"I currently have ten goats and ten chickens, a venture I started as soon as I began receiving the GiveDirectly transfers. My plan is to allow the goats to breed so I can sell them to cover my children's school fees and eventually trade them for cows. I also take care of my neighbor's chickens and apply my skills to manage my own flock. I am confident that, over time, both my goats and chickens will thrive and multiply, providing opportunities to sell or trade them, which will help establish a reliable income stream to support my family's needs. Ensuring my children receive a good education is very important to me, and this will help make that possible. However, I have paused further investments in chickens and goats due to the ongoing drought, as I'm concerned about losing some of my livestock to the harsh weather conditions. Therefore, I want to focus on the animals I already have while monitoring the climate. Once the weather improves, I plan to resume my projects as originally intended."

"My spouse and I depend on casual jobs, but the ongoing severe drought has made these jobs increasingly difficult to find. We're becoming more worried about the lack of rain, as it could soon impact our access to drinking water. We have four children in school, and I place a high value on their education. I believe it is their key to a better future, helping them secure jobs or stable income. I make their school fees a priority, and with the latest transfer, I spent $78 on their fees, dividing it among them to prevent them from being sent home and missing their studies. The remaining $24 was used to buy food for the family."

"I am blessed with five children, all of whom are in school. I want to sincerely thank GiveDirectly for the financial support, as it has greatly eased my burden, especially when it comes to paying their school fees. I burn and sell charcoal to support my family, but finding customers can take several days since there isn’t always a ready market. Before GiveDirectly, my children often stayed home for extended periods due to unpaid fees, as we depended on charcoal sales for their education. Since GiveDirectly began providing financial support, my children are no longer sent home because I can pay their fees on time. With the most recent transfer, I allocated $34 towards school fees, dividing the amount among my five children. I also bought a goat for $60, as I’ve started goat rearing to secure my financial future. The remaining $8 was used to buy food for my family."

"I had been wanting to buy a bed for a long time, and with my most recent transfer, I finally decided to allocate $54 to purchase one. I’m happy to now own a bed. Poverty makes life incredibly difficult, as it prevents you from obtaining even basic things, so I’m truly grateful to GiveDirectly for their financial support. I had been sleeping on the floor for a long time, which is not safe, as insects could get in and bite me. I also spent $15 on food for my family, as we are facing drought, and even getting water is a challenge, so we have to buy it. Additionally, I saved $10 in our merry-go-round group for future financial investment when it’s my turn to receive the savings. Finally, I used $19 to pay school fees for my two children, dividing the amount between them."

"I had been sick, but I’m now feeling much better after seeking medical treatment. I’m really grateful to GiveDirectly for their financial support. With my most recent transfer, I used $16 to travel to my husband’s place for medication when I was very ill. This made things much easier for me, as I didn’t have to rely on others or beg for support. I’m glad I received the treatment I needed, and I’m now recovering well. I also used $34 to pay school fees for my six children, dividing the amount among them to cover the remaining balances, as I didn’t want them to be sent home. Additionally, I allocated $10 to boost my vegetable business, which I recently started to generate a little income to support my family, ensuring the business doesn’t collapse. With the remaining $42, I bought food for my family, as we had none in the house."

"It was in the morning when I received a message that I had received $180 from GiveDirectly, and it completely transformed my life. I had been feeling stressed about my child's secondary school fees, unsure how I would manage to pay them. With this money, I was relieved and overjoyed to finally address this important need, ensuring my child could stay in school without any interruptions."

"Recently, I was overjoyed and deeply grateful to receive $450 from GiveDirectly because I knew this would help bring my plans to life. I used $160 to buy two goats, as they thrive in my area and are a long-term investment that will generate income even after GiveDirectly's support ends. Additionally, I spent $99 on construction materials, specifically poles, to rebuild my house. My previous home was damaged by floods, and I want to use these poles, along with other materials from the damaged house, to build a new one on higher ground, safe from future flooding. Food has always been a challenge for my family. We often had to skip meals, so I used $88 to buy food that would last us for two months. This has given me peace of mind, knowing my family won’t have to worry about where our next meal will come from during this period. I also have two children in primary school, and I used $30 to pay their school fees. This has ensured they stay in school consistently, unlike before, when they would miss days due to unpaid fees. Finally, I spent $12 to buy ten chicks, as I plan to start poultry farming. This will help ensure that my assistance becomes sustainable, providing a steady income for my household. With poultry farming, I can meet my family’s daily needs without struggling as much as before. GiveDirectly’s support has truly transformed my life, enabling me to invest in long-term solutions for my family."

"I rely heavily on farming to support my family, but this year the hot and dry weather has severely impacted my ability to grow crops. This has left us without any food from the farm, forcing me to buy food at very high prices to ensure my family has enough to eat. To survive, I now depend on any odd jobs that come my way, but those opportunities are scarce. I also sell vegetables, but with the lack of rain, my business has suffered, making it even harder to earn an income. Despite these challenges, I have saved $40, which I plan to use in the coming months to buy a goat. This will be a future investment, as I can sell the offspring once the goat multiplies, providing some financial security. I spent $48 to pay school fees for my children, who are in primary school, ensuring they continue their education without interruption. With the financial struggles we are facing, I also spent $13 on food for my family, which ensured we had enough to eat. I am incredibly grateful for the financial support that has allowed me to meet my family’s needs during these tough economic times."

"In the coming year and beyond, I am determined to invest in a project that will generate sustainable income once the transfers come to an end. This project will help me escape the difficult life we’ve lived in the past. I’m glad that I’ve been using part of my transfers to acquire goats—so far, I’ve managed to get seven, which is a good start. Additionally, I’ve been using the transfers to pay my children’s school fees, allowing them to focus on their studies without interruptions. I’m very grateful to GiveDirectly for this opportunity. As the five years of support will soon come to an end, my priority is to invest in my children’s education and create an income source that will allow me to support my family with ease. By investing in goats, I’ll be able to sell some when needed to pay school fees and buy food for my family once the transfers stop. I don’t want to return to the poverty we faced before GiveDirectly’s support, so I’m committed to using these transfers wisely to secure our financial future."

"My plan for the coming years is to focus on farming, particularly planting maize, beans, and vegetables. I believe that by doing this, I can generate enough income to pay school fees for my children and ensure they get a good education. Along with farming, I also want to open a small business selling foodstuffs in my village. This way, I can have an additional source of income and provide for my family. I hope that with these efforts, I will be able to improve our living standards and give my children a better future. Farming and the business will help us become more stable financially and self-sufficient."