"For a long time, I relied entirely on casual labor to supplement my income, while my husband worked as a rider providing motorcycle taxi service after acquiring a motorcycle on loan. Since starting the work, the majority of his earnings had gone toward repaying the $4 daily to the motorcycle seller, and he was unlikely to come home with any extra cash. Casual work on my side had been hard to come by, particularly during the dry season, and all our expectations rested on the first transfer after enrollment. Buying enough food for my family of three was an issue given our limited funds. I paid $90 for a sack of maize, 5 kg of dry beans, a carton of milk with 12 packets, sugar, tea leaves, and salt. We have been eating hearty meals without missing a beat since then. I also spent $30 on two goats that I hope will assist us with milk production in the future and whose offspring will be useful in an emergency. In addition, I needed gutters to gather rainwater from the roof, so I purchased two for $16. Despite the fact that I don't have enough collecting materials, I hope to purchase enough gutters to surround the roof in the future. I used the rest of the money to purchase a $2 rechargeable torch to supplement the solar lighting system we were using, as well as $2 toiletries. I am grateful for the support that I received and look forward to accomplishing much with the second transfer."

"I'm a polygamist who lives with my two beautiful wives in the same house along with our children. They both have 5 children each. As a polygamist, life has been difficult for me in teams of providing for the entire family. I had to produce farm for each of my wives equally and support them as well. The house we were in before couldn't commodity everyone. Givedirectly transfer enables me to build two decent houses for each of my beautiful wives. The remaining money I bought solar lights with other furniture to beautify our homes. I'm grateful to God almighty for the joy in my family."

"When I received the first transfer, I rebuilt my roof and it cost me 162 $, I bought a 40 $ solar lighting system, utensils 9 $, bought a piece of land worth 80 $, a mattress for 25 $ and some food worth 55 $. Renovating the roof of my house that was leaking was very urgent because my fa,ily would not sleep on rainy nights."

"The whole family was home when we heard the SMS ring alert. My husband and I can not read so it was up to our son to read the text for us. We were so happy after he let us know GD had sent the transfer just like they had promised. The first thing that came to mind was buying a plot of land, paying for my child's school fees and buying a solar lighting system for my house."

"I had a very concerning debt when I received the transfer. I paid off a debt for a solar lighting system that was worth 70 $ , I bought a goat for 56 $, I paid 10 $ for some land I was renting, I bought food for 42 $, school unifor, worth 4 $ for my child, a matress for 25 $ and a hoe for 4 $. My house needed some lighting. First of all for our very own security, but also for my child to be able to study at home."

"Owning a decent kitchen has always been my dream in life. This is because I was using a small structure that was leaking. Additionally, the roof was almost open and about crumpled down. Most of the time our food was contaminated by sand during preparation. I spent the recent transfer to construct a decent kitchen for myself. Currently, I am happy to cook in a safe and nice place unlike before. In addition, I bought new modern bedding for $210. Previously, I was sleeping on an old traditional thread-twisted bed that was requiring constant replacement through purchasing of new rope. Moreover, I spent $120 to purchase a solar lighting system for my house. Earlier, I did not have a lamp to light my house. I had to ignite the fire to provide the needed light at night. Lastly, I used $30 to pay school fees for the 2 grandchildren who are still in primary school."

"I have desired to build a decent and spacious house for my family. This is because we have been living with my 6 children in a small leaking structure and almost open. It was such a pathetic condition during the winter period as kids were always diagnosed with cold-related illnesses. I spent the recent transfers to construct a modern two-roomed, mud-plastered house for the family. Nowadays, I am glad we are living in a nice shelter courtesy of the aid from GiveDirectly. Moreover, I used part of the remaining amount to acquire new furniture that are bed and mattress, table and chairs. Lastly, I bought a solar lighting system for my house. At the moment, I am happy to get enough light at night and my children can now afford to do their night studies at home."

"I have relied heavily on farming for the last three years to make a living. I had to give up farming when the drought hit our region, so I started working manual labor jobs like building houses to support my family instead (wife and six children). My children are split between primary and secondary education, with three attending secondary school. When compared to how much I make each day, the school expenses I must cover for my kids are very high. As a result, I made the decision to start a poultry farm and sell chicken eggs to make a living. I was able to buy some layers with the money I had saved from previous transfers, who have since multiplied and now number 73. To ensure the security and comfort of my flock of chickens, I spent the entire $34 in transfers I received in December building a coop. In order to ensure their visibility at night and to increase production, I also purchased a solar light. Last but not least, I used $10 from the December transfers to purchase starter mash, which will help the hens grow effectively. I'm grateful that the funds have given the construction of the chicken coop a significant financial boost. With the project up and running, I am confident that I will have a secondary source of income that will enable me to cover my children's school expenses and also buy food for the family."

"I was using rechargeable solar lighting bulbs that I purchased on a hire-purchase basis and paid for in weekly installments. Even though I had not been consistent in making the payment, I am grateful that they were considerate enough to continue lighting up my home. They turned it off the month before I received the transfer because I had defaulted a lot and had to look for a full amount to be given the services back. The first transfer bailed me out when I paid off a $70 debt, allowing me to enjoy lighting as well as the use of a radio that came with the lighting equipment. Previously, I was reliant on a grocery store that I had to close because my mother became ill and I needed to be there for her as well as my three school-going children. I am glad she's feeling better and can cook for herself again. I also built a new house to replace an old hut that was almost falling. Termites had destroyed the walls, and the roof leaked during rainy seasons. I spent $300 on construction materials and labor charges. We are now content to live in a warm room.  I also paid $50 in school fees for my three children and purchased five chickens and two ducks for $25, with the intention of breeding and selling their products and chicks in the future. The remainder was later spent on food for my family of five, as well as miscellaneous expenses during the Christmas season."

"I spent $125 on new bedding and a new bed after receiving the first transfer. For a long time, I had been sleeping on old rags on the floor, which had caused severe back pain. I was concerned about the potential health consequences, but now I am grateful that GiveDirectly has changed my story. I also spent $40 on expanding and bringing in more birds to increase egg production and thus generate additional income. I also spent $65 on new clothing and shoes for my family of five, $5 on a new storage bag that I am currently using to store my clean clothes, $5 on new utensils, and $20 on school fees for my three children. In addition, for $78, I purchased a solar lighting system that included a battery and three bulbs and spent the remainder on food items such as rice, sugar, baking flour, wheat flour, and other items used during Christmas celebrations."