"My biggest challenge is unreliable sources of income. I dependent mostly on subsistence farming but because this is also seasonal given the arid climatic conditions over here, I have a business selling piped water. Averagely this business earns me up to $30 monthly but still I have challenges with perennial outages and the fact that during rainy seasons most villagers prefer to get water from free water sources like water pans. Sometimes water outages can last up to a whole month that I just have to sell my chicken to be able to pay the fixed charges amounting to $5 monthly."

"My new goal is to save some of the money I receive in my business and buy a piece of land. A plot of 50 by 100 is going for $1000, which is my savings plan for the next year. I intend to build a single room that can be rented for business. I plan to use one room for my business as I rent others. I will have accomplished my financial goal of having a sustainable income every month."

"We are a family of seven members, and my husband is a farmer. We depend on the farming of maize and beans. As soon as I got enrolled in the program, we planned to complete my home, which didn’t have window panes and needed some interior finishing of plywood but my first transfer was used to buy a cow and bought the family some clothes, food, and seedlings, and paid school fees for my eldest child. The second transfer of $470 was used to complete the house, which was buying the windowpanes, plywood, and labor for the complete work done. The remaining cash was used to buy my daughter's newborn clothes and requirements. I was grateful to the organization because the house was almost complete and the dairy cow"

"My husband is unemployed, and we are both peasant farmers who mainly depend on planting maize and beans. At the time I got enrolled, the village had experienced drought and famine, which made food to be costly, and we had to look for alternatives to survive. My husband would work on construction sites which pay as little as $3, which is not enough for a family of six members. My first transfer was used to start a second-hand clothing business, and I paid the remaining amount for my children’s school fees and food. The second transfer of $300 was used to build a two-roomed house which was an improvement of our old house from a thatched roof to an iron roof and using cement to hold firm the foundation of the house. Food was a major challenge and used $140 on food that would last the family for another two months as my husband desperately looked for a job. I used the remaining cash of $90 to buy three goats, which I intend to keep and sell in the future."

"I am a single mother of five children, living with my parents. I have been working with my parents in the charcoal-burning business to sustain my family. When I moved back home, they forced me to live in a grass-thatched house which is one-roomed and not in good shape. The biggest challenge I am going through is supporting my children as single parents without a stable job. As soon as I got the first transfer, I executed my plan, which was to buy building materials enough for a two-roomed house with a verandah. The little that remained I used to buy three goats and a mattress because my children were sleeping on a mat. I spent my second transfer of $200 on the construction of the house and the labor. Another $200 was used to buy food in bulk, which would last our family of eight members for the next two months. The remaining amount was used to buy my family some new clothes and $40 was used to pay school fees for my three children in school"

"GiveDirectly ensured that the enrollment process was transparent and that everyone in the village who met their eligibility requirements had a fair chance of being chosen. Despite the fact that many people wanted to give them advice, they stuck to their plan and ensured they verified everything themselves in every household. They also gained our respect because they were professional and did not waste time after work. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for giving me such a large sum for the first time and allowing me to choose how to spend it. We realized at the end of the program that some people who we thought deserved help were excluded due to the strict criteria that was used. It is my hope that GiveDirectly will consider visiting our villages to confirm their concerns in the few households that were excluded."

"After spending $280 of my first transfer on construction materials, I used the second transfer to purchase 32 iron sheets worth $240. I also spent $100 cutting down some trees on the compound to make timber that I believe will be enough to finish building a new house for my family of seven. I had been living in a mud-walled house and thought it would be a good idea to start building a better one with timber walls that is already ongoing. I also paid $100 toward my daughter's college tuition, and the remaining $90 went toward purchasing new kitchenware. I am pleased that the preliminary work facilitated by GiveDirectly has been transformative and will hopefully be completed as soon as possible."

"In the next one year, I hope to have ventured fully into farming, learnt different other farming skills so that I can do farming as a constant source of income for my family."

"The challenge that I'm faced with at the moment is the biting draught. It has been three years since we saw plenty rain and we have not been able to plant any crops. This has seen me and my family lack food to eat since we can't afford three full meals. This has forced us to slaughter goats which is not enough since we can't eat meat everyday and the goats are also few. I'm forced to look for food such as maize, millet and wheat from my relatives who live in the highland areas. I feel ashamed that I have to borrow food from my relatives."

"Receiving funds from GiveDirectly has had a significant impact on my life; our standard of living has improved to one that is higher and more admirable. Without engaging in any discrimination, the enrolment process was made. I have not personally observed any instances of poor execution."