"I have been using the transfer to buy food items for us. The cost of food has skyrocketed lately, and it has been tough to make ends meet. But with this extra cash, it has made a significant difference. The dry season this year was brutal, and it seemed like it would never end. We could not grow anything in our small farm, and the prices of food items shot up even higher. It was a real struggle to put food on the table for my wife and our three children. Thankfully, the monthly transfer came just in time to help us buy essential items. My wife also seeks casual labor opportunities, and she sells milk from our farm to raise additional funds. I on the other hand write project proposals upon request and I also do land surveying for those that want to buy or sell land. We are doing everything we can to provide for our children and give them a better life. These transfers have been a blessing, giving us a bit of breathing room and allowing us to focus on other important aspects of our lives. We are truly grateful for the support it provides us month after month."

"I work as a peasant farmer, while my husband earns a living as a mason. Both of our income sources are meager, so we face difficulties in meeting our family's needs. One of the essential requirements is paying school fees for my two grandchildren, whom we take care of. My daughter, who is the mother of my two grandchildren, is disabled and unable to care for them. Unfortunately, my two grandchildren have accumulated significant school fee debts, resulting in frequent dismissals from school until the fees are paid. This situation has caused them to miss important classes and negatively impact their academic performance. I managed to pay off a portion of the outstanding school fee debt with $15. Although I still have a remaining balance of $5, I am pleased that my grandchildren can continue their education. It brings me happiness and relief. With the remaining $19, I bought food. Previously, we had experienced nights of hunger due to a lack of funds to purchase food. The monthly stipend now provides us with a financial boost, ensuring that we never go to sleep on an empty stomach again. I am grateful to the organization for their assistance and encourage them to continue helping people, especially during these times when the prices of essential food items like sugar and maize flour have skyrocketed."

"I'm faced with the big challenge of lacking money. There has been an increase in the cost of living within our country which has seen household commodities and food staffs have high prices. Since we depend on casual labor for sustenance it has been very difficult to purchase food. The situation had been made even worse by the prolonged drought that has affected the productivity of our farm. The food we take is not enough for our family and we are forced to skip 1 or 2 meals occasionally to survive."

"The money is timely, we have a food problem. The drought has made it difficult. We plan to buy 4 bags of maize costing $200. This can sustain us for almost a year. It will mean we don't have to worry about our next meal for some time. My house is incomplete, I lacked some money. It's a 2-roomed house, one room is complete. I plan to use $200. Will also cement the floor for easy cleaning. This will give us enough space to rest and sleep. Goats do well and breed faster. They fetch good prices in December. We plan to buy 4 more and it will cost approximately $300. The goats will help us in the future, we can sell and also get more milk for domestic use. Our compound is not secure. We need to plant it when it's secure from livestock attacks. Fencing it well will cost $200. A secure compound means we can plant millet, ground nuts, and fruits such as mangoes. They can be sold for a profit when mature."

"After the rainfall stopped, I ventured into livestock farming and abandoned my primary farming income. Unfortunately, selling livestock has been challenging due to drought conditions, resulting in lower market prices. Despite the difficulties, I used my transfers to purchase three goats for a total of $90. However, I still owed $56 to the owners. To repay them, I sold the goats for $120, making a profit of $30. Currently, I have three goats and I am pleased with their growth in their numbers. My goal is to build a large cattle herd, which I can eventually sell for a substantial profit. This profit will be used to provide education for my three children who are currently in primary school."

"I operate a small kiosk business located in Mnazimwenga Center, where I sell household goods and food products such as flour, biscuits, and more. On good days, my profits can reach up to $20, but on bad days, I may only make as little as $2 per day. As the sole breadwinner of my family, consisting of my wife and four children, the income generated from this business is insufficient to meet all our needs, including purchasing food, paying school fees, and covering medical expenses. When I received my May transfers, I allocated $20 to buy food for my children. Unfortunately, the drought at the beginning of the year resulted in high food prices, making it challenging for us to afford the necessities available at inflated store prices. This situation has led to occasional meal-skipping, as we often have to survive on just one meal per day. Despite these difficulties, I am grateful that the monthly stipends have provided some relief by ensuring that my family does not go to bed hungry, even though we are unable to have three meals a day as recommended. In addition to purchasing food, I used part of the funds to partially pay my children's school fees. . Since receiving these funds, my children have been attending school consistently, as I plan accordingly and strive to pay off the fees promptly, minimizing the risk of accumulating a significant debt that I cannot afford to repay."

"After six years of enduring harsh climatic conditions that prevented us from growing crops on our farms, we were forced to purchase all of our food at exorbitant prices. My meager earnings from selling vegetables and silver cyprinids were insufficient to cover my basic needs, including food, clothing, and medication. Despite my best efforts, I often struggled to make ends meet. However, heavy rains began at the beginning of last month, signaling that we could return to farming and potentially reap a bountiful harvest in three months. Using $20 from my April transfer, I tilled the land, cleared bushes and branches, and planted maize seedlings on my 3-acre farm, with hopes of generating ample food and surplus income for my family through market sales. The remaining $14 was spent on food, as I had very little left in my home. I am deeply grateful for the monthly stipend, as it has been a lifeline for us during our six-year period of hunger. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the organization for their continued assistance, which has positively transformed and sustained our lives."

"The transfers have greatly helped me to effectively fend for my family especially right now that prices of basic commodities like food are high. It would be a huge challenge for me but thanks to the transfers. I could not afford to buy daily food at my own cost.I used to engage in subsistence farming that ensured I had enough food for my family but currently it doesn't do well. I rely solely on the transfers for my household's basic needs. On the recent transfers, I purchased enough foodstuffs which include maize flour and daily vegetables. In addition to the foodstuffs, I also managed to buy 5 chickens that I am currently keeping in my homestead. Owning livestock is one of the best investment that I can venture into, since upon multiplying, I can readily sell and earn some money. Also, in case of a financial challenge, at least I will have some assets that I can rely on. My goal is to keep these chickens, let them reproduce and later on sell them and buy some goats."

"Lately, life has been too difficult; in fact, every shopkeeper in my village sells their goods as they wish. Every day, the prices of goods rise, and we sometimes wonder if this also affects people in cities. Our main meals included ugali, so when I received my recent transfer, I spent the entire kes 2950 on it for family consumption. I considered buying because I had heard in the market that prices would skyrocket in the coming days. As a result, my decision has greatly aided me because there are times when we only prepare porridge for breakfast and lunch then look for a good evening meal."

"When I received the money, my first thought was to use it to improve our living conditions. My husband and I discussed and decided to pool our resources together to make the most of the transfer. We live in a rural area and one of our biggest challenges has been to have a sturdy roof over our heads. Therefore, we decided to use the transfer to buy ten iron sheets and building nails. These materials would allow us to build a stronger and more durable roof that would protect us from harsh weather conditions. In addition, we used some of the money to buy household food items. Food prices have risen lately, and it has become harder to afford basic groceries. We used the transfer to stock up on essential items like rice, flour, and cooking oil, which would help sustain us for the month. We also had an unfinished house that we had been building for some time. We decided to use the transfer to finish up the construction of the house. This would provide us with more space for our growing family and allow us to live more comfortably. Since the house we had was smaller, we decided to use some of the money to build another house. This would give us more living space."