"With my house in such a devastating state, I plan to use the transfers I will receive from GiveDirectly to gradually purchase building materials and eventually construct a new home for my family. This will help us escape the hardship of sleeping in the cold at night and eliminate the need to borrow a place to stay, especially during the rains. Once the house is built, I intend to use my transfers to buy goats, hoping they will multiply and increase in number and value. In the future, my goal is to trade these goats for cows, which will also multiply and provide me with a reliable source of income, particularly when this project comes to an end. I am truly grateful for the support that GiveDirectly is providing me."

"I took a solar light on credit that cost me around $160. To continue enjoying its benefits, I need to make monthly payments, and my plan this year is to repay this debt using the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly. I’m pleased to say that my house is now well-lit, which is a significant improvement. In addition to repaying the debt, I want to save another portion of my transfers in our savings group. Once those savings mature, I plan to use the funds to buy more goats. My hope is that these goats will multiply, increasing in number and value. Eventually, I aim to trade them for female cows, which will also multiply and increase in number and value, hence providing a good source of income, especially once this project comes to an end. I am optimistic that, in the future, I will have something valuable to rely on to support my family."

"To safeguard my family's food from contamination and splash of water when it rains is to construct a small kitchen for them, so in that case I am planning to build a kitchen for my family. I am also planning to buy chain links to fence my compound because I have been facing a lot of challenges chasing neighbour livestock out of my compound when they invade to feed on my vegetables, that chain link will prevent them from getting in.i will use the remaining money to buy goats and cows for my family so that we can enjoy the previllege of fresh milk."

"I am grateful that the transfer came when I needed it the most. Our one-and-a-half-acre farm was submerged by recent floods. Losing the farm was a painful experience, as it held so much of our hope of fending for our family of seven and paying the fees for our three children in secondary school. To salvage the situation, my spouse and I decided to sell our cow, using the proceeds to lease nearby land unaffected by the floods. When the transfer arrived, our tomatoes urgently needed water as the rain had stopped and we couldn't afford to irrigate. With the transfer, we used $40 to buy petroleum for pumping water onto the land to nourish the tomatoes. Additionally, I used $50 to pay school fees for my son in day secondary school, fulfilling a promise to the school to keep him enrolled until we could clear the term's arrears with the money from GiveDirectly. We also spent $46 on food, ensuring that we had enough to last us for a while. Furthermore, I used $10 to buy plastic utensils, as the floods had carried away all we had. We had been borrowing from a neighbor, and I was finally able to return her utensils. I kept the remaining amount aside to maintain the tomato farm."

"Upon receiving the transfer, I decided to use it to buy two cows. I am a victim of banditry that displaced us from our area of origin. During this tragic event, I lost all 46 of my cows, leaving me with only 10 calves. Over time, I have been rearing these calves, but I was eventually forced to sell them to fund my children's education, as I have two in secondary school. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly, I used about $430 to buy two female cows. I have realized that cows offer better returns than goats. For instance, selling one cow at $200 (at the lowest price) can cover a whole year's fees for one child. In contrast, I would need to sell about five goats to raise the same amount. In addition to buying cows, I used $10 on dewormers for them to ensure their health and productivity. With the remaining $10, I bought some essential foodstuffs for my children. This has been a significant relief, knowing that I am gradually rebuilding our livestock."

"In the recent past, I have noticed a potential in cow and goat farming in this area. The availability of water from a river which is 300 meters and rarely dry makes that venture very possible to manage. So my plan if I get the transfer is to purchase two cows at an average cost of $180 each which will require one year to reproduce and that will be a good investment for my family. The intention for the remaining amount is to finish my house which is halfway now. The house will need approximately $450 to it's completion."

"Due to the destructive floods we lost some household items and have limited food supplies. We intend to use the first transfer to buy food and household items such as blankets, utensils and clothes. This will improve our living conditions immensely. The transfers will also assist me settle a $300 loan borrowed from a local seed company. I had borrowed the money for farming hoping for returns. Floods destroyed my crops leaving me with a debt. When settled I will be able to have peace of mind and be able to borrow in the future when needed. Farming is a lucrative venture here due to the fertile lands and enough water for irrigation. It's also risky due to the floods. Additionally, I intend to buy a cow and 4 sheep. It will cost approximately $600. They breed well and the cow will provide us with milk. I'll be very happy and thankful to Givedirectly for the help. It means I can sell my livestock during emergencies or to pay for my children's education. The remainder of the transfer will help me settle school fees for my daughter in secondary school. I'm looking forward to receiving the transfer. I promise to change my life with it."

"I have a strong interest in agriculture, but financial constraints have prevented me from pursuing it. With these transfers, I intend to set aside $309.55 for the purchase of a ploughing machine and two male cows to aid in farm cultivation. Allocate an additional $309.55 for plastering my home and $232.16 for building a latrine, enabling my family to cease depending on the neighbor's facilities."

"I used my previous transfers and ventured into turkey farming, and my plan is to continue using my transfers to grow this venture. Currently, I have 22 turkeys, and my hope is that they continue multiplying and grow in number and value so that I may be able to sell them in the future. I have already identified a market for them, and when I sell some of them, I plan to use the proceeds to buy goats. It is my hope that these goats too will multiply and increase in number, and I will trade some of them in the future for milk cows and use the milk for my family's consumption. These cows, too, I hope, will multiply and increase in number so that I may be able to sell some in the future. I want to have a variety of livestock on my farm so that I may sell some and start a kiosk where I will be selling non-perishable goods and have a daily income-generating source for daily sustenance for my family. Thereafter, I plan to build a rental house in the future to have a consistent income-generating project. To build this house, I will use the proceeds I will make from selling some of my livestock. Since we consider livestock our banks, leveraging the transfers to invest in livestock is a proactive step to creating a reliable and growing asset base that can provide for my family's needs even after the transfers come to an end."

"Previously, I had a plan to start a dried fish-selling business, and I did venture into it. However, after a few months, I realized that I was not making much progress with the business, so I had to stop it and take another course. My plan for this year and beyond is to continue saving a portion of my transfers in a merry-go-round group. When I receive the pooled funds, I plan to use them to buy more livestock, especially goats and some chickens. I hope that these animals will increase in number and value so that, in the future, I can trade them for cows, particularly for milk. The milk will be for my household consumption, providing nutrition for my family, and any surplus can be sold. These milk cows will also multiply and increase in number and value. I plan to sell the cows in the future to support my family. This livestock investment strategy is my new focus, as I believe it will be more successful and sustainable than the dried fish business I previously attempted."