to buy us food. We at times skip meals or even use less preferred foods like tea and sweet potatoes for lunch or supper."

"I developed chest complications and it has cost me a lot of money for treatment. With my health condition, I can no longer do casual jobs to earn a living and support my family. This is the biggest hardship I have been going through."