"I used to have a business before Givedirectly came to our village but the troubles of life had driven my business to the ground. Receiving the transfers allowed me to restart my business. Now this transfers have been the ones sustaining the business. I have recently spent $34 to add to my business. I am happy for this as I now can depend on myself for my financial needs without necessary having to wait for my husband to get jobs. We have a small savings group where I have recently saved $19. My son in college had his school fees also paid from the transfers at $10. I have also bought a goat at$34 and some chicken at $9."

"I am in Form One, and it is through GiveDirectly transfers that I have been able to stay in school, as my parents are peasant farmers. When I started receiving these transfers, I saw the need to support myself, allowing my parents to cover the fees for my younger siblings. Since these transfers have a specific timeline, I decided to invest them in a project that would help me pay my fees even after the transfers end, knowing I still have a long way to go. I initially bought a good number of chickens for my poultry project, with the number almost reaching 50. Unfortunately, when I came home from school, I was told that a disease outbreak had affected the chickens, wiping out all that I had bought. I felt devastated. Therefore, I have changed my plan and now want to invest in livestock, specifically goats, with my GiveDirectly transfers. This is my goal for the coming year and beyond. I am hopeful that this will thrive, as goats multiply very quickly. This will provide me with future financial security and serve as a reminder of the monthly transfers once they come to an end."

"I had a goal of investing in goats to complement my poultry farming. Currently, I have around fifty broiler chickens, which I aim to expand and use as a source of income when needed. With $102 from GiveDirectly, I was able to purchase two female goats. I believe investing in goats is a promising idea because they can multiply quickly and can be exchanged for cows. Previously, I owned about six cows, but a prolonged drought resulted in their loss, leaving me with only one. My plan is to eventually exchange the goats for cows, as investing in cows is a good form of investment, with each cow potentially selling for around $1,000 when they mature."

"With the transfers I’ve been receiving, I am driven by two significant dreams. The first is to build a better house for my family, as our current home is in such poor condition that it feels like it could collapse at any moment, with holes visible from the outside. Realizing this dream will not only restore my dignity as a family man but also greatly enhance our security. My second goal is to expand my goat herd and purchase chickens. I believe this will be crucial for my financial stability, especially once the GiveDirectly project ends. Having these animals will provide a reliable source of income to support my family. I plan to grow my herd to at least 20 goats, which will serve as a vital financial safety net for us."

"Since my husband passed away, I've felt overwhelmed and have struggled with many difficulties, often questioning why this is happening to me. One major concern has been our house, as some walls were close to collapsing. After receiving the transfers, I used $34 to buy building poles to repair one of the walls before it fell. I plan to fix all four walls, but I'm tackling the repairs gradually due to financial constraints. It's been a relief to see this progress and to feel some joy again for myself and my family. In an effort to secure my future, I invested $20 in buying five chickens, which I am now keeping at home. I believe that these chickens will quickly multiply and provide a source of stability should I face financial difficulties down the line. Additionally, with the remaining $48 from the transfers, I purchased enough food to sustain my family through the severe drought we've been enduring. This has been crucial for us, as the drought has significantly impacted our resources and made it challenging to ensure our basic needs are met."

"Floods have been persistent over the past four months, we have been displaced. During this period we've been forced to ask for hosting by neighbors from safer villages. Additionally, we also lost some of our household items such as utensils, beddings and ten chickens as a result. It has really made our lives hard and feeding our family is an uphill task. We depend on aid which hardly covers our needs and getting casual jobs or burning charcoal is difficult during the flood season."

"My house was blown away by strong winds, leaving me homeless. I am currently in the process of acquiring building materials to construct a new two-room house. To achieve this, I spent $20 of my recent transfers on building materials, hoping that one day I would be able to sleep in a nice home. Additionally, I spent $40 to buy livestock, specifically chickens and a goat. I am hopeful that the chickens will multiply, allowing me to buy more goats. These goats will also increase in number, and I plan to trade them for a cow, which hopefully will also multiply, which I can eventually sell to help fund my children's education in the future. Speaking of education, I spent another $20 to pay school fees for my children, ensuring they wouldn’t be sent home for lack of payment. I have also been saving in our local savings group, setting aside $2 of my recent transfers so that when it matures, I can use it to pay for my children's school fees. Finally, given the ongoing hunger in our region, I spent the remaining $20 of my transfers to buy food for my family, ensuring we wouldn’t go hungry."

"We are facing serious hunger in our region due to the ongoing drought, and we have exhausted all the food in our stores. To avoid going hungry, I spent $81 of my recent transfers from GiveDirectly to buy food for my family. I am truly grateful for the assistance that we receive from GiveDirectly, as I don't know what I would have done during these difficult times that we are currently experiencing. Additionally, I had some errands to run in the nearby town, which cost me $6 for transport to take me there and back. I also spent another $8 to buy chicken, hoping they will multiply and increase in number and value so I can sell them in the future and eventually buy goats. I believe that the goats will also multiply and increase in number and value and provide a reliable source of income in the future. Later, I spent $4 to pay school fees for my children, ensuring they could continue their studies without interruption. Finally, my child was unwell, and I took him to the hospital for necessary treatment, which cost me $3. I am happy to report that my child is now doing better and is even playing with the others."

"My family feels overwhelmed every time we get the cash transfers as it is an assurance of access to resources that the cash at our disposal could not access. The cash I received allowed us to buy some livestock as well as stock up on food and also got to pay school fees for my 6 school going children. I got a goat at $34 and some chicken at $9. I was also able to pay $15 to my children's school. Majority of the cash we received, went to purchase food for our big family at $39."

"Planting grass is a lucrative idea, we plan to add more acreage. It will add more income to our family through grass or seed sales. We plan to add an acre more costing approximately $300. This will include fencing, tilling and planting. Our house is small, and we need an extra room for our children. Building an extra room can cost about $350, materials have risen over the last few years. When we have a good home we'll be able to enjoy life and even host guests comfortably. Livestock farming does well here, we plan to add more goats and chicken. The dry climate is conducive for them. We'll use the rest of the transfer to buy more chicken and about five goats. This will act as a cushion during tough times or be sold to fund our children's education in the future."