"My biggest challenge currently is getting food. This has been a big challenge that is making my life hard currently because sometimes when I don't get casual work in the farms I'm forced to go hungry. This saddens me a great deal because I hate seeing my daughter sleep without eating anything. Sometimes I'm forced to borrow food for her from my neighbours which makes me feel ashamed."

"Three months ago I lost two acres of maize to floods and I have not recovered yet from it. I had borrowed $500 from a local bank so as to invest in planting. I am now left with a huge debt since it shall accrue interest and I do not have any other source of income to use in repaying it."

"Floods destroyed our 2 acres of maize in April this year. We had taken a loan of $300 to purchase seeds and to till the land. It has left me devastated and I don't know how I will repay it. The seed company wants all their loans repaid regardless. It means I'll not be able to support my family well and have enough food. This has really affected my ability to provide for my children."

"We depend mainly on casual jobs to support our family. My husband and I are obligated to look for jobs everyday. It's hard getting jobs consistently and it affects our ability to provide fully for our family of five. Casual jobs are irregular, because of the high number of people looking for the same. The cost of food items has made it hard buying enough food for our family. We are forced to spend all our earnings which makes it hard when there are no jobs."

"I have been raising my children single- handedly since my husband passed on several years ago when my children were young. As a result I sold all the livestock to be able to cater to their needs,especially education. I had to depend on casual jobs as an alternative to the livestock and life has not been easy for a lack of consistent income."

"Floods have been our biggest concern in the last 6 months. It displaced us, and we were forced to relocate for about one week. It recurred three times. We also lost 3 chickens and their structure was destroyed. The floods also destroyed one acre of maize plantation leading to food shortage. We've been forced to depend on relief and doing extra jobs to earn income to buy food."

"The worst moment of my life occurred in 2020 when I lost my job as a result of COVID-19, just when my family needed me the most.I had to return home and look for other ways to make ends meet so that my family could keep receiving necessities. In addition to receiving assistance from my oldest son Alphani, I chose to launch a wine taping business, earning an average of $1.56 per day. My current struggle is not having enough money to cover my family's basic needs."

"Due to the scarcity of the temporary work that I rely on, being the only provider for my family has been extremely taxing. With my inconsistent income as a wine taper, I barely make $3.13 a day on average, which is insufficient to pay for my kids' schooling, food, and other necessities.The fact that I do not have a reliable source of money to support my family well is what is making my life more difficult."

"The only source of income for our family is my spouse, Kahindi, who works part-time as a wine taper. The $1.56 he makes every other day, with a family of nine, is insufficient to cover our basic needs. My primary worry is the house I currently live in because I have older children and I do not feel proud of sharing a home with them, nor is it culturally appropriate. Just like me, they should also have their own privacy. Thus, not having enough money to provide for my family's needs and to build a house for my kids is what is currently making my life more difficult."

"The transfer I received helped me improve my house, which was not looking good inside. The walls were rough and the floor was dusty, giving it a shabby appearance. I had attempted to renovate it by plastering and installing a proper concrete floor, but I couldn't afford the necessary materials like cement, ballast, and sand. The cost seemed too high for me to renovate the entire house. However, when I received the transfer from GiveDirectly, I felt empowered to achieve this goal. I'm thankful because with the funds, I was able to gather all the required materials to plaster and floor my house, and now it looks great. My husband and I are both elderly, so these renovations were important for us to have a beautiful home, which is also beneficial for our health."