"Receiving this money means that we shall be leading a better lifestyle as a family. This is because I will use KES 18000 on purchasing a water tank for storing rainwater. The relatively few and shallow dams that we usually rely on have been drying up. Secondly, I will buy a dairy cow using approximately KES 40000 to provide us with milk, primarily for sale to earn some income. Currently, we do not have a cow. Further, I will spend the remaining amount on improving my kitchen since it has a leaking roof."

"Kafukoni village has been affected by severe drought and famine. All water ponds dried up and we last harvested three years ago. I do not have any investment that can help me get food for my family now. The family survives with one meal a day. Sometimes we go without any meal. My youngest child cry every day we miss any meal. That is very hard for me to bear. That is the biggest hardship I faced in my life."

"Even though I am getting old, I spend my morning hours in my garden where I have grown maize and bananas. I especially do weeding and harvesting while looking after my two goats. I spend my afternoon hours doing household chores before fetching water and firewood in the evening. Having time to relax in the evening after a tiresome day is the happiest part of my day."

"Long drought and famine that is currently facing our village is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced. Over the years, I have been depending on subsistence farming which would give us plenty of harvest. However, this has changed since the land is very dry. We also experience water shortages which makes it difficult to even do irrigation farming. In most cases, we go without food due to lack of water for only cooking leave alone bathing. This has forced me to start charcoal selling business which is illegal but because it is the only means for survival, we have no option. I intend to use the cash transfers to clear fee balances, buy food and buy livestock that will help us sell to get money when they multiply."

"I work as a casual laborer within the village. I do jobs such as weeding and planting on the farms. Whenever there is no casual job I work on my farm planting or weeding crops such as beans, maize, and onions.After which I do household chores such as fetching water down the stream, washing and cleaning the compound. After completing my day's work I get to relax in the evening watching the television with my three kids. Evening is therefore the happiest part of my day."

"I am happiest during the harvesting season of rice. Unlike maize, I harvest a lot of rice because rice requires a lot of water."

"I live with my husband and grandchildren. Both my husband and myself are elderly and after i was enrolled in the programme i got burnt with hot water. When i recieved the money, part of the money has been used to buy medicine and other things needed for the injuries. My husband wants us to fix our house by plastering the house and painting. We want to do so that we leave our grandchildren a house that is complete."

"Receiving this money will mean that my household will no longer struggle to find food anymore and a better house for my family one with iron sheets. We are 5 people in my household and we struggle a lot to find food because both me and my husband we depend more on casual labours such as farming in other people's farms, drawing water for those building houses or my husband fish for other people at the lake. All these are low paying casual labours which we earn the maximum of MWK1000 per day which we end up buying just 5 kilograms of maize and relish on that day. Suffering every rainy season yearly will also no longer be an issue since I will have an iron sheet roof on my house and I will be able to build a house with burnt bricks aswell."

"As I was coming back from the river where I normally fetch water for our domestic use, I received a message that notified me of the anticipated transfer from GiveDirectly. I was so excited that even though I was carrying a 20-liter bot on my back that normally keeps me relaxing at some intervals, I did not take it off my back that day as I even moved a little bit faster than usual. I was eager to relay the good news to the other family members as we had plans in place and was sure that it was indeed the money I was expecting from GiveDirectly. Everyone was equally excited to receive the news at home, and my children could not resist reminding me that I needed to obtain some new clothes as I had promised them."

"I was so excited when you came and told us about this program in our village. There are many things that I have wanted to do but I have been limited. Receiving this money, I will buy a water tank with KSH 25,000 from the transfer and set it up because my area receives less rain hence the need to harvest. I will also buy a barbed wire with KSH 6,000 from the transfer for paddocking."