"With four children in school and the support of my husband, who has some casual work, my primary goal is to ensure they continue their education. To achieve this, I plan to keep using a portion of my transfers to pay for their school fees, allowing them to focus on their studies without interruptions. Given the current drought and hunger in our region, I also aim to consistently buy food to keep my family fed and prevent us from going hungry until we are blessed with rain and can enjoy good harvests. Once we have a stable food supply, I will redirect my transfers to purchase more chickens to add to the ones I already have. My hope is that these chickens will multiply and increase in number, providing me with the opportunity to sell them in the future to help fund my children's education. I am committed to securing a better future for my family!"

"The transfers arrived at a crucial moment when one of my children had been sent home due to unpaid school fees. To ensure she could return to school and to keep the others from facing the same fate, I used $20 of my recent transfers to pay her school fees. I also spent $2 on books for some of my children, as they were necessary for their learning. Additionally, I invested $34 in goats and chickens, hoping they would multiply and increase in number so that I could eventually trade them for bulls for plowing. Unfortunately, there was a disease outbreak, and all my chickens died, which was disheartening. Lastly, I used the remaining $42 to buy food for my family so that we wouldn’t go hungry, and I spent $4 on soap and body oil to help us stay clean. Despite the challenges, I remain committed to improving our situation."

"As I had mentioned earlier, my family and I live in a small one-room house, which leaves us lacking the space and privacy we need. I have been working on adding another room, and I am hopeful that with the help of the transfers, I will be able to complete this project soon by using a portion of the funds to buy building materials. Once complete, I will be very happy, as I know that we all will have the privacy that we need. In addition to improving our living situation, I want to secure our future by building a substantial herd of livestock. I plan to use another portion of the transfers to purchase goats and chickens, with the hope that they will multiply and increase in number. This way, when we face financial challenges in the future, I will have the option to sell some of them to meet our needs."

"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."

"With seven children in school and no stable source of income, my priority is to work hard in my charcoal burning and selling business to ensure that my children receive a good education and have a better life in the future. Paying their school fees has always been essential for me, and I plan to continue doing so by allocating a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly. Additionally, I want to secure our future by investing in livestock. To achieve this, I intend to use part of the transfers and start small by buying gradually chicken. My hope is that these chicken will multiply, increasing in number and value, which will allow me to trade them for goats. As the goats also multiply, I plan to trade some of them for female cows, with the intention of having them breed as well and multiply in number. My ultimate goal is to build a substantial herd of livestock of various types that will serve as a valuable asset. This will enable me to support my family and cover my children's education as they transition to higher education levels, especially when this program comes to an end. I am very grateful for the support and opportunities that GiveDirectly has provided us, helping us change our future for the better."

"I have four children in school. When I received my most recent transfer, I spent $34 to pay their school fees, dividing the amount amongst them. This was my priority because I didn't want them to be sent home for fee balances. I also spent $24 on food for family consumption since my house was running out of food. Additionally, I bought clothes worth $1 for each one of them since they had worn out uniforms. As I am planning to build a house, I spent $40 to buy iron sheets for preparation. With the remaining amount, I bought four chickens for $20. This is because I have started investing in poultry as my future financial security."

"I work as a hairstylist and earn a commission based on the services I provide. After receiving my latest payment, I realized I was running low on shampoo for my customers, so I decided to buy a small bottle for $400. I also paid my child's school fees of $100 to ensure she wouldn't be sent home. Additionally, I joined a savings group where members contribute monthly, and when it's your turn, you receive a substantial sum for personal investments. I saved $60 in this group. I also purchased four chickens for $20 to start my poultry investment with the goal of selling them once they multiply and using the profits to buy more goats. Finally, I spent the remaining $4 on medication when I was unwell."

"My main focus is to make sure my kids get a good education, so I consistently set aside part of my income for their schooling. I also want to ensure they have nutritious meals because it's important for their well-being. I plan to use some of my income to expand my livestock, including chickens and goats, and take good care of them so that they can multiply. This investment will serve as a future source of income to support my children's education. Ultimately, my children's well-being depends on having access to food and education, and making sure these needs are met brings me great joy. Additionally, I want to maintain my poultry and goat projects as they are essential for my future financial stability. The income support I receive will end in about five years, so I need to invest wisely to avoid falling back into the level of poverty I was in before."

"The transfers from GiveDirectly have been incredibly beneficial for my family and children's education. Recently, I used $30 of my transfers to pay their school fees, ensuring they wouldn’t be sent home due to unpaid bills. Given the current hunger crisis in our community, I also spent $43 on food for my family to keep us healthy and well-fed. In an effort to create a future source of income, I invested $10 to buy two chickens, hoping they would multiply. Unfortunately, a coccidiosis outbreak occurred, and I lost all of them. Lastly, recognizing that both my children's clothes and mine were old and worn out, I spent the remaining $19 on new clothes for my family so that we could all look presentable. It brings me so much joy to see my children happy in their new outfits."

"Upon receiving my most recent transfer, I felt a wave of relief knowing that my children needed money for their school fees. They had just been sent for the remaining fee balances, and I was worried about how to cover the costs. Just as I was pondering where to get the money to pay the school, my phone vibrated with a notification confirming that the transfer had come through. My first priority was to pay their fees so that they could return to school immediately. I spent $1000 to cover the fees for all three of them. In addition, I purchased $37 worth of food to ensure we had enough to eat while we worked to support our family. I used $25 of the transfer to repay a loan from our merry-go-round group and set aside $20 for emergencies. With the remaining $10, I bought sandals for myself and my children, as well as a chicken for my poultry project."