"While I was at my farm, away from home, my daughter called me around 3 PM while I was irrigating the crops. She excitedly told me, "Dad, the money from GiveDirectly has arrived!" I immediately instructed her to keep it safe until I returned in the evening so I could check it myself. Since she had my phone, I couldn’t see the amount right away. As I continued working, my mind was filled with thoughts about my daughter's school fees. I had been struggling to pay them, and she had been in and out of school because the arrears were too much for her teachers to tolerate. The news of the money gave me a glimmer of hope as I imagined how I could finally settle her fees."

"Receiving the cash transfer brought me a sense of relief during a time of stress. I had been worried about how to pay the rent for my son, who is studying at the university. Thankfully, I was able to send him $70 right away, ensuring he could focus on his studies without the burden of worrying about housing. Knowing he would have peace at school made me feel much better as a parent.Furthermore, I used $50 to buy medicine to spray my tomatoes on the farm, helping protect my crops from pests. I also spent $30 on weeding those tomatoes to ensure a good harvest. I wanted to support my daughter, who has a shop and provides food for our family, so I gave her $30 to restock her supplies. This way, she can continue to support us while managing her business.With the remaining $20, I harvested my maize, which resulted in an impressive yield of 5,444 kgs. I take pride in being a farmer, and with my wife at home caring for our large flock of livestock, we have managed to create a stable life for our family of eight. Although life can be challenging, I feel grateful for the assets we have, knowing they can help us during emergencies. The cash transfer has truly made a difference in our lives."

"Before receiving the transfer, I struggled to pay the school fees for my two daughters. I had hoped that some people would help me with their expenses, but when it was time for them to join school, no one answered my calls. I felt stressed and worried about how I would manage to pay for their education. However, after receiving the cash transfer from GiveDirectly, everything changed for the better. I was able to pay their school fees on time, which relieved a huge burden from my shoulders. I am truly grateful to GiveDirectly for coming to my aid at the right moment."

"The day I got the cash transfer, I knew exactly how I would spend it. I immediately bought a cow for $140, which I consider an important asset. A cow is more than just livestock; it’s an investment. In case of an emergency, I can sell it to cover urgent expenses. Having this cow makes me feel secure, knowing that I have something valuable to rely on in the future. This is my way of planning ahead, especially since life can be unpredictable.With $20, I bought some food to stock up, just a little bit since I only have one child, and the food will last us for a while. I used $10 to buy a plastic table, which may sound small, but it has been really useful. I already had one table, but I wanted a portable one that I could carry outside to enjoy my morning tea in the fresh air. It’s these small comforts that make life feel a bit more enjoyable, and now, I have that.The remaining $30 went to paying for my wife's college fees. She’s studying, and it’s been a challenge to manage her school fees. In the past, we’ve had to rely on fundraising or my income from farming, but this transfer made it much easier. I feel proud that I could support her education without much struggle this time. My boda boda business brings in about $10 a day, which helps with the rest of our daily needs, but this transfer has really helped us manage things better."

"Life has been a constant struggle for me and my family, especially with five children to care for. My wife and I often rely on casual jobs just to cover the basics—mostly for school fees and food. The hardest part has been my daughter's illness. She suffers from liver cirrhosis, and her medication costs more than we can ever manage to save. Every month is a battle, and without a steady source of income, we’ve been living day by day, unsure how long we could keep going. When the cash transfer arrived, it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I immediately used $120 to pay my children's school fees, which brought immense relief as they were close to being sent home. The pressure of balancing their education with our other needs had been overwhelming, but with that money, I knew they could stay in school for a little while longer. Additionally, I spent $60 on food, ensuring my family wouldn’t have to worry about meals for some time.Although my daughter’s illness remains a major challenge, and we still need a lot of money for her treatment, I’m grateful for the chance to breathe a little easier. Knowing that my children’s education and basic needs are secure, this has given me some peace of mind."

"Losing my wife was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced, and the day I spent all of my first transfer on her medical bills felt like the end of everything. She had been battling cancer for a long time, and when she was admitted to the hospital, the bills piled up quickly. I used the entire transfer to pay for her treatment, hoping and praying that it would give her more time. But despite all efforts, she passed away, leaving me with five children to take care of. I felt devastated, and life became even more difficult with the weight of that loss.With three of my children in secondary school, the burden only grew heavier. School fees became my biggest challenge, and I didn’t know how I was going to keep up. My wife had been my rock, the one I leaned on when things got tough, and now that she was gone, I had to find a way to stay strong for the children. The grief was overwhelming, but I had no choice but to keep going. I knew I had to find a way to provide for my family, no matter how hard it got.Even though life became tough, I had to push forward. My children are my hope, and their education is something I’m determined to support. The transfer helped ease the financial burden for a moment, but losing my wife has left a gap that no amount of money can fill. I now focus on taking care of my family, working hard to make sure my kids can finish school and have a better future. I hold onto that hope, knowing that it’s the only way to keep going despite the challenges."

"The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am now sleeping in a decent two-room house. To me, this is the greatest fulfilment that will forever remain in my heart. The shelter has been my biggest challenge since our old house was in a pathetic state and too small to accommodate my family of three. The harsh weather and cold nights were unbearable, as there were holes all over the walls. I had no hope of upgrading to a better house since I depend on my palm wine job, which does not pay well at all. My income only covered our daily food, which was sometimes insufficient. I am at peace and grateful to GiveDirectly for enabling me to build a new, decent house to live in with my family. I am no longer worried about rain or other insecurities. I also no longer have to be concerned about hosting visitors; I can now welcome them comfortably."

"As I surveyed the dilapidated state of my old house, which was too small to accommodate my family of three, I felt a sense of urgency to make a change. With the recent cash transfer, I allocated approximately $498 towards building materials like iron sheets, poles, timber, nails, and threads, as well as labour costs, and I embarked on the journey of constructing a new home for my family. The cramped conditions of our previous dwelling, coupled with its unstable structure, had long been a source of worry. However, it was difficult for me to build the house using my cash, as my earnings as a palm wine tapper averaged around $8 a day, but not daily. This amount was barely enough to sustain our daily needs. Now that the house is complete, I no longer feel stressed and can focus on other household needs. I can't thank this organization enough; it would have taken me years to build this house using my cash. I also managed to buy a bed at $51, so I no longer have to sleep on the floor on a mattress. This has been a terrible experience, as I would often wake up in pain, which affected my overall productivity. I am happy now, and I sleep like a baby without any more pain."

"Currently, my family and I reside in a small one-room house. I have always wished to build a better and more spacious house for us, but due to limited income as a peasant farmer, this has not been possible. However, since I joined the GiveDirectly program, I have gained hope and determination to work towards constructing a new house in the coming year and beyond. My plan is to build a new house to provide my children with their own space and to give the adults in the family their own space as well. To achieve this, I intend to allocate my transfers towards paying school fees for my children and purchasing building materials for the house. This way, I can gradually work towards constructing a new home for us. Additionally, I have aspirations to own cows for plowing my farm. To accomplish this, I have been investing in chickens, hoping that they will multiply. In the future, I plan to trade the chickens for goats, allow the goats to multiply and increase in value, and eventually trade them for cows. Achieving these goals means a lot to me and will bring me great happiness."

"The biggest difference since I started receiving money from GiveDirectly has been the ability to rest. With food in the house, I no longer need to take low-paying odd jobs, which has greatly improved my health. This stability has allowed me to look for other opportunities, such as opening a business shortly. My home now looks appealing thanks to the new household items I was able to buy with the GiveDirectly transfers, items that I did not own before. I am truly grateful to GiveDirectly for their timely support, which has made a significant impact on my life."