"She's bought land, and now can access basic needs and this makes her to feel well in the heart ,because she has some money in pocket"

"When received message, was home grazing cattle, felt excited,that GD has fulfilled the promise, thought of school fees"

"It is so painful as a parent to desperately watch your son at home due to lack of school fees. Whenever I see him around, I always think of how much I have already spent in school until he dropped in form three this year. As a mother, it has stressed me a lot because his dreams are shuttered without completing his studies. Since we depend on my husband for everything, his support has never been enough to sustain all our needs. This is something that has affected our livelihoods, more so the children in school. Hence, I consider financial instability as my biggest challenge."

"Staying idle at home due to a lack of basic skills for a decent job makes my life so difficult. In 15 years now since married to this home, I have remained a housewife and I fully depend on my husband who is a casual laborer. His monthly support is usually $20 which we use to buy food. This means my 6 children suffer the most especially in terms of school fees. In most cases, they are sent home, a situation that has contributed to their low performance. In addition, we usually spend our nights on the floor while 3 of them seek shelter in their grandmother's house. The pain of watching my family suffer has robbed away my joy as a mother and hence, I consider the financial instability as my biggest challenge."

"For the past ten years, I have been sickly and I rely mostly on my children to provide for me. My health has deteriorated due to old age and I cannot do even household chores. Each month I spend about two days in the hospital seeking costly medication. I pray to God for better health so that I can live to see my grandchildren succeed."

"Food insecurity is the biggest challenge. In April I planted maize on my two acres of land but three months down the line it is all dried up due to a lack of rainfall. This means that this year, I will not reap from my farm. I have to buy food staff from the market for my family of six. The high cost of living with no stable income makes us resort to two meals a day to cut down on costs."

"Lack of reliable source of income has been a challenge in my life. I do teaching at Gloria Academy earning approximately $80 per month. If it comes to payment then I get $20 and the rest is carried forward to the next month. This has really affected me especially meeting my recurrent needs like food ."

"My main goal is to renovate my house, which is in disrepair. The roof is in disrepair, and it leaks everywhere when it rains. I intend to purchase at least 15 iron sheets to help with the renovation. So far, the transfers and my small savings have enabled me to purchase six iron sheets. I will not have to worry about rain when I finish renovating this house. Having a stable, decent house will also protect my household items from being rained on, as has been the case in the past."

"I allocated $100 from the second transfer to purchase iron sheets, as my primary goal is to construct a new house for my family. Currently, we reside in an old structure that has been our home for over a decade, as financial constraints prevented me from renovating or building anew. Additionally, I utilized $80 to settle school fees for my daughter and son, both attending secondary school. Although I still have a balance remaining, I am grateful that they have been permitted to join their peers in the classroom. The remaining $20 was designated to meet the needs of my family of seven. As a construction worker, finding employment has become increasingly challenging due to the financial struggles faced by others. However, I am profoundly grateful to GiveDirectly for offering us an opportunity to regain stability and hope for a better future."

"I was filled with joy upon receiving the first transfer, as I had been eagerly awaiting its arrival and had numerous plans in mind. At the time, I was accompanied by my great-grandson, as his mother was out searching for food to sustain our household of three. The message confirming the first transfer brought about a lot of excitement, and even though I was at home with an infant who couldn't comprehend the significance of the transfers, I couldn't contain my excitement. I was eager to share the news with other members of my family, feeling grateful for this much-needed support that would undoubtedly bring positive changes to our lives."