"I was overjoyed to receive my first transfer just a few days after enrolling. Many people in the village were surprised because it arrived earlier than expected. We had to wait another week in our household to plan, and when we were ready, we picked it up from a nearby shopping center. Our top priority was to build a new house for my older son, who had just finished his eighth grade exams. He requires a private space where he can study at home and sleep at night now that he is an adult. I spent $200 on 1w3 iron sheets, building poles, nails, and labor charges. My son is now relieved that he has a room in which to sleep as well as a place to store all of his belongings while at home. We also built a dam, and despite having a large budget for it, we were lucky to use only $80 because the water filled it up before it was finished. It has since saved me money on buying water for my livestock and has also helped to irrigate my vegetable garden. In addition, my family of seven spent $10 on new pairs of clothes and food on Christmas Eve. I used some of the remaining funds to replace missing utensils and saved the rest to prepare my children for the start of school."

"My long term plan is to buy a plot of land. Purchasing a plot would be really helpful as I hope to put up houses/ spaces for rent in that piece of land. I have been using my transfers to run my grocery buisness which I hope I will also get something to work towards building my finacnes . I am also saving an amount towards my goal. I am saving about 2000 a month in my house which I hope to use to buy this piece of land so I can increase my income to improve life day to day."

"My family is expanding, and as a result, our home can no longer comfortably house everyone. I want to construct an additional room for our 3 children this year. It's very challenging sharing our one-room home with them. We believe that sleeping in the same room as our young children violates our need for adult privacy. My husband and I will be able to purchase iron sheets, building poles, sand, cement, and pay the mason's labor costs thanks to the money from the transfer. I appreciate that by doing this, I can instill good morals in my children and raise them in a way that upholds the moral standard."

"My top goal this year will be making sure I can afford to pay my son's tuition, who just so happens to be enrolled in school. Fees have been a fairly consistent concern for my kid in the past, so I want to make sure that he won't have to deal with them this year and can finish his academic year uninterrupted. Since I personally don't have a job and my husband's job doesn't pay well either, I am hoping that I will be able to utilize this money to address this issue since nutrition has also been a chronic concern as a result of the drought. Last but not least, I'm also planning to purchase a few farm animals, such as goats and poultry."

"It would be spectacularly difficult to explain just how hard we have struggled to find a sustainable way to store our water. That water tank meant a transformation in our lives like none we had seen before. My village has a rhythm to it; it buzzes, ever since GiveDirectly came into our lives, and you can feel it when you walk around. It's hope, it's a new beginning, and GiveDirectly is changing lives!"

"What is giving me sleepless nights are my two eldest kids. Now that they have left school, I would want nothing more than to take them to college and have them get papers that can help them better themselves. I will continue to work toward that until I can. In the long run, my dream is to open a mini-mart. A straight-forward, in-and-out business where I can, hopefully, make enough money to change the financial situation we are in, positively, forever!"

"To make ends meet, I want to expand my current business and include carpentry."

"Life hasn't been easy for me as a widower with six children. Trying to provide for us all on my meager income has proven nearly impossible. For a living, I cut trees and burn them to make charcoal. While it is my trade, I am hampered by the small margins I receive from selling a sack of charcoal at $7 per sack. The funds from GiveDirectly appeared to be a  dream come true. I bought two bills and two heifers with the intention of breeding them. Unfortunately, as is the case for most people in my area and across the country, the drought struck and they all succumbed. I was left with only my business, which I had also started.with the funds from GiveDirectly. I bought and sold livestock and used the proceeds as capital. I intended to set aside some money for my children's tuition as well. With my eldest having only completed Grade 7 before dropping out, I place a high value on the education of his siblings. I pay a total of $75 per term for the five kids combined. The two eldest are both in Grade 7 at Mariango Primary, while the three youngest are in Grades 4, 3, and 1, all at Wacho Primary School, from the eldest to the youngest. If it hadn't been for GiveDirectly, I was quickly approaching the point where life would be impossible to sustain. I will be eternally grateful to them for affording me the opportunity to be a father and mother to my children once more."

"The challenge I face is Lack of money in that I am unable to feed my family. And the change in weather from a rainy season to a hot season, crops are not able to grow thus lack of food."