"Before receiving the transfer, I worked as a Mansory where I would get $4 a day. I am a woman and most times whenever I went to search for a job, they decline saying that I did not have the manpower. Most days I did not get such jobs and paying for bills such as school fees, and water was challenging. Whenever I do not get a job we would not take dinner. Receiving this money has been a blessing, I expanded my house, earlier it was a one-roomed house that we occupied with my six children. It was not comfortable for all of us. But now we sleep comfortably, I am thankful for GiveDirectly. Also, I was able to enroll my daughter in a boarding high school, bought bedding, a mattress, soap, books, and paid school fees."

"Before receiving this transfer, I was employed at a private residence as a gardener. My salary was $4 a day that I spent most on food for my family. The money was not enough to take care of other bills such as water and school fees. I had school fees arrears every month because I could not manage to pay on time which made my four children be sent out of school. My family lived in a one-roomed house and during the night, three of my children would go sleep with their grandmother who stayed nearby, our house could not occupy all of us at once. Receiving this money has enabled me to build three rental houses for that I get $30 a month. The money has helped me pay school fees for my children without strain, saved and I was able to extend my house. We all sleep in the same house and the children have their rooms."

"Poultry farming has been the main source of income in our farm since I was a student at a nearby primary school. I had a flock at the time, and I sold eggs to pay school fees, buy school uniforms, and assist my siblings in purchasing stationery. My interest in the project did not fade at this point, and I later pursued it, raising a sizable sum that I used to purchase a plot of land. When I got my first transfer, my first call was to revive the project, so I had to spend $105 on construction materials, which included three rolls of chain link and fencing poles for a chicken coop. I already have seven mature chickens, and once I receive the second transfer, I hope to expand the project by bringing in another brood. I also spent $200 on a large plastic water tank, which is currently collecting rainwater and is connected to a pipe that connects to the government's piped water. When the pumps fail, rainwater always supplements the piped water, saving us from having to fetch water from the dam. In addition, I used the remaining funds on a construction project that I had begun a few weeks before enrolling in the transfers. I am glad I was able to make so many changes after purchasing cement, sand, ceiling board, and timber for furnishing and partitioning the rooms."

"Since I am remaining with one child who is in university, my priority was catering to his education. Therefore, when I withdrew the money, I spent $250 to clear his university fees for the year. Clearing the fee balance means concentration and focus on his academics since he would not be bothered by fees. This also gave me peace of mind to work on other things. As of now, I am happy because he is settled in school and conducting his studies peacefully. Apart from the school fees, I opted to use $250 to apply for fresh water and I bought all the required equipment for the fittings. I did this because, at the age of 73 years, it is hectic for me to carry a bucket of water from distant water points to my home. Thereafter, I used the remaining $40 to revive my grocery business which had collapsed. As of now, the business is doing well and I am grateful for the aid I received from you."

"Upon getting the transfer, I first decided to invest in hybrid goats which are marketable during festive seasons. Therefore, I bought two goats for $160. I am optimistic that, these goats will multiply and they will be a source of income for my family because they can be converted into monetary value when the need arises. Thereafter, I bought a bed and a mattress though I cannot tell how much they cost since my daughter is the one who keeps the records for me. I opted for the bed and the mattress because I used to sleep on the floor using some worn-out mats. This was a pathetic situation and very exhaustive since I used to wake up very tired every morning. Currently, I am very happy because I got a nice bed and a mattress courtesy of GiveDirectly. I sleep well and comfortably unlike before. Since our area has some swamps and stagnant water, I bought a mosquito net to prevent myself from malaria. Lacking a defined and reliable source of income, I opted to buy stock of some foodstuff and also kept the remaining amount for the family's upkeep."

"The roof of my tiny, mud-walled, grass-thatched house is terribly leaky. Our village has experienced significant rainfall for the past two weeks. The rainfall is a disaster for me because it gets inside my house through openings on the roof and damages my property. My temporary solution of covering the roof with a polythene bag has failed because the bag cannot retain the water for an extended period of time. This is the reason I made the decision to gradually purchase some iron sheets so that I could construct a new home. I spent $16 to purchase two pieces of iron sheeting for my family's new home after receiving my transfers for December. I bought two pairs of clothes for each of my two sons last month during the holiday season in addition to the iron sheets. I'm happy that my kids finally got to wear new clothes after a long time. Last but not least, I used the $8 left over to buy food for my family, which we consumed over the holiday season. Since my husband and I both work as casual workers, we hardly ever have enough money saved to cover all of the family's expenses. I am appreciative to the organization for the financial assistance."

"I have eight children who are in school. Six of them are in primary school, while the other two are in secondary level. Meeting the needs of all the children, including paying school fees, buying stationery, and getting new school uniforms for each of them, was very difficult for me. I work as a casual laborer, performing manual tasks for pay like selling charcoal, constructing houses, and occasionally fetching water for other people. These jobs offer a daily salary of no more than $5, which is insufficient to support all of my kids. After receiving my December transfers, I was overjoyed because I spent $24 on two pairs of uniforms for my oldest son's secondary school. He made it through the entire previous year wearing a tattered and torn school uniform. To prepare my two secondary-school-aged sons for their return to school, I spent the remaining $10 to buy stationery for them. I am grateful for the significant financial assistance I am receiving from funds, which I use to support my children's essential needs and paying for their education."

"I felt so much happy the moment I received money from GiveDirectly. I was at home with my child at the time that I received money and it was around 3:00 pm. I shared the great news with my children who were with me at around that time. I felt very happy knowing and imagining how I was finally going to be able to build a better house and have access to clean drinking water. This is something that I had always thought of but which I could not do because of the little income that I got from the odd casual jobs that I engage in."

"The past two years have been filled with anxiety and hard work. Trying to build and run a salon in Ganze Town has taken everything I've had to offer emotionally, physically, and financially. GiveDirectly choosing me to receive the transfers meant that I could inject much-needed funds into the business. Lotions, water, and sodas, all for my clients, were among the items I purchased. Trying to make the salon a heaven of relaxation and peace was greatly aided by these additions. I also added more braids, wigs, weaves, and other hair accessories to use on my clients. With no husband and relying solely on my income to support myself and my children, it can be difficult to raise $35 to pay for my shop's rent.As a result, part of the funds were used to service some of the months in advance. My two children are in school. They both attend the PCEA Primary School in Grade 2 and PP 1, and their tuition is $40 and $20, respectively. The funds helped me in paying a good part of this in advance. Given the challenges I had been facing, such as the drought, which had resulted in a low yield from our 1.5-acre farm, which we use for domestic purposes, it was a blessing to have GiveDirectly shine some much-needed hope into our lives."

"The most significant difference is that the organization transformed my life. This is because I was able to build a decent house for my family, which would have taken a long time to save up for. Second, unlike before, we now have clean water for daily consumption, as opposed to having to go to the stream or buy water."