"My primary goal is to acquire goats so that once the cash assistance from Give Directly ceases, I can rely on selling the animals to generate a stable income. To achieve this, I am committed to saving at least $11 each month through a self-help group. By consistently setting aside these funds, I will accumulate enough money to purchase the goats and build wealth that could improve the financial stability of my household. "

"GiveDirectly mbona igikorwa ikora neza ari uko ifasha uri mu bukene kwiteza imbere inkunga ikamugeraho uko yakabaye. Rwose ikoereze aho!"

"During the years I have been married, I have primarily relied on my husband for everything as a housewife. His income is insufficient to adequately support the family and pay for the children's expenses due to the growing number of household needs. I intend to open a small shop, make use of the transfers, increase my meagre savings, and start selling flour, vegetables, and fruits. Because I think the shop will make some money, this will at least make sure that my husband is not overwhelmed."

"For a while, I lived in a small house. I wanted to build a bigger house, but I lacked the funds to do so. However, as soon as I started receiving the transfers, my desire to construct the new home was rekindled. As a result, I made the decision to buy one iron sheet each month, and since my husband is also a beneficiary, he also does the same. My goal is to purchase 26 pieces of iron sheets, which will be sufficient to build the new house. As of right now, we have only been able to purchase seven pieces of iron sheet, but I believe we will soon reach our goal."

"I am a subsistence farmer who also tends to livestock, occasionally relying on my sons who also have families of their own to support. My two daughters are currently enrolled in college courses for hairdressing, and I want to make sure that they finish their coursework within the program's time frame. Since I don't have a reliable source of income to cover their tuition, I am dependent on the transfers to keep them in school. As a parent, I will be pleased if my daughters achieve their educational goals, which will help them build their future, and become independent because I am confident that once they have finished the program, they will be able to find employment or work for themselves and provide for their needs."

"y biggest concern was how I would be able to pay for my son's education given my precarious financial situation when he enrolled in a two-year masonry course at a college. Before I budgeted using my monthly transfers, the tuition fees seemed impossible. Since I will still be receiving some transfers, I had to sacrifice some of my needs in order to make sure that my son finishes his studies within the allotted two years. Three of my grandchildren are currently in my care after being neglected by their parents and being left behind. The transfer is my only chance to guarantee that the fees are paid on time because I am too old and frail to perform manual labor the way I used to. My aim is to provide my son and grandchildren with the transfers they need to pursue their educational ambitions. This has been my main objective ever since I started this program."

"We've aged and doing many things is a big challenge for us. We planted our farm for the last 2 years and harvested nothing. This has affected our food security. It means we must buy everything we eat. This is difficult for us and we cannot do hard tasks that pay well. The economy has been deteriorating and things are expensive. This has further stressed our ability to get food. We only depend on casual jobs which are hard to come by. They also are low paying, $2 per day. Since it's difficult getting these jobs, we must always budget the $2 to sustain us for at least 3 days."

"My house is not in a good condition. It's made of mud, and it's hard maintaining it. Termites eat up the wood used to build, making it weak. It also leaks, when it rains. This makes it hard to stay comfortable when it rains. This affects me a lot because when it rains I'll have to fetch the water from inside using a basin. Then pour the water outside to minimize the damage inside."

"For the past three years, there has been a consistent drought. I have not harvested anything from my farm since 2019 forcing me to purchase food staff. I do casual jobs to make ends meet and the $ 2 I earn per day is only enough to purchase maize flour. My children sometimes fail to go to school when they do not get something to eat for a day. It pains me when I see them crying due to hunger yet I cannot do anything to put enough food on the table."

"With old age comes a lot of challenges since I cannot fend for myself. I depend on my children to provide for all my basic needs. Sometimes it is difficult to get three meals a day and other days I sleep hungry. This has affected my ability to do simple chores since I lack enough strength. Food insecurity is the main challenge."