"The recent floods caused a lot of destruction in my household because I leased 2 acre piece of land and plant watermelon on it but unfortunately all the crops were washed away by the floods.iam now struggling financially because i invested all the money I saved on that farm." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"Purchasing milk for the household has been financially straining, especially since it is a basic necessity, crucial for our growing family. Despite having a farm where I could raise a dairy cow, I have not been able to afford one due to our financial constraints. Our family of six relies on farming, casual jobs, and charcoal burning for income, all of which goes towards providing food with nothing left to save. With GiveDirectly's transfers, I now have a sigh of relief and a plan to improve our situation. I intend to spend $350 to purchase a dairy cow, which will provide milk for my family. Additionally, I plan to spend $100 to service my motorcycle so it can assist in transporting our farm produce to the market on time, ensuring we maximize our income from farming. Another $50 will go towards servicing our water pump, crucial for irrigating our farm. Lastly, I plan to use $150 to construct a new latrine, as our previous one was destroyed by floods, leaving us to use makeshift solutions like bushes.These investments are essential for improving our daily living conditions and ensuring that our family's basic needs are met more sustainably in the future."

"Educating my children is my major goal in the coming year so that they will be able to support themselves. I wanted to go to school but was not able to because no one was there to educate me. I want them to create a difference and have better opportunities. The transfers from GiveDirectly have been incredibly helpful, and I have evidence showing that they have been paying for my children’s education. In addition to the transfers from GiveDirectly, I plan to use my income from casual jobs to support their education. I believe that with the support from this program, my children will be able to realize their aspirations. I have one child in secondary school and four in primary school, and I am committed to ensuring they all receive the education they deserve." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"My previous life was incredibly challenging, but thanks to GiveDirectly, I have made significant progress. Now, I have the luxury of being able to afford things like a new mattress, which was once beyond my reach and I do not struggle a lot to meet our basic needs. Looking ahead, I aim to continue growing by increasing sales in my vegetable business and upgrading my house's floor from sand to tiles. To make this possible, I will diligently save income from both my motorcycle and from my merry- go-round savings." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"As a motorcycle driver, my main goal is to own my own bike. Currently, I am using my neighbor's bike, and every day I have to give him $4 from my hard-earned money. I began driving a bike in 2016 and faced numerous challenges in taking care of other people's bikes. The owners often fail to understand the financial strain and demand extra work, sometimes even reclaiming their bikes and giving them to someone else. Through my research, I have realized that bike owners benefit greatly while I struggle. Having my own bike would significantly improve my family's life. The money I currently give to my neighbor, I will save it to better my family's future when I manage to purchase my own bike." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"My biggest goal is to invest more in chickens and goats. I plan to buy two of each every month, and currently, I already have twelve chickens and five goats. I believe that investing in goats and chickens is easy and manageable. As goats mature relatively quickly, I can exchange them for dairy cows, enabling me to sell milk easily. There are times when I may lack money, especially when working as a motorcycle driver. However, with the dairy cow, I am confident that I can sell milk without stress. This will create for me an opportunity to have different sources of income and I can easily better my family's living standards."

"Givedirectly has been a relief for myself and my family. I do not have a source of income, my husband is the sole breadwinner and his job is a motorcycle rider. He sometimes gets income enough for the day but other days he does not and it may mean our children being out of school or the lack of food in the house. But since receiving the transfers, they complement the income he earns. I have been able to get the kids to school using this transfers, I have also been able to till our land for farming also from the transfers and bought food to last us as we await harvesting. I spent, $30 on tilling our land, $14 on buying maize, $24 on school fees, $30 on buying a goat and $4 on buying chicken. I am so greatful for Givedirectly in our lives."

"Our lives have had tremendous changes as a result of the transfers we have received from Givedirectly. I am a seasonal farmer while my his and is a mechanic who repairs motorcycles. Being a seasonal farmer means I rely on the rain to farm meaning I am not always engaged in income generation consequently not being able to contribute to the family finances. However with the cash I receive I am able to still contribute by taking my children to school, buying their uniform and shoes. I have spent $24 on buying school uniform, $4 on school shoes and $20 on school. I have additionally bought a goat for my home at $30. The cash has also provided a relief in accessing food as I spent $10 paying for milk supply."

"My husband was was responsible for brining finances home and he was always able to do this as he had a motorcycle which would help him earn this income. In March he contracted pneumoniae which forced him out of work. He had to hire someone else to continue with the motorcycle business which reduced our earnings greatly. We were forced to use the animals that I had bought to rear and later sell to get cash to construct our house, to get food. This remained the case until I got a job our of the village where I currently am working as a casual staff in a hotel. This has allowed my family to get food as well as other basic needs they may have including my husband's medication. My hope is to start buying more chicken again with the transfers to increase the number of animals which can later be sold to help me achieve the dream of building our house."

"In my entire life, I have really wished to be a driver. Coming from a very humble background, my parents cannot afford to pay my college fees because the little they get from daily casual jobs is too small compared to the fees needed. Therefore, in the coming year and beyond, I want to invest in buying goats and eventually get money to pay for my college. Doing this course will be an eye-opener for me because I will now be self-employed. Additionally, I will get income to enable me to support myself as well as my family members. What motivates me is that once I am done with this course, I will get employed immediately since in our area, most people look for drivers to employ but they are scarce." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)