"It was at the nearby tailoring shop to repair my kid's clothes that were torn. I vividly remember it was around 3 pm when I received message notification on the phone. After checking, I was surprised to see the Mobile money message revealing that I had received the transfers from give directly. I was overwhelmed with joy about receiving the cash assistance that would fulfill the dream of owning a better and more spacious shelter for my family of 4 members."

"When we received our first transfer we spent $420 to buy an additional dairy cow to be kept in our compound. We already had one that we earlier owned but we would always go without milk for sometime through the year. There was need to buy an additional dairy cow but with my old age, I could not raise enough money to buy one. I am so grateful that GiveDirectly enabled me achieve this dream earlier than I had expected. We now have enough milk for both consumption as we also sell the surplus to meet other needs of our family. We are five family members and this investment has really changed our lives and made us happier than we have ever been. It also gave me peace of mind having lost two of the cows that I owned to some strange disease . GiveDirectly has really fine a great job for me and my family. We used the remaining amount to buy food and other basic household needs for my family"

"Owning a shelter will be the biggest difference once I complete the construction. With the money in my account, I am positive that we will be able to rebuild and move to our own home. Achieving this dream will restore the joy that we had lost for more than two years."

"My new goal is to invest in livestock specifically goats. I chose goats over cows because goats can survive without water for a longer time compared to cows. Through this investment, I will be able to cater to my children's education as well as their basic needs."

"I've wanted to renovate my home for a very long time, especially the roof, which was absolutely catastrophic, especially during the rainy season. Rain would cause the iron sheets to leak, leaving the entire house sopping wet. As a result, I made the decision to go to a nearby hardware store and ask the owner if I could borrow roughly 15 pairs of iron sheets, which I will gradually pay back with each transfer I receive this year. Aside from that, I also intended to pay my son's tuition before spending the remaining funds on nourishment because it is also a struggle."

"The lack of a stable source of income is the biggest challenge currently. My husband who is the breadwinner of the family is a driver, and with the rise in the cost of fuel, he gets little money as he works on a casual basis. This has made us struggle to make ends meet hence we are unable to meet all the basic needs of our family."

"We live in a semi-arid area, it hardly rains, and even if it does it is not enough for farming. In my old age, I solely depend on my children to provide food for me and my two orphaned grandchildren. I feel we are so much of a burden to them since they also have their own families to raise. If I had fertile land, I would grow my food and rear livestock but that's not the case. We take two meals in a day and sometimes once. Lack of proper nutrition has weakened me and made me susceptible to diseases."

"Food insecurity is the biggest challenge in this area. It has been three years since we got a good harvest from our farms due to a lack of rainfall. Being a farmer, I shifted from cultivating land to rearing goats to earn a living but it is not productive as they also lack enough feeds. This has forced me to supplement my income with casual jobs to provide for my family."