"For the past three months, I have been grappling with an eye disease characterized by teary eyes, blurred vision, and intense pain, rendering it challenging for me to work on the farm. During this period of illness, I relied heavily on my son, who works as a motorcycle taxi driver, to meet our immediate needs, including purchasing food and medicine. Fortunately, my condition has improved, allowing me to return to the farm and work comfortably, although some discomfort persists. Nonetheless, I am relieved and grateful to feel much better now. In preparation for the future, I have managed to save $40 with the intention of purchasing a goat later this month. Despite the high cost, I am determined to acquire goats because I recognize their potential to generate income and provide for my needs in the long term. Additionally, I allocated $28 towards purchasing food, ensuring that my family of eight never went hungry during this period. Earlier this year, I invested $40 in purchasing a goat, although unfortunately, a goat I acquired last year succumbed to disease. Nevertheless, I remain hopeful that the goat I currently own and any future acquisitions will multiply and serve as valuable assets in the future. I am grateful for the financial support provided by the transfers, which enabled me to obtain medication for my condition and facilitated my overall well-being."

"Before receiving the third transfer, my family and I lived in a tiny one-roomed house made of iron sheets, serving as our living and sleeping space. Cooking was an outdoor affair, and when it rained, we had to resort to cooking inside with a charcoal stove, which was risky. Hosting visitors in such a condition was impossible. I had always dreamt of building a bigger house, but with the scarce income from my part-time job as a tuk-tuk driver, which brought in about $3 a day, and my wife's occasional casual jobs alongside managing our farm, we didn't afford much, covering only our basic needs for our family of three like food. Farming was unreliable, largely due to unpredictable climate conditions, including severe droughts that left our nearby dam dry hence, unsuccessful harvests. However, everything changed with the support from GiveDirectly. With the third transfer, we built a two-roomed house. Now, I'm proud to host visitors and no longer have to cook outside. I'm deeply thankful to GiveDirectly for transforming our lives in such a significant way." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"The house we're currently living in is small and it cannot accommodate us comfortably. Despite it being a two rooms house, the rooms are so small. Currently, we have a goal of building a more spacious house as a family. We're planning to buy building materials in bits every month once we get our transfers using a portion of it. Though it will take us a longer time to achieve this, we have hope that we will finally complete the construction process. My husband provides taxi services to people using his motorcycle. With this work, he is able to pay school fees for our children and cater to some of our needs. Without GiveDirectly, I will not be able to help my spouse achieve this goal and it will take us more time since we will be depending on only one source of income to cater to all our needs."

"I used a significant portion of my transfer money, totaling $42, to pay school fees for my two children. My eldest is in Form Three, while the younger one is in Class Six. It brings me immense joy to see them continuing their education. My husband works as a motorcycle taxi rider, and I take on manual farming jobs for others. However, the income we earn is not enough to meet the needs of our family of four. Thankfully, the transfers have kept alive the hope of our children receiving a better education. I also invested $50 in purchasing a goat, which I see as a future asset since it will multiply over time. When the time comes, I plan to sell some of the goats to meet our immediate needs. Additionally, I bought food items such as maize flour and sugar, spending $26. This ensured that my family never went without food. I am incredibly grateful that the transfers have enabled me to provide for my family's immediate needs."

"I earn a living as a motorcycle taxi rider. The amount I earn from my job is enough to take care of the daily needs of my family of five members. To explore more avenues of earning income, I decided to spend my transfers to purchase livestock. Purchasing livestock is a wise investment due to their ability to multiply. After they multiply, the herd will grow big, and I will have an opportunity to sell some for a good profit. My ultimate goal is to own a dairy goat. To ensure that I achieve this goal, I have embarked on a journey to purchase more goats. I can exchange 12 goats for one dairy cow. The dairy cow has many benefits to me because I can sell milk and earn income from that. If it gives birth, then I will have a calf that I can sell later on and use the money to take care of my needs. I spent all $102 to purchase three goats. I currently have seven goats, and I am very grateful for the progress I am making towards ensuring I achieve my target of owning the dairy cow. The money from the transfers is helping me achieve my goal, and I am grateful." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"By the end of last year, I was struggling with chronic hypertension. Before I could get help, I had a stroke that left one side of my body paralyzed, including my hand and leg. In a short amount of time, this unusual condition depleted my finances, and my son, who has been taking care of me, was unable to pay for all of the medical bills. I am old, and this has weakened me even more. I am forever grateful for the monthly transfers that have kept me going, getting adequate medication, and also eating well. Though I was worried that I would not be able to cover the costs of the medical care, the recent transfers allowed me to pay $90 for the prescription. I was unable to speak or sit by myself before the treatment because my condition was worse, but I am now able to do so because I received treatment on time. I also spent $20 on buying adequate food and clean water. I hired a motorcycle to bring me water because I am unable to do anything because of this condition. In addition, I also installed a solar panel that I purchased on credit to enhance the lighting in my home. The conditions state that I must pay for it every day, and to ensure that I there is continuous lighting, I also took $15 and paid in advance, giving me a full month before I have to make another payment. This has also helped me with my current health condition, so I am happy that I no longer struggle with lighting."

"I am extremely grateful for GiveDirectly, who has made a significant impact on my life. While I have received help in the past, the unconditional transfer I received from GiveDirectly surpassed everything I've experienced before. I have always prayed for a decent shelter, as my current home is small, made of grass, and in poor condition. I was worried that it might be destroyed by heavy rainfall. Due to my age and health concerns, I spend most of my time at home and engage in subsistence farming during planting season. I have always believed that having a decent home is good for my health, especially now that I am older. GiveDirectly fulfilled this long-awaited dream. When I received my first transfer, I knew instantly that I would use it to build a new iron-roofed house. I bought enough building materials to accomplish this, including 22 iron sheets, building poles, nails, and timber. It would have taken me years to accumulate the resources to build this house, but with the help of GiveDirectly, it was made possible. Now, I can enjoy a decent home in my old age. My son, who operates a motorcycle and provides taxi services, has been my support system, but he also has five children to care for, so building a house was not possible for him. With the new home, I don't have to worry about heavy rainfall, and I can live in peace. I also used a portion of the money to buy new clothes for myself, foodstuffs, and to made sure that my grandchildren did not go hungry."

"I aspire to build my own comfortable house, replacing the mud structure I currently reside in to a stone-built home featuring two rooms. To achieve this, I plan to first focus on multiplying my goats and subsequently selling them one by one to fund the construction. Additionally, I will diligently save from my work as a motorcycle driver, maintaining steady progress toward my goals.The prospect of constructing a solid stone house represents a significant step towards achieving long-term stability and security.Through dedication and strategic planning, I am committed to realizing this dream and creating a space where I can thrive and flourish."

"This year, I want to try maize farming. It all depends on the rains, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll come. Doing maize farming is my goal for this year. If I can make it happen, I'll feel incredibly happy and satisfied." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"Previously, I worked as a boda boda rider, but now I'm enrolled in a mechanical course to improve my prospects. I strongly believe in expanding my skill set to secure better employment opportunities. Before receiving these transfers, I had no means of income to support myself. I am happy that I have been able to purchase a motorcycle through monthly payments and now I cover my course fees with the transfers. I allocated $27 to purchase a small goat, which I believe will prove useful in the future. Additionally, $34 went towards purchasing food for my family during Christmas festivities, and another $34 was utilized to settle my brother's pending school fee debt. The remaining funds were allocated to cover my mechanical course fees. This project has injected hope into my life, and I eagerly anticipate the future with optimism."