"The moment I heard the news, my heart raced with excitement. I was at a nearby farm, doing casual work with my neighbor, when he mentioned that money had arrived. Unfortunately, I didn't have my phone with me because it was charging in town, so I couldn't confirm it myself. However, when I finally got my phone in the evening and saw the message, I was overjoyed! I had been dreaming of owning a cow again since mine had died from illness. I had been taking care of other people's cows, but it didn't feel right without having one of my own. This money gave me hope, and I was eager to use it to buy a new cow."

"Currently, my family and I reside in a small one-room house. I have always wished to build a better and more spacious house for us, but due to limited income as a peasant farmer, this has not been possible. However, since I joined the GiveDirectly program, I have gained hope and determination to work towards constructing a new house in the coming year and beyond. My plan is to build a new house to provide my children with their own space and to give the adults in the family their own space as well. To achieve this, I intend to allocate my transfers towards paying school fees for my children and purchasing building materials for the house. This way, I can gradually work towards constructing a new home for us. Additionally, I have aspirations to own cows for plowing my farm. To accomplish this, I have been investing in chickens, hoping that they will multiply. In the future, I plan to trade the chickens for goats, allow the goats to multiply and increase in value, and eventually trade them for cows. Achieving these goals means a lot to me and will bring me great happiness."

"In the upcoming year and beyond, I aspire to start a livestock farming venture focusing on goat keeping. This is to ensure a stable source of income and secure my future. Goats are perfect for my plans because they are resilient and can thrive in the harsh climate of our area. Unlike cows, which would struggle in such conditions, goats are hardy, affordable to buy, and easy to maintain, making them an ideal choice for someone like me who wants to start small but dream big. To make this vision a reality, I plan to save $10 monthly, gradually building enough funds to buy my first few goats. With patience, hard work, and dedication, I envision this venture growing into something significant that will provide for my family and give me peace of mind about the future."

"After receiving $200 from GiveDirectly, I had already planned how to use the money to improve my life and my family's. My son was about to join university, but I hadn’t cleared his secondary school fees. This made it hard for him to get his secondary school certificate, which is needed to enroll in university. I used $100 to clear the fees, and now my son has started his first year of university, which makes me very proud. Next, I used $50 to lease one acre of land for pea farming. The crop is almost ready for harvest, and prices are good in the market. I plan to use the money from the harvest to pay school fees and buy a cow. I also used $50 to repair my kitchen and the floor of my house. The recent floods had left the floor muddy, and I had trouble cooking during the rainy season. Now, with my kitchen improved, I no longer worry when it rains. As a single mother, life can be tough, but thanks to GiveDirectly, I was able to plan and meet my most urgent needs."

"Before receiving the cash transfer, life was very difficult for me and my husband. We are old, and finding money to take care of our needs was a big challenge, especially after our cow was attacked by dogs and died. I had no money to harvest my maize, which made things even harder. However, with the transfer, I was able to harvest and shell my maize, getting 540 kgs. I achieved this because of GiveDirectly, and I am very appreciative, despite the heavy rains and strong winds that damaged some of the crops. Now, we are happy and thankful because we no longer worry about where our next meal will come from. The cash transfer gave us the relief we needed and allowed us to stay home comfortably while taking care of our livestock."

"For the past six years, I’ve been living on my relative’s land after my own was submerged in water. My wish to buy land was not successful since I relied on casual jobs and charcoal production, which earned me an average of $3. I prioritized the needs of my family of five and couldn’t save anything. Upon receiving my second transfer, I decided to buy half an acre of land for $300. Additionally, to supplement my income, I bought two goats for $50 each. I had never owned goats before, but they do well in our area. My purpose for this is to provide milk for my family, and as the goats multiply, I will be able to sell them to address other needs. I also spent $35 on a mattress for my wife and me, giving our old one to our children, who had been using cowhide. Although we had maize at home, we lacked other essentials like sugar, so I used $10 for that and spent the remaining $5 on transport for my wife and me on our way back from the market where we bought our shopping."

"I am confident that with consistent hard work, I can transform my life for the better. I am determined to break free from my current circumstances and strive towards a brighter future. My plan is to begin by investing in livestock, starting with chickens and then gradually expanding to goats and eventually cows. By selling the chickens once they've multiplied to a good number, I aim to acquire goats, which will then provide a foundation for obtaining cows. These animals will not only multiply but also provide valuable resources such as milk, and the bulls that I will acquire can be used for farming. Additionally, I have started buying and selling dried fish to further increase my income. Each step of this journey is fueled by my desire to enhance our living standards and build a sustainable future for myself and my family. While I acknowledge that goats can be expensive, I am dedicated to finding a way to make this plan a reality."

"Previously, I was determined to build a separate kitchen to protect my family from the smoke and toxins of cooking inside our home. I am thrilled to share that the kitchen is now complete! Looking ahead, my plan is to establish a herd of livestock, including bulls that will assist with plowing my farm. To achieve this, I intend to use a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly to buy more goats. I hope they will multiply and increase in number, allowing me to trade some of them for cows in the future. This investment will provide me with a reliable source of support for my family and help fund my children's education, especially when this program comes to an end. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead!"

"My current focus is to ensure my daughter completes her secondary education by paying her school fees using a portion of the transfers I will receive from GiveDirectly. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to support her studies without interruptions, allowing her to concentrate fully on her education. Given the ongoing drought and hunger affecting our region, I also plan to use part of these transfers to buy food, ensuring that we remain nourished until the rains return and we can harvest again. Once we have a stable food supply, I intend to redirect the funds towards purchasing more livestock. After my daughter completes her studies and while she awaits her results to join college, I will also use the transfers I was allocating for her school fees to buy goats. I am hopeful that these goats will multiply, increasing in number so that in the future, I can trade them for female cows, which will also breed and grow my herd. My dream is to develop a large and diverse herd of livestock that will serve as a valuable asset for my family. This will not only help me provide for my family but also support my grandchildren's education, especially when this program comes to an end. I am truly excited about the possibilities ahead and grateful for the support that GiveDirectly has provided us, enabling us to change our future for the better."

"My aim for the upcoming year and beyond is to establish a large livestock-rearing project, specifically focusing on goat rearing. Currently, I have managed to purchase five goats. I am fond of goats due to their rapid multiplication and their resistance to diseases. Additionally, goats have a ready market, so there's no need to struggle to find buyers in case I want to sell them. Initially, I considered investing in poultry, but an outbreak wiped out almost all the chickens in our village, leading me to give up on poultry farming. Furthermore, my primary goal is to diversify my livestock by adding cows, which would be beneficial for plowing land and eliminate the need to hire services from neighbors. To accomplish this, I plan to allocate a larger portion of my monthly transfers, approximately $30 , to save up for a cow that costs $180 to get started."