"This is a lucrative farming area, we depend on crop farming. Crops such as maize, beans, onions, vegetables or even tomatoes. They do well here although it needs a lot of capital to pump water and general farm supplies. Since we depend on irrigation, we can farm at any time of the year. In order to succeed in farming, we need funds. I have enough farm area but cannot utilize it due to financial constraints. This has affected my ability to provide for my family. I have about an acre of unutilized land."

"The rain has been plenty recently, it came with floods albeit and swept away my 2 acres maize plantation. I had hoped to make profit from selling to a local seed company. The devastation caused by the floods has left me with no hope. I am worried about how to survive as a family in the coming months. We live in a dry area and experience extreme weather patterns. When the dry season starts, it'll be difficult feeding my family."

"Being the sole breadwinner for my family of four is incredibly challenging, especially when relying on casual jobs that can be scarce. Some days, I struggle to find work, and it can go on for days without earning anything. When I cannot find a job, I dip into my savings, but lately, I have had to use all my savings to pay for school fees and feed my family. It is a constant battle to make ends meet, and the pressure weighs heavily on me. I am determined to keep going, but it is tough when there is no financial cushion left."

"Running our family's retail shop has been incredibly tough lately. With four of us depending on it for our livelihood, the pressure to keep enough inventory stocked is overwhelming. On good months, scraping together a $50 profit feels like a small victory. We use that money for basic needs like food and my son's preprimary school fees, with the rest going right back into the business.But recently, our sales have been disappointingly low because we have not been able to afford enough stock. It is a constant struggle, balancing our limited finances between daily needs and investing in inventory. There is a sinking feeling when we see empty shelves that could be filled if only we had the resources."

"Raising school fees for my three children is really tough for me right now. As the breadwinner, I am doing it all alone through farming and running a small business. It is a constant struggle to come up with the $500 needed each year. There are times when they have been sent home from school because I could not afford it, and it breaks my heart to see them miss out on their classes. On top of that, putting food on the table is another daily challenge. I am grateful that despite everything, my kids have never slept hungry. It is a constant balance between their education and meeting our basic needs."

"School fees is the biggest challenge that iam facing at the moment because I have 4 children in high school level 2 are mine and the other 2 are for my young sister. I use to depend on farming to provide for them but recently a flash floods cleared my five acre piece of land leaving out around 2 acre with crops which is not enough for my family needs. And due to financial challenges iam not able to recultivate it again."

"I have 5 schooling children in my family who need my support and right now iam out of work I retired two years ago. I am struggling to pay their school fees and also to fend for their basic needs."

"Financial challenges is the main thing we facing because iam very old and iam not able to do any casual labour to provide for my family of 3 people. We depend on our children and our few goats for food and other basic needs."

"I was alone on the farm, trying to prepare it for irrigation after witnessing a huge, devastating flood. I wanted to get my life back on track. Suddenly, I received a notification on my phone that I had received $180 from GiveDirectly. This news filled me with life and joy. I am very grateful to GiveDirectly for this support. Immediately, I thought of using the money to buy petrol for irrigating my farm."

"Upon receiving $530 from GiveDirectly, I decided to allocate the funds carefully to improve my family's living conditions and start my own business. As a trained tailor, I struggled to earn a decent living because I didn't own a sewing machine. I used to either borrow one or work for someone else who had one. So, with $250, I bought my own sewing machine. This was a game-changer for me, as it meant I could now run my own tailoring business. I project to make around $4 a day, which will help cover my daily food needs and contribute to stabilizing and growing my business. Additionally, my house had a roof with torn iron sheets that leaked during the rainy season, causing a lot of discomfort for my family, especially for my five children. I spent $180 to renovate the roof, ensuring that we are no longer at risk and can enjoy much more comfort. I also spent $25 on school fees, ensuring my children can continue their education. The remaining money went towards buying food, which had been a real struggle to afford before receiving this support. Now, my family has enough food to eat, which has made a significant difference in our daily lives. GiveDirectly has provided me with a solid foundation to build upon, and for that, I am forever grateful."