"I was starving when the transfer arrived. Due to the drought that has afflicted our region, I am struggling to acquire food. I felt some relief after receiving the funds. Because I prioritize security, I chose to buy a door that only costs $10 to install at my house. The house had been without a door for almost a year. When I went to bed at night, I used to drape an old iron sheet across the doorway. anytime I was not at home, and I was concerned about leaving the house entrance with an iron sheet in place, even though I had no choice. Even though there was no evidence of theft, I was uncomfortable leaving the door unlocked. Because I am dependent on casual labor for survival, I set aside $20 to spend on food for my family's daily meals. After that, I used the remaining $4 to begin my dream of starting a chicken farm by purchasing two hens."

"Receiving unexpected income can be life-changing, and I was fortunate enough to experience this through GiveDirectly. With the extra funds, I decided to prioritize my family's needs by providing my child with $15 for boarding school and treating them to a mouthwatering chicken dinner for just $6. I was also able to purchase nutritious food to ensure everyone was well-fed. It's amazing how one small act of kindness can make a significant impact, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to improve my family's quality of life."

"It has been my dream to study Orthopedics and trauma at the college level and when I received my form four results that I had gotten a c- I knew I could pursue this dream. My parents are not very stable financially as my father is a shopkeeper and my mother is a housewife. I knew I could not burden them with the hefty school fees amounts seeing that a number of us are still in school. I decided to start the business to raise cash that I could finally spend in paying my school fees to study at college. I sell the chicken at $7.5 and make a profit of between $3 to $4 once the service charges are removed. I have a steady market for my produce now and I hope to explore this further by increasing my flock. I also see myself at the end of the year having enough savings to start school and I can sustain the school fees from the business as it grows. I will be so happy if I can join college and study Orthopedics and trauma as it's something ever on my mind."

"I have a plan of increasing my number of animals. I do currently own one goat and 5 hens which is quite a start since I never had them before. However, I would like to increase this much more. I plan to get more female goats and I plan to breed them so that they reproduce and increase in number. For chicken what I want are more eggs to hatch in turn increasing my numbers. These are the easiest animals to sell around here and having them in large numbers is a big investment as I would be able to meet my family's emergencies as well as get goats and cows from selling the hens or their chicks."

"I am very focused on completing my house. We live in a small one-roomed house which does not allow for much privacy. We live in this small room with my two children and Husband. My oldest is now 4 years old which means soon he will be old enough to need his own space. My youngest is yet one year but I know time flies and he will catch up with his sibling. I want us to be able to have a space for my husband and me while the children have their own space hence my working on constricting a three-roomed house. I have also been buying chicken since I lost the ones I had to a sickness that swept through the village. Now through GD, I have 8 hens with 15 chicks and I only expect the numbers to grow. I plan to sell them and buy goats which can be used for business to take my children through school since they soon will be school-going."

"When I got my second transfer, I spent $100 of it on planting maize and beans on an acre of land because we were getting some rain, about $70 on building our first toilet, and about $40 on building a tiny chicken coop for the seven chicken I recently bought. I spent the remaining money on food because we had no food left at all. We haven't eaten two meals a day as a family in such a long time due to a lack of money, and the ongoing drought made matters worse."

"I made a promise to myself that, every transfer I receive from GiveDirectly, I will use it in a way that will not only better my life but also the lives of my family as well. I currently have no wife nor any children and everything I do is for the betterment of my present and my future. I live in a mud made house that makes me feel so embarrassed when I get visitors. The moment I received my transfers, I started buying metal sheets for building myself a new house. As of now, I have bought eight metal sheets that make me feel excited about the future. With the recent transfers, I spent $10 to purchase one metal sheet to add to the existing ones. I spent $14 to purchase food and stock it at home for myself. I believe if one eats well, their immunity can easily resist illness and they can be strong and well enough to chase their dreams and goals in life. The remaining amount of $10 I was able to buy two chicken so that I can easily start my poultry farm with the monthly transfers that I receive from GiveDirectly."

"To buy chickens and goats and then sell them for a profit is the sole objective I now have. Although I have some great ideas, I cannot practically start them became of a lack of funds. When one is the primary provider, life can be really challenging. Everyone depends on you and when you lack they all lack and when you have, they all have. For one to purchase a goat, around $35 can be spent, and it will also cost you to take good care of the animals you want to keep. For me to start my own poultry and goat keeping firm, I will need around $100 in order to buy more of them and also to get their food. I currently have five goats and my ultimate goal is to have a large number so that I can invest in them and later sell them and make profit."

"I spent $2 to buy a chick when I received the most recent transfer because I didn't have any and wanted to start keeping one as well. I am hopeful that I will have a lot of chicks soon because chickens have a quick breeding cycle. I then paid for my upkeep with the remaining $32. I am an elderly widow who is unable to perform any type of laborious task for survival, such as burning charcoal. As a result, my only source of guaranteed funding is the monthly remittances from GiveDirectly. I'm happy that, due to GiveDirectly, the frequency with which I used to go hungry in a month before assistance arrived has significantly decreased. I'm grateful and overjoyed."

"In my old age, I cannot actively contribute to the household needs due to my inability to do any work. Owning livestock is the only source of income I can handle right now. So far, I have obtained two goats and three chickens from previous cash transfers, which I will increase in the coming years. As these animals reproduce, I will sell them to make money and help my son in providing for the family of five. Though my monthly medication costs may hinder me from realizing this dream quickly, I trust that I will be able to save towards achieving it."