"I work as a mason, and upon receiving my transfers, I immediately allocated $30 to purchase essential tools such as a hammer, square, fleet, woodcutter, and tape measure to make my work easier. Additionally, I spent $4 on transportation to acquire these tools. Unfortunately, I fell ill and required medical attention, which incurred a cost of $28 in hospital fees. During my period of illness, I was unable to work, resulting in an expenditure of $6 on food from my transfer. Currently, I am diligently working on building my dream home, which involves constructing a block house. To kickstart the project, I invested $26 in purchasing cement. Utilizing the remaining $6, I hired a motorcycle to transport the cement to my construction site, ensuring efficiency in the building process. Despite facing setbacks, I am determined to continue building my dream home and turning it into a reality."

"With the help of the cash transfers I've been receiving from Givedirectly, I'm looking forward to achieving several goals in the coming year. I'm excited that soon, I will be owning a motorbike. This will not only enable me to run my own business but also help me to comfortably pay off the motorbike loan. Additionally, I plan to use the funds to build my family a permanent house, as our current one cannot withstand the harsh rainy weather. Furthermore, I will acquire more livestock and venture into dairy farming for an additional income generation. Givedirectly has given me hope in life." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I work as a motorcycle rider, and life hasn't been easy since our parents separated three years ago, leaving me and my siblings to fend for ourselves. With my elder sister married and my elder brother unemployed, the responsibility of caring for my six younger siblings often falls on my shoulders. Thanks to the support from Givedirectly, I've been able to make some positive changes. Over the last three months, I used the transfers to purchase three goats valued at $120. These goats represent more than just livestock; they're like a savings account that I hope will provide income once they start reproducing. Givedirectly's assistance has given me more than just financial help; it's given me hope for a brighter future, not only for myself but for my siblings as well. With this support, I can ensure my siblings have their basic needs met and also continue with their education, unlike before when they would often stay home due to lack of school fees."

"I currently have six goats. I want to invest more in goats and, once they multiply, I plan to sell them and buy dairy cows. This will create an opportunity for me to sell milk and generate income, especially since I am currently unemployed due to fracturing my hand in a motorcycle accident. I am determined to save enough to improve my children's lives and secure their future."

"As a widow, my reliance on my son, Rajab, a motorcycle rider, has been crucial for meeting the basic needs of our family, including food and school fees for his two younger siblings. Reflecting on the past three months, the cash transfers have significantly eased his burden, enabling me to contribute to our family's needs. I allocated $34 towards purchasing food for Christmas celebrations during the holiday season. Our family had memorable gatherings with delicious meals that brought us closer together. When schools resumed, I spent $15 to cover the school fees for my primary school son and invested $6 in buying him new school uniforms, as he had outgrown his old attire, which was also tattered. Also, I set aside $30 from the funds to acquire building materials for constructing a new house. This decision stemmed from the unfortunate collapse of my previous dwelling due to recent rains, leaving me houseless. I moved into the kitchen structure, where I currently reside. I then used $4 to purchase a hen and revive my flock of chickens, which had succumbed to coccidiosis disease. As the chickens multiply, I plan to sell them to generate funds for the family's needs. The remaining funds were allocated for household expenses, including toiletries and food."

"Before receiving my second transfer, my husband and I had discussed spending the money on purchasing a second-hand motorcycle. Immediately after I received my transfer of $450, we proceeded with our plan. We bought a second-hand bike for $400, although this bike was acquired on credit and still has an outstanding balance of $800. We hired a rider who earns us $5 a day. From this, we use $2.5 to pay off the pending arrears, and the remaining $2.5 to cover our daily needs. I work alongside my husband in producing charcoal, a job we turned to after he lost his job as a petrol station attendant. We sell a sack of charcoal for $6, which helps us provide for our 2-year-old daughter. However, this work is challenging. Sometimes we get hurt by the thorny trees, and cutting them is difficult since we do it ourselves; we cannot afford a power saw. Moreover, the work often results in back pains. Finding logs is also becoming a challenge as we have exhausted the trees on our farm. We now source them from our neighbor’s farm and share the profits with them, paying $1.5 per sack. The number of sacks we can produce depends on the logs we manage to get. This pushed us to acquire the motorcycle as an alternative source of income. Additionally, I had taken food items on credit from a shop worth $25, which I managed to clear. From the remaining $25 I spent $10 in charcoal production and $15 I bought food to sustain us for a few days. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for your support."

"I have a motorcycle which is my bread and butter, my wife has a small vegetable stall where she sells vegetables fruits and fish from. She is still at the starting stages and although I had hoped that my earnings from my Motorcycle business would contribute towards boosting her business it has note been the case. I am saving so as I can heave enough to take a shop and expand the business to her being able to have her own shop rather than the stall which needs her to load and offload it daily." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I never thought it would be possible to achieve my dream of building a home until I began receiving Givedirectly funds. I live in a one roomed grass thatched house with my family of 4 children and two adults. I am a motorcycle rider who got the motorcycle on loan and I was paying the loan as I also provided for my family. This meant I would rarely have money to spare to buy iron sheets and other building material. Thanks to Givedirectly transfers, I have been able to direct my transfers into savings towards this goal as well as buying roofing sheets which are the most expensive component in house construction. I have saved $30 in the recent months, I now have 20 sheets of iron with an addition of 2 sheets worth $20. I have also been able to cover other necessities in the house such as food which has cost me $23, school fees at $10 and clothes at $10." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"I am currently relying on transfers to educate my five children, two of whom are in high school and three in primary school. If it wasn't for these transfers, raising the required amount of school fees would have been a challenge for me. As the breadwinner, I rely on menial construction jobs, which haven't been paying well due to their unpredictable nature. Sometimes, I can go for weeks without securing a job. However, I am at peace knowing that the transfers will take care of my children's education. Therefore, my current goal is to educate my children, and I don't have any other goal apart from that. This program has been very helpful, and I believe that my children will realize their aspirations for the time that I will be in the program." (Occupation: Motorcycle or bicycle taxi)

"My family has access to food because of the generosity of the transfers we receive. It is in very rare occasions that we worry about food since we started receiving transfers. This has allowed me to channel my energies about planning for a future for my young family. I am saving towards getting my oldest in school once they get to 5 years of age and also having the younger one join soon after. I plan to continue saving the portion of the money left after purchasing food to get my child to school to get education which will open opportunities as they grow. I also intend to use this savings to buy a motorcycle on loan and pay using the earnings I get from it."