"As a widow, I am the immediate person on whom my family relies to provide for their needs. To cover these necessities, my primary source of income is charcoal burning. Since many people in my region over-rely on the practice for survival, there aren't many trees left to cut down. Only tree stumps are accessible, which are difficult to dig and split to make charcoal. Because of the physical demands of the activity, producing the end product might take up to three weeks. Even after waiting so long, the most I can make is $5, which is barely enough to feed my family of eight for two days (my daughter, sister-in-law, and her 5 children). As a result, hunger is a huge concern in the household. We had starved for two days before the transfer, and I spent $6 on food and $1 on clean water. I spent $25 on a goat, and I'm delighted I now have three goats as a result of the transfer. I desire to let them multiply and grow the herd so that when I sell them, they can cover my needs in the future. Finally, I paid $2 for medicine because I had been sick with Malaria for the entire week. Though I am not fully recovered, my condition is improving thanks to the transfer."

"I would want to furnish my home and put tapped water. After accomplishing this, I would also want to start my own small business of selling household stuff so as to substitute my casual job salary. This would mean that I will be able to cater for my family's basic needs with much ease."

"A dairy cow was on the top of my to - do - list, as soon as I received the transfers from GiveDirectly. It was closely followed up by my acquisition of a 1,000 litre water storage tank, to help with the sporadic water supply at our place. The funds helped me greatly since, as a widow, mother of 9 ( all of whom are above 18 years, some married and others working) and grand mother to 10 I have to fend for myself, seeing as my kids are busy raising their own families. It has been 20 years since my husband died and I have been living off the fruits of my 5 acre piece of land where I till maize and sell. If GiveDirectly had not stepped in, I would have been hard pressed to accomplish what I did with the funds they sent."

"My husband, who does odd jobs like gardening and delivering water, is our only source of support. The job is inconsistent, and occasionally he waits a week before receiving one. He has found it difficult to satisfy our demands as a result, particularly since that food prices have increased as a result of the protracted drought. I paid a $20 examination fee for my four children with the last three transfers, and fortunately, they were permitted to take their end-of-year primary exams. $74 I used to buy food so that my family could eat for a while. I appreciate the help because it has made our lives better."

"Now that my four children are teenagers, it is very challenging to share a room with them. For the past twelve years, the six members of my family have resided in the small, one-room house. I purchased used iron roofing sheets to cover the house, but they are severely corroded and have large holes that allow rainwater to enter the structure. This year, I intend to use the funds to purchase new iron sheets, building poles, and cement bags. This will make it possible for me to construct a large two-room home where my children will have their own room separate from my husband's and my own, preserving our privacy."

"My biggest challenge is unreliable sources of income. I dependent mostly on subsistence farming but because this is also seasonal given the arid climatic conditions over here, I have a business selling piped water. Averagely this business earns me up to $30 monthly but still I have challenges with perennial outages and the fact that during rainy seasons most villagers prefer to get water from free water sources like water pans. Sometimes water outages can last up to a whole month that I just have to sell my chicken to be able to pay the fixed charges amounting to $5 monthly."

"In my opinion, Give directly has done well to enroll our village which has many poor families. The support funds have ensured that the children are back in school and most of the families without homes have built their own homes. Our area had water issues. The funds have helped most people install water meters and tap water in their compounds, others bought water tanks, which have enabled them to collect and store water during this rainy season. There is nothing that can be measured on the impact of the unconditional funds received from GiveDirectly."

"I no longer have the energy to work because I am old. I am entirely dependent on my daughter, who makes a living by selling charcoal and performing manual labor for pay, such as fetching water for others. I feel terrible that with her meager income, my daughter has to carry the enormous responsibility of caring for me and her children. I spent a significant portion of my transfer, which came to about $25, on food for the family. I bought five packets of two kilos of maize flour, one kilogram each of sugar, beans, and cooking oil, as well as one kilogram of beans. My daughter was relieved of some of the burden when I bought this food in bulk. I'm relieved that our food needs are no longer a concern because she now has more time to plan and reenergize as she considers where to seek employment. I put the last $10 into a savings group so I would have enough money to construct a house. Following the collapse of my home four months ago, I am currently taking refuge in my daughter's. With the transfer money, I can't wait to get started on building my house."

"I spent a significant amount of my transfer on a goat that cost $15. My daughters are currently in primary and secondary school, respectively. Due to the nature of my job, which does not pay well, I struggle greatly to pay for my children's school expenses. It was a wise investment for me to purchase the goat so that I could eventually afford to send my children to school. In the event that I don't have the money, I will sell some and use the proceeds to pay the school fees. To ensure that my oldest daughter stayed in school and continued her studies, I paid $10 in school fees. I eventually purchased a single piece of iron roofing sheet to replace an older, worn-out one on my roof. Numerous holes in the old piece allowed rainwater to seep in and eventually ruin my property. I'm relieved that my family and I will be safe during the rainy season thanks to the replacement."

"I was very optimistic that we would start harvesting food from the farm this year. My main objective with farm food in plenty for consumption was to purchase livestock with the transfer earnings this year. However, due to the severe effects of the drought that have weathered all the farm's crops, this won't be the case. My current plan is to use the cash to buy food, water, and just enough to cover my children' school expenses. The situation is getting worse every day due to the sun's harsh rays. We hope for better times so that we can put the money to work for us, but if things continue as they are, there is no choice but to spend it on buying food."