"This transfer that i am going to receive from Givedirectly will help us to in many ways because we lack alot of things such as food, mattress, water bucket and i will also finish building my house. I am building a new decent house because during rainy season it is difficult to sleep because we have open windows."

"The biggest hardship we face is shortage of food. We have a large land but can not afford to buy fertilizer to produce alot of produce. The land also some times floods with water when heavy rains come leading to us having less food in our home"

"Having have renovated my pit latrine makes the biggest difference in my life. Some days back, I managed to construct a temporary pit whereby we could help ourselves, but then it very risky. Because the pit was very deep and it was not well constructed from above. Due to that, we had to use those of my neighbors and sometimes would help themselves in the bushes which were unhealthy because sometimes they were attacked by some water-born diseases such as cholera. I am now happy because the financial support empowered me to renovate my own latrine and we longer use our friends or the bushes. This has really reduced the high chance of being attacked with the communicable disease."

"I try my best to farm every year but this side of the village is flooded with water most of the times which results in harvesting low yields. I also depend on casual labour to find money so buying clothes or beddings is so hard for us."

"Receiving this money means a good house for me. I live in a house made of grass as i do not have the capabilities income wise to build a proper house. I live here as its close to my farm. When i receive this money i will build the house and buy new water pumps to use for irrigation."

"Having the pair of oxen that I recently bought makes the biggest difference in my daily life. This is because the pair will be of great help to me and my family in numerous ways. One in my agricultural activities, previously I used to plough my land using my own hands which were so tiring and time-consuming. At times I would hire someone to conduct the exercise for me which was very expensive and most of the time I could not afford it. I feel it is now a huge relief because I will be able to prepare the farm in good time and also the pair can take fewer days in ploughing my farm. This is a guarantee that I will be getting plenty of harvests. Also, the pair will also help me in carrying water from the dams which are very far from the village."

"The transfer is going to bring a big difference to my family. When the maize that we have planted on the farm, grows and ripens, we will be able to get food that can sustain us for quite some time. We have also planted Boma Rhodes grass on the farm, when this grass grows and matures, our cow will have something to eat. Having drawn the piped water to my compound, we will no longer have to make long trips to the river to fetch water. We will now be having water for household use and for irrigating the vegetables in the kitchen garden during the dry season. Also, when the house that we are building gets completed, we will be able to have a nice and bigger place to stay in. There will also be enough space that can accommodate guests visiting our household. My children too are happy because they got new clothes for themselves to wear."

"I spent most of my transfer on a dairy cow after loosing all my two dairy cows to skin diseases two years ago. Part of the transfer was spent on a 3000-litres water tank because rivers in our place are quite far and the water is contaminated therefore unhygienic for consumption. The rivers are also seasonal because of prolonged dry spells and at times you have to hire motorcycle to transport water from a far. I also bought a three seater sofaset, and the rest I spent on food and household items."

"I spent 80USD of my transfer on plastic chairs and sofa sets because initially I had benches which were uncomfortable.I also spent 180USD on 2000 litres water tank for water storage because rain is unreliable in our place. Some I spent on building a two roomed modern kitchen because the one I had was grass thatched with leaking roofs and the walls were falling apart especially during rainy seasons.Some was spent on purchase of one and a half sacks of maize in order to sustain us longer.This wasn't affordable before because we relief on casual labor like weeding and clothes washing. I also bought the latest clothing fashion and shoes because initially we used to buy second hand clothes which are a quite cheaper. I also bought maize seeds, bought a TV and a solar panel system on a hire purchase in order to keep my girls busy and prevent them from straying to my neighbor's houses."

"I spent part of my first transfer on buying a pair of oxen to aid me in farming. Previously I was hiring the oxen from neighbours at fee. This was a bit expensive with a larger acreage, thus leaving part of my farm uncultivated. As a farmer, having my own pair will ensure that I do my preparation timely and to fully utilise my arable land. I saved the remaining amount which I am planning to spend it on buying cement and blocks to rebuild my house and make it more permanent. I had built it on a waterlogged area and it risks collapsing if not in a stable condition to withstand heavy rains."