In the upcoming year , my intention is to obtain a piece of land, establish a boundary around it, and commence keeping goats. By doing so, I aim to enhance the welfare of my family by generating an additional source of income, particularly during dry seasons when farming may not be as prosperous.

Give Directly did an excellent job of ensuring that we were all handling the unconditional transfers in the best possible way by conducting regular follow-ups and establishing transparency within families through regular visits and phone questionnaires. This has been an excellent method of promoting financial awareness and accountability.

When I received my payments, I was filled with thankfulness, so as one of my top objectives was ensuring that my family's basic requirements were met, I spent $150 on food supplies to get us through tough times, as having two meals a day has been a challenge for my family. This gave not just instant relief from hunger, but also a sense of security and warmth. Education has always been a cornerstone in our family, and I was determined to secure a better future for my children, so I set aside $150 of the transfers to pay their school fees so that they could attend school on a consistent basis. I joined a table banking club in my community and contributed $12 to help us meet our needs in future.

After receiving the first and second transfers from GiveDirectly, I have a long list of ambitions. One of my goals for the upcoming year is to start collecting rainwater from the roof to reduce the expense and time spent fetching water from the river. To achieve this, I plan to save up and purchase a big water tank. I have over 100 grafted mango trees, and in a good season, I can earn at least $400 from selling their fruits. I aim to enhance my farm management skills, and when the next harvesting season arrives, I plan to use the earnings to buy a large plastic water tank.

I am delighted with the impactful financial assistance I have received from GiveDirectly. Ever since I received the initial transfer, my household has been able to afford adequate food, and my children have been consistently attending their classes in school. Before receiving the support, the pressure I faced regarding school expenses was overwhelming, so I was grateful for the flexibility to use the money as I saw fit. Our entire village is content, and we hope that similar support can be extended to other villages that face comparable difficulties as ours.

My husband was ill for four years before he passed away, and we visited many hospitals which depleted our livestock investment and forced us to sell a plot of land we owned in a nearby shopping center. Life has been difficult since his death, and as a single mother of seven, I've struggled to provide even one meal a day. Fortunately, I received a cash transfer from GiveDirectly, which allowed us to have enough food in our home. I used the most recent transfer of money to buy a $65 sack of maize for food, paid $146 in overdue tuition for my son who attends a technical polytechnic school and paid for my other son's remedial charges in primary school. In the past, I relied on selling seasonal mango fruits from my farm, but it wasn't enough to cover all of our expenses. I also used $30 of the remaining money to finish constructing a pit latrine. I started with the first transfer, and I paid $25 for labor to demolish and transport materials from the plot my husband and I had built on. I saved the rest of the money to buy food and household items.

I received my cash transfer on a day that I had least expected it. This is because it was around 4:30 pm when I was done with most of my normal duties. I recall that I heard the phone ring. Upon checking, I realized that I had received money from Segovia technologies. I leapt in happiness because finally, I knew I would accomplish my goals on time. I shared the good news with my children who were also overjoyed. I later embarked on a plan to use the money.

The big difference in my life now and today is I was able to secure sufficiently large portions of foodstuff to last my family for a longer period. I'm glad that my children won't be going to bed hungry. GiveDirectly's support changed our lives for the better and we are forever grateful.

I recently lost my dear husband, who passed away last year in May. We had a tough time before his passing because he was in so much pain due to heart-related complications. I'm a mother to seven children. We were forced to sell most of our property to raise money to cater to his medical bill. This left us in abject poverty. The promise that I would receive a cash transfer, which is unconditional, gave me hope of improved living standards. Seeing that it was a drought period, I was elated that I'd buy sufficient foodstuff. I spent $110 on foodstuff which included a bag of maize. Second, I used $20 for the construction of a pit latrine. Lastly, I spent $15 on medication for my daughter's fractured leg. I'm happy to have received the financial support that made life bearable.