"The challenges I'm face with is financial constrain. My only source of income is from the coal making, at times I find it difficult to cut wood and produce the coal because I'm a lady. Right now my 3 children were left with me and their father left me"

"Life in a village like ours is abit hard at the same time easier if you have a husband. This is so as it is near the lake hence casual labour is usually available for males unlike us women. My husband abandoned me at a wrong time as our house had just fell down due to heavy rains and was left with the kids to take care of. I resorted to doing fish business so that I can take care of my family (of two children and a grandchild) in a better way. Unfortunately, I did not manage to educate my children as the money was only for food and other basic needs. All of them ended up dropping out of school due to lack of fees and clothes. This money means a lot to me and my family. I am hoping to have an improved life especially in having adequate food,clothes, a better house as well as do a business for future sustainance. These are the things that every human being deserve and we have been lacking due to our poverty. The unfinished house I have is being built with my savings from the small business. When I order the fish at around MWK20000, I sell it in small heaps of MWK100 and MWK200 and in the end I end up making profit of MWK30,000. This is usually used sparingly to take care of us for at least three months. I believe the cash to be received will add to my existing capital and with the help of my children, we will be able to take care of ourselves better than before."

"" We are building our own house behind there, So we have planned to complete it with any money that we get. This money will go behind our house project. We will buy zinc and and put it over our house. After my house, I will buy fish and sell it in the communities around here. From the fish business, we will be able to sustain ourselves and sent this boy to school.""

"" I Want to build my house here, though I am in my own house but it is very small and can not accommodate I and my family. When I build a bigger house sure we are okay with sleeping place. When I built my own house, and some money still remains, I will make business to enable me feed my children and send them to school.""

"Being an old woman, I believe receiving this money will be of much help for me as it will enable me to purchase some fertilizers for the next growing season with an aim of harvesting more maize for food and for sale. And Again, the money will be used for purchasing some iron sheets so that I can put up an iron sheet roof"

"I earn less than $3 a month and for me to feed and provide for my household, it is very difficult. My house again, badly leaks during heavy rain making it very uncomfortable to stay in it during that time of the year."

"Receiving this money is a blessing for me to finally live in a better house. The current house which i am living in is grass thatched and in a very poor state as it leaks during rainy season. I can not afford to buy iron sheets as they are expensive and i do not have the money. A single iron sheet cost about K2000 and my house needs around 50 of them. I will therefore use part of this money to buy iron sheets. I am grateful to what Give Directly has done to me and i will always be reminded about this organization when i roof my house with iron sheets"

"My house badly leaks during heavy rain making it very uncomfortable to stay in it. And again for me to purchase some fertilizers, it is very difficult as I earn less than $3 per month through casual labour. This makes it very difficult for me to purchase some fertilizers for my garden which consequently leads to consistent hunger"

"I am very excited to receive this money as i know my life will never be same again. I have been living in this house which is in a bad condition for over 3 years but i couldn't do anything because of lack of money. I have always wanted to live in an iron sheet roofed house but i couldn't manage on my own as it is expensive. I now believe my wishes have come into a reality because of Give Directly. I will be able to use the money to buy iron sheets and improve my house"

"I am excited to receive this money as it will change my life so much to the better. My husband went to South Africa a few years ago and he barely sends any money to support the family. I am the only one who has to provide for the family as such it is very hard for me as i don't work and i don't do any business. It's not easy to find money even as little as K100 to buy soap. I will therefore invest this money into farming so that i should harvest more maize next year. I will use the money to buy at least 6 bags fertilizer and seeds. I believe this will make me yield over 100 bags of maize next year which will last for a year into another harvesting period."