"What touched me the most about GiveDirectly's support was how it lifted the stress weight off me. I also appreciate their respectful and patient officers who educated me, ensuring I understood everything before enrollment. In addition, Receiving unconditional support that allowed me to plan based on my own needs was truly outstanding. I felt seen and valued. I hope GiveDirectly continues with this same method, as it not only provides financial aid but also empowers us to make decisions that best suit our families' circumstances."

"As a Community Health Promoter, my job is to ensure that people in my community live a healthy life according to government health standards. My job is purely voluntary, so I do not earn a reasonable amount to support my family. My husband works as a mason, and therefore, with his meager earnings, we depend on him to support our family, which includes six school-going children: two in college, two in secondary school, and two in elementary school. With his earnings, paying for school fees and supporting my family has been a challenge for him. As a result, the children in secondary and elementary school had a school fees balance, and the current school fees totaling $225 were yet to be paid. On this late afternoon, I was at home alone, preparing dinner for my family, when a message popped up on my phone and I saw that it was a mobile money notification from GiveDirectly. A rush of joy and happiness flowed through my body as I sang, danced, and praised God while I was cooking because it felt like a miracle to me. This was a gleam of hope for my family because the first thing that rushed into my head was the thought that my children's school fees were sorted, and they wouldn't have to worry about being sent home to collect school fees, as this was the issue that was currently pressing us so much."

"Financial instability is what stands out as my biggest challenge. This is because, we live in a polygamous family and my husband is jobless due to his old age. This has forced me to engage in casual jobs like charcoal burning to support the family. Since the income from this activity is low and can not be estimated due to the random nature of my activities, my children's education has been affected the most. My two daughters completed their senior secondary studies but they are yet to join college. This has worried me a lot because it can trigger them into unexpected early pregnancies due to the idleness at home. What a challenge!"

"Living at home alone is something that has affected me psychologically because I always get stressed especially during night hours. Considering my age, I feel so vulnerable and anything bad can happen to me. My house is also small and it's roof is half open, a situation that make me rained on during this rainy season. What a life to worry about! I have wished to have enough money to construct a decent house but this has never been possible. All these combined has complicated my life and It's what makes my life harder."

"The lack of a reliable source of income to my household is what stands out to be my biggest challenge. This is because, I depend on some casual jobs and subsistence farming which are not earning me enough to support my family of 6. The education for my children is what has been affected the most since they mostly stay at home for at least one week whenever they are sent out of school. This pain me most as a mother and it is this situation that has robbed away my joy."

"Housing is the challenge I am currently facing in life. I live in a one room house with an iron sheet roof. However, it leaks heavily during the rainy season. I spend sleepless nights when it rains during the night hours."

"My main objective is to renovate the roof of my house, which was built using iron sheets that have weakened over time. The roof currently leaks whenever it rains due to its dilapidated state. To address this issue, I have been purchasing new iron sheets in bits. So far, I have bought 14 pieces, and my target is to buy a total of 22 pieces. This will be enough to put up a new roof and restore my house to its former decency. This progress is made possible thanks to the monthly transfer I receive. It brings me great joy to know that soon I will no longer have to worry about the rains damaging my home. In addition to renovating my house, I plan to invest in buying more goats. I currently have seven, and my aim is to use them as a saving for my children's education in the future."

"I know that one day the transfers will come to an end. By that time, I wish to have invested some funds in livestock like goats and chickens. Owning livestock will be a critical source of income as I can sell them to raise cash for my four children's school fees. I believe that with the transfers, I can achieve this goal. It is something that I had desired to do for a long time, but the mere earnings I made from making charcoal barely made it past our food expenses."

"Looking ahead to the coming year and beyond, I aspire to start a business selling vegetables here in the village. This is not only to generate profits for my family but also to meet the demand for vegetables, especially during the drought season when the weather does not support farming. The income from this venture will help cover school fees for my child who is now in grade seven."

"I aim to expand my livestock to include cattle as well. Currently, I have seven goats obtained from the cash transfers. The goal of expanding the herd is to start a business selling them at the marketplace to acquire funds for my three children's needs, particularly school fees. This would also allow me to take a break from the strenuous practice of making and selling charcoal. The cattle would on the other hand help with farming activities like plowing and producing milk for domestic consumption."