This year and in the years to come, I plan to open a business after relocating from where I currently live. I'm in the process of finalizing the payment for the plot I’ve just secured, and the great thing about this location is that it’s closer to town. This makes it an ideal place to start and sustain my business. I hope to use the income from the business to keep my kids in school and to improve my family’s standard of living. The thought of seeing all of this come to completion fills my heart with joy and satisfaction.

What stood out to me about the GiveDirectly program, especially from the enrollment process, is its strong commitment to enrolling people. They don’t waste time and are fully dedicated to the mission that brought them to my village. What I would like to see is for GiveDirectly to enroll as many people as possible in this program because it is so beneficial. It has uplifted my life, and I want others to have the same opportunity to improve their lives.

I was overjoyed to receive the second transfer of $450 from GiveDirectly. It was a lifeline for me because floods had just hit my village, and I was severely affected. I had been living on someone else's land, and the area had flooded. When I received the money, I knew I had to get a plot on higher ground where floods wouldn't affect us again. It was an easy decision because life here has been tough. My family, with five kids, has been battling diseases like pneumonia and common colds due to the harsh conditions. I allocated $400 as a deposit for the plot, and I plan to use the remaining transfers to pay off the balance. Owning land in a safer location feels like a dream come true. I never imagined this would be possible. I used $40 to meet our immediate food needs, a significant challenge. We could barely manage one meal a day, but since receiving the transfers, my family can comfortably eat three times a day. Our lives have greatly improved, and my kids are so happy now.

I was working on my farm at home in the afternoon, around 3 PM. Life had been hard recently, and I felt the pressure of taking care of my big family. When I got $200 unexpectedly, I felt so relieved. Right away, I started thinking about how we could use it smartly. Since we were short on food, my first idea was to make sure we had plenty to eat. I imagined a good harvest and how happy it would make my children. This bit of extra money was like a light of hope in our difficult journey.

The first transfer has made a huge difference in my life. With just $200, I've already seen significant improvements. Now we can enjoy eating chapatis at home, something my children have always dreamed of but we couldn't afford due to our low wages. This has brought great happiness to our family. Looking ahead to the next $450 transfer, I am hopeful that our lives will change even more. Thanks to GiveDirectly, I see a brighter future. With the second transfer, I plan to build a one-room house for my sons who have been sleeping at the neighbors' because we don't have enough space at home. This opportunity is bringing us hope and a sense of security for the future.

Life was really tough for me, taking care of my five kids without a job was stressful. My husband also didn't have a job. We did odd jobs like working on other people's farms and burning charcoal. Sometimes we couldn't find work on farms, and the charcoal permit was closed, so we went hungry. We were very poor and couldn't afford a toilet, so our sanitation and hygiene were very bad. We used a nearby farm to dig a small hole for a toilet, but when it flooded, dirty water came into our house and made it smell bad.When we received the money, I used $56 to buy enough food. This helped me have energy to work on my small maize farm. I used $50 to build a small toilet to cover the shame of using the farm and open places where everyone could see us. With another $50, I paid school fees for my children, so I could stop looking for odd jobs and focus on my own farm. Finally, with the remaining money, I bought clothes for my children because their old ones were too worn out to wear outside. Thanks so much to GiveDirectly for giving me hope for the future. I really appreciate it.