"It was a windy evening when I was in the kitchen doing some preparations for making an evening meal when I received a message on my phone. Since I was busy with the preparation, I did not bother till 7 pm when I was done. Upon checking, I saw the transfer message from GiveDirectly. My heart was filled with joy and happiness after receiving the promised transfer from GiveDirectly."

"The tangible vivid difference that was brought about by the transfer is that the struggle I used to go through has been minimized. Initially, I could hardly save anything because I had to pay the owner of the sewing machine I was using as well as provide for my family. Currently, I am happy that GiveDirectly empowered me to get my sewing machine and I no longer hire. The proceeds I get from the day's work go either to savings or family use unlike before when I had to pay the owner of the sewing machine."

"I had always relied on charcoal burning, while my husband would try getting some manual jobs to do. All this could not sustain our family. We are planning to boost the charcoal-burning business with the second transfer. I would say GiveDirectly has greatly changed our lives. The fact that it enabled us to do some shoppings for our two children who were joining secondary school is a vivid indication that we could not have managed if it were not for GiveDirectly."

"I am a farmer, but because of the drought, we don't have enough food to sustain us. This year, I want to start a business to provide me with a second source of income. I've already picked out the location where I want to build a kiosk and sell "chapati" and tea. It is a business that moves quickly and doesn't need a lot of capital to get started. I hope to have begun it in five months and then increase it with the transfers I will be receiving in the upcoming months. It will be easier for us to meet our family necessities due to the profits from it."

"We have been using some old garments on the floor as bedding because we were unable to acquire suitable bedding due to the financial difficulties we were experiencing. Sleeping on the ground is uncomfortable and unhealthy, especially given the regular physical aches we get when we wake up in the morning. Consequently, I want to do better at sleeping this year. In order to accomplish this, I will set up money each month in order to purchase a bed, mattress, and blanket before the end of the year. After accomplishing this, hopefully, I'll start buying hens to raise and eventually sell to raise money for our family's daily expenses."

"I want to transform my enterprise from its current state as a retail store into a wholesale store by the end of the year. To do this, I've already started setting aside $20 each month in a savings group with 25 other people, where members rotate receiving shares on a monthly basis. I'm hoping to use the $500 in shares I'll receive by December to accomplish the goal. With wholesale, I will have a wider selection of goods, which will appeal to more consumers, resulting in greater sales and, consequently, higher income."

"The two biggest issues I'm now facing and hope to resolve by the end of the year are food insecurity and a nicer home. I live in a one-room, mud-walled house with grass thatch roof. Due to the current drought, there is a current shortage of grass, and the few that are available are exceedingly expensive, just like food. I used to be able to sell charcoal for less money because it was my only source of income. I won't be eager to sell them now that I have the monthly funds as extra income. I'll be transporting them out from the village to other markets where the prices are good and burning them in large quantities instead. While the monthly transfers will mostly be used to pay for food and school expenditures, the earnings I will receive from the charcoal will be utilized to support the construction of a new house."

"My main priority is making sure my children can continue their education, especially since they frequently get kicked out of school when I don't pay the fees. That is why I intend to use this year's transfers to try and pay off the remaining sum on the fees my children will owe. Additionally, using the money I continue to get from the organization, I have so far been able to purchase three goats. So I'll be purchasing a few more. Atop my list of priorities is finding nutrition, especially now that starvation has been caused by  bad harvest due to a drought."

"Once I complete college, I have two primary goals that I will strive to accomplish. Since I already have a house, though grass thatched, my first goal is to build an iron-roofed spacious house. It costs me to maintain the current house because it requires frequent repairs. I do not have any income, so this has been unsustainable for me. Second, I want to raise livestock, especially domesticated birds, cows, and goats. I consider livestock keeping a viable venture that can earn good returns after a given period. They are beneficial and can help me to raise some money should I sell them in the future."

"GiveDirectly does well by sending us a big surprise, cash. We did not work for the money but they decided to help us make our lives better and improved. They haven't done anything bad, as far as I kno."