In the years to come, my main goal is to save half of the income I earn from my vegetable hawking business for my son's education. With an average daily income of $1, I have already used some of the transfer money to pay his fees for the next two terms. I am confident that by continuing to save diligently, I will have enough funds to cover his fees for the entire year. My unwavering commitment to his education is driven by the firm belief that it holds the key to his future success. I am determined to provide him with the best possible educational opportunities, and I will work tirelessly to ensure he remains in school.

In my opinion, GD has been a true blessing in our lives, providing us with the much-needed transfer that has made a world of difference. When I found myself in a situation where I had nothing else to rely on, this timely assistance gave me the means to do something truly important: enrol my son in school. With financial assistance, I was able to take my son to school, giving him a chance at a brighter future.

In 2017, I became a single mother after losing my husband. Since then, I have shouldered the full responsibility of raising our son, who recently started Form One for his secondary education. However, the financial burden of paying his school fees has been a constant challenge due to the absence of reliable income sources. To make ends meet, I have resorted to hawking vegetables in the village, moving from house to house to sell them. Yet, even on good days, I only manage to earn around $1, which is insufficient to cover both our daily sustenance and save for his school fees. When I received the transfer, I knew I had to make the crucial decision of using the entire amount of $450 to pay my son's school fees for the next two terms. This choice provides immense relief, knowing that he will not miss any classes until the second term of the following year. The transfer has been a lifeline, supporting his education and bringing hope for a brighter tomorrow.

I hope to continue paying for my child's school fees for the coming years and beyond believing that education is the equaliser. To enable me to do this, I am planning to major in vegetable farming and later on sell it through a small grocery that I own in order to earn extra income. I believe this will be sustainable enough to secure his education and to accomplish my heart desire.

In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by giving us unconditional cash transfers for us to use according to our priorities since each and everyone's needs differ. I have not seen anything that the organisation needs to improve.

I can say the second transfer came at the time I needed it most. I had a child who was yet to join form one for his secondary education. The cost of school uniforms, other requirements plus the school fee were huge since he was a new admission. I was depressed not knowing where to get the money. I had tried requesting support from my family but none was willing to help me. My husband died in the year 2016, leaving me with the full responsibility for raising him. I own a small grocery business whose income was too low to save me at that moment. I was delighted to receive the money. I used $200 to pay the fee and $150 to cater for the other requirements. In addition, I spent $70 to buy two goats for rearing and used the remaining amount on food.

Since I got my first transfer from GiveDirectly, a lot has changed. I had been sleeping on the floor the entire time I had been married. I made buying a bed and quality bedding a top priority after receiving the money because I needed a comfy bed to reduce my back pain and get a decent night's sleep every night. The creepy, crawly critters, which include poisonous snakes, make sleeping on the floor a terrifying experience every time. In addition to the danger I was in, sleeping on the ground without a mattress was difficult because I was using rags as a mattress.

I was gathering water from the river about 4:30 p.m. when I got a message from GiveDirectly. I was relieved to discover that it was the transfer I had anticipated upon reading it. Despite the fact that I was told during enrollment that I should expect it in January, I was pleased that it arrived a month sooner and added to the specialness of our Christmas. I told my firstborn son, who was overjoyed, and the next day we went to the nearby Koriema shopping mall to pick it up together.

I had to establish my priorities after getting the initial transfer and spend it carefully on everything I had been longing for. I have been sleeping on the floor with my husband for the past 17 years since we got married, since we could not afford to buy a bed or better bedding. I created a bed out of the little we had using locally grown, bent trees from my property. It was sad that I was left alone with my only son when my husband passed away seven years ago. I bought a bed for $4, a medium-density mattress for $2, two pairs of shoes—one for my son and the other for me—and a $8 new set of kitchenware when I got my first transfer. In addition, I purchased five hens to add to the original four when a cobra snake murdered four of them and took three more. I'm happy that I can sell eggs once more and utilize the money to purchase household items. In addition, I purchased 20 kg of maize at $1 per kilogram and 10 kg of beans at $2 per kilogram. This food is still being used by my two-person family.