"Late last year, I made the decision to join a savings committee where we gave money to one individual each month so they could make a significant difference in their lives. When it is eventually my turn to receive the funds from the committee, I am hoping to use them to purchase a few farm animals, ideally goats, chickens, and possibly a cow as well, but I'm not sure because livestock is very pricey. After that, I'm also going to use the money I get from the charity to pay my grandkids' tuition since after their father passed away a few years ago, my daughter, who is also their mother, lost her job, and it's been incredibly difficult for her to support her children. I consequently made the decision to help her pay for her tuition because she is unable to accomplish anything on her own."

"To cover the arrears my primary school-aged children owed the school, I paid $24 of the transfers in school. I'm glad I was able to pay off the debt and I did not carry any arrears over to the students' subsequent academic year. Due to the holiday season, I used all of my transfers from the previous month to buy groceries for my family. I'm happy that the money allowed my kids to have the respectable Christmas party they had always wanted. In addition, I am a skilled tailor, albeit I do not work as one because I cannot afford a sewing machine. As a result, I joined a group that saves money monthly and distributes shares to each of the nine members in turn. I will use the money I get when I get my shares to buy goats to grow, then I'll sell them after a year to make money for a sewing machine. We rely on odd jobs to make a livelihood, but they don't pay much. Hopefully, our household income will increase once I purchase the sewing machine."

"Receiving this money will give us a new lease of life. We have always desired to build a better house but due to inadequacy in finances, it has not been possible. We are halfway glad that transfers from GiveDirectly is in the offing, it will be a big enabler to realizing our dream and improving our living conditions since the house we have at the moment is small and can hardly accommodate all of us now that we have a baby. We intend to use $200 for its construction and furnishing and the rest of the money to purchase goats which will boost our livelihoods since goat farming does well in our area."

"Since there is drought in our area, there is nothing I can do to improve my economic status apart from poultry farming. Using my monthly transfers, I usually buy two to three chickens per month for income generation and investment purposes. This year, I plan to continue boosting my poultry farming to make it a more extensive business venture; I currently have six chickens and will add three more at $3 each using part of my subsequent transfers. When the chickens mature, I will sell them to raise funds to buy goats which I will also sell in the future to raise money for school fees for my four school-going children."

"I started a business of tailoring five years ago. The business only does well during the festive season. On normal day, I get $3. This money is not enough to cater to my family's needs. I only buy food as my husband supports the rest of the bills such as school fees for my two children and pays for water. The drought season has been challenging and food has been expensive most days my family only take one meal a day to survive the day. Receiving this transfer has helped me buy two new machines that will help me increase my productivity at a faster rate, Install electricity at my compound, and buy a goat that would be providing milk for my family."

"My wife has epilepsy which has made me the primary provider of the family. She cannot get any employment because of her condition. I spent the first transfer to buy a motorbike that has been helping me with an income. I spent the second transfer to purchase ten goats at $420. The goat produces milk that I sell at $1 a liter. The money from the milk business helps to buy food for my five children who are in school. The other two are young and they have not started school. The other income from the motorbike business is used to pay school fees for them. Receiving this money has helped me save money for the future and buy food without strain."

"After I lost my only source of income from subsistence farming, I developed a dream of owning livestock . My ability to make money has been severely impacted by the effects of the drought. My son, a mason, is currently responsible for taking care of me. Due to the economic hardship in our village, it is very difficult for my son to find employment every day. Thus, a time comes when he loses his job and is unable to support his family. I chose to purchase a goat after receiving my December transfers. The goat is a wise investment for me now and in the future. The goat will give birth in a few months, increasing my initial investment. In an emergency, I might sell the goat and use the proceeds to take care of the calling. Along with purchasing the goat, I also purchased food for the holiday season with the $5 that was left over. I'm thankful for the money because it has made my family's faces light up by allowing us to eat delicious food such as "pilau" which is not a common meal for us."

"I spent $100 of my first transfer to renovate my house by constructing new walls. This is because it was collapsing from the inside something that made me live worried life that it might fall while inside with my 2 grandchildren. Currently, I am happy that I live in a decent house courtesy of the transfers. Additionally, I spent $100 to start a small grocery business for my daughter-in-law who is jobless. This will help her own a reliable source of income that will support her family as well as cater for the educational needs of the grandchildren. Furthermore, I bought a water barrel so as to store enough water for myself and a table since we use to place cooked food on the floor while eating and most of the time it was contaminated with sand. Lastly, I intend to spend part of the remaining amount to support the education of my grandson who is in grade 5 once the school reopens. With the other amount, I will buy 3 goats to start livestock keeping a future investment for myself."

"My poultry farm, which had more than 67 hens, failed at the end of last year. A strange illness that affected the hens caused them all to die. My attempts to save the situation were unsuccessful because all of the hens passed away within a two-week period. This year, I want to dedicate all of my time and effort to raising livestock, such as goats. I want to build up a sizable flock of goats by the end of the year, which will increase my initial investment. The choice of livestock is influenced by the severe weather we are currently having as well as the accessibility of medications that can be given to the animals in the event that a disease outbreak occurs. I'm crossing my fingers that this will work out as I search for a reliable source of income to support my family."

"My long-term objective has been to increase our household income so that we can give our kids the ideal possible life. My parents passed away before I could finish my secondary education, thus there was no one to pay for my college expenses. I have so far purchased 25 hens that I am raising as a form of future investment in order to make sure that my kids have the best possible education. For the next three months, as I have not yet attained my aim, I'm going to buy more of them. In addition, I joined a savings group wherein the fifteen of us each save $2 per month and alternately distribute it to one person each month. I do buy a goat for rearing every time I get my shares, and I still intend to keep saving and buy more goats whenever I get transfers for the next three months. They multiply every year, enhancing their profitability. The addition of the goats to the hens is a wise investment, and I'm hoping that the money I'll generate from them will allow me to easily meet my children's needs, particularly their educational needs."