"Things have been looking up since the rain began, we have now farmed maize and some green grams and other plants for food. This makes us very hopeful. If we get to harvest the plants that we planted we will have enough food and it will mean the transfers will not be used for food and hence we can now use the cash to buy animals such as chicken or goats which we will be able to rear and make an income from them. I will also be able to educate my children using the cash that I receive from Giveidrectly."

"My main goal is to engage in livestock-rearing project. With the tough times ahead and owing to the fact that I have a large family of 8 children, getting money to cater for their needs would be a great challenge for my husband and I. Therefore, I would want to venture into something that would help generate income in the long run and I plan to buy goats with the transfers that I would be getting and later sell some of them to buy cows and with the livestock in place, I am assured that I would be in a better place to even educate my children with ease."

"I have six children who are currently going to school, and with no reliable source of income, getting money to fully pay for their school fees had been a great challenge. But with the challenges, I had never given hope and my main goal is to see all my children complete their education. To achieve this, I would be saving part of my monthly transfers and the little proceeds from my business so that I have enough money to cater for their higher education."

"Lack of reliable job is the challenge I am currently facing. I am a single mother of three children and I do casual jobs earning approximately $30 which caters for food and school fees. I have a son who is in class three at Kahingoni primary and he has fees balance of $10. He has been out of class due to school fees. The first born is at Vitengeni primary and I give firewood to the school in exchange for school fees."

"My husband was amputed one of his legs last year 2022. Since then I have been taking care of the family alone. He can no longer work. The challenge is getting job to feed the family."

"Food scarcity is the challenge I am currently facing with my family. I have a shop kiosk selling shop items on small scale. The business is down such that I can spend the whole day without selling anything. I depend on the profit for family consumption but when the contrary happen then the family goes without food. This has happened more often."

"After receiving the first payment of $200 from GiveDirectly, I decided to spend it to benefit my family. I spent the majority of the money, $152, to purchase essential food items. I bought a sack of dry maize grains, 20kg of beans, and sugar, ensuring that my family of three would have an ample food supply. This provision is crucial for our well-being and will hopefully sustain us for about a month before we need to restock. In addition,I spent $30 to clear the hospital bill for my son, who was unwell at the time. This amount covered the expenses for medication and the necessary check-ups. I am grateful that my son has now recovered and is in good health. The remaining $18 went to transportation costs, enabling us to travel to and from the hospital as well as make frequent visits to the nearby shopping center for various needs. Through these expenditures, I prioritized the immediate needs of my family, addressing both health concerns and essential provisions, ultimately bringing a sense of relief and contentment to our lives. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the generous support, and looking forward to initiating new projects using the subsequent transfers."

"We want to buy a cow for milking because we are old and we can get what milk to drink for a healthy life"

"It's really difficult for me. I have nothing to support myself, not even a chicken. This means I must do menial jobs or burn charcoal to sustain myself. Getting food is always a nightmare for me. I am always worried about my next meal. When I get a casual job, it all goes to food. I depend on farm jobs such as planting, weeding, or harvesting. One is paid $2 for half a day of hard work. It's hard buying food due to the high cost of living."

"I am planning sell those pig and goat that I have bought to buy a cow which will give me manure and help me to sustain my daily life."