"Five years ago, my husband passed away, leaving me with the responsibility of caring for our seven children. Of these, five are in school, and paying their fees has been a significant challenge since I rely on selling snacks and charcoal to make a living. Recently, with the cash I received, I managed to pay $29 in school fees and purchase a new uniform for one of my children. I'm relieved that this semester they won’t be sent home for unpaid fees, which is motivating them to do their best in their studies. Additionally, I bought a goat and two chickens for $44, which I am keeping at home. These animals will be very beneficial as they breed and increase in number, making it easier to cover school fees in the future by selling some of them. Since we didn't harvest anything from our farms this year due to the drought, I used $29 to buy a large supply of food to last us until the next transfers arrived. This will help us stay well-fed while we wait for better times."

"My husband has been out of the picture for a long while, I cannot even remember when we last spoke. I have had to carry the burden of educating, feeding and housing our seven children. Givedirectly has lifted my burdens by providing this cash transfers. My life now is much lighter that it was before. I have used $27 to pay school fees for my oldest, I used $34 to finish my building project my sons and also got some goats and chicken at $34. I am so excited for the difference cash has had in my life."

"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 want to express my gratitude to GiveDirectly for their financial support. It has enabled me to acquire valuable items by investing in our savings groups, which we established specifically for our monthly transfers. With my most recent transfer, I spent $34 to save in our chama because I plan to invest in buying goats. I am working hard to invest in this initiative because these transfers will eventually come to an end, and I don't want to return to a state of financial instability. These goats will serve as my a financial security. Additionally, I used $11 to pay school fees for my children to ensure they wouldn't be sent home due to unpaid balances. With the remaining amount, I allocated $34 to buy food so my children would have something to eat when they come home from school. Finally, I spent $20 to buy a goat and $3 on chicken feed since our chickens were running out of food."

"I aim to invest in goats as part of my strategy to diversify beyond poultry farming. Currently, I have around fifty broiler chickens, which I plan to expand and sell when needed. My goal is to acquire approximately ten goats, which I believe will multiply and provide an opportunity to eventually exchange them for cows. Additionally, I want to build a three-room house to replace my current mud house and improve the living conditions for my three children. I am also engaged in selling milk and will work diligently to achieve these goals and provide a better life for my family."

"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 that encountered our region, leaving me homeless and inneed of a new house. Currently we are living in a makeshift shelter which is not quite good for my family. I therefore have a plan of acquiring building materials to construct a new two-room house for my family. For me to achieve this, I plan to use a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly to gradually buy the necessary building materials and eventually build a new home for my family. In addition to this, I aim to acquire a substantial number of livestock, starting with chickens and goats. I hope that the chickens will multiply, allowing me to buy more goats. As the goats increase in number, I plan to trade them for a cow, which I also hope will multiply so that I can eventually sell some of these animals to help fund my children's education in the future. I believe that with the strategic use of these transfers, I can achieve my dream of having a stable home and livestock, which will serve as valuable assets, especially when this program comes to an end."