I am a Standard 8 leaver, which means I didn’t finish my education and have no certificates to help me get a formal job. Because of that, my plan is to focus on farming, which I believe can provide a stable income for my family. I want to make sure that through farming, I’ll be able to grow enough crops to sell and earn money. This income will go toward paying my children's school fees, so they can have better opportunities than I did. Farming is something I understand well, and I am confident it will support us. I also hope to grow enough to feed my family and avoid the struggles we've faced before. With hard work and determination, I know I can make this plan a success.

What I like about GiveDirectly is that they are very fair when it comes to giving out money. They enroll us in the right way without any jealousy or favoritism. The officers are very professional, and they treat everyone equally without discrimination. I appreciate how transparent and organized the process is. I haven’t noticed any areas that need improvement because their work is excellent. I am very grateful and hope they continue with the same spirit.

When the money came, my house was in poor condition, and I felt like we were living below the standards of others around us. Our home was made of grass for the roof and mud for the walls, which wasn’t safe or comfortable, especially during the rainy season. With the unconditional cash I received, I decided to spend $300 on building materials to start constructing a one-room house with iron sheets. My hope is to complete the construction once I receive the final transfer, and finally have a safer, more durable home for my family. Furthermore, with the remaining $150, I bought food to sustain us because life had become extremely difficult. My wife and I rely on casual jobs that pay us about $3 a day, which is barely enough to buy food for our household. We have two children to take care of, and the struggle to provide even basic necessities has been overwhelming. The cash transfer helped ease that burden, allowing us to stock up on food and worry less about what we’ll eat. Now, I feel a great sense of relief and hope for the future. The thought of living in a decent house like other people in my community gives me peace, and the food I purchased has brought some stability to my family’s daily life. The support from GiveDirectly has made a huge difference, and I look forward to completing the house and improving our living conditions even more.

I just arrived home from my farm, where I had gone to check on my watermelon crop. After sitting down to relax a little bit before heading to town to buy fungicides for the melons, I received a message confirming the receipt of $200 from GiveDirectly. I was thrilled because this season has been particularly hard, and I urgently needed the money to continue planting. I shared the news with my wife, and we were both happy, knowing that we could now carry on with our planting plans.

Seeing my land remain unplanted for a month after renting it for $75 and investing in plowing broke my heart. I had relied on a loan from a friend, but it was delayed, and the owner of the land was threatening to refund my money due to the foreseen delays, yet we had agreed timelines. I was supposed to plant watermelon and return the land after the harvest, and I only had a maximum of two to three months to do everything, as watermelon takes only two months to mature. GiveDirectly's support enabled me to complete the land preparation and plant my watermelon. Later, I received the loan, which helped me maintain my crops, and now they are almost ready for harvest. Without GiveDirectly, the owner would have refunded the rent money, and I would have lost the money I had already spent on planting. Thank you, GiveDirectly!

I had rented a one-acre plot of land, and after plowing, I got stuck because I didn't have money to complete the land preparation, buy seeds, and start planting. I was expecting some money I had borrowed from someone, but it was delayed, and I was scared of losing the money I had already spent on renting the land and the plowing. Receiving my first transfer from GiveDirectly brought me immense joy. I allocated $100 to finish the land preparation and plant my watermelon crop. Afterward, I received the loan, which helped me maintain the melons, and now they are doing well. My main aim for investing in this crop is to build a house for my family. Currently, we live in a small, one-room grass-thatched house that is not presentable. Additionally, I spent about $80 on food because putting food on the table was a challenge. Relying on casual jobs is difficult because they are inconsistent, and sometimes we went without food. With this money, I bought enough food to sustain us as we wait for our crops to mature. The rest of the money went to buying clothes for my children. Thank you, GiveDirectly.