"Previously, no one could find me at home, and visitors or neighbors would never come to see me because I had nothing, not even food, to offer them. But now, my door is open to everyone. I also have good clothes to wear and change into, all thanks to your unconditional cash. I love you so much because you have changed my life. I appreciate it deeply because even my brother, who is the first judge in the Ilchamus community, has never helped me the way GiveDirectly has."

"Receiving this transfer has made a significant difference in my life. I'm certain that it will change things for the better. The stress I had about my future has eased, especially after losing my six chickens and 3.5 hectares of maize to floods. Now, I’m grateful to own two goats and 30 chicks, which will not only help me in the future but also provide the means to pay for my children's school fees and meet their basic needs."

"The biggest difference I've seen after receiving the unconditional cash from GiveDirectly is the relief and peace of mind it brought me when it came to my children's school fees. The school term was coming to an end, and I hadn't paid a single amount. This was giving me sleepless nights, knowing my children could be sent home any day, missing out on their education. I hate the thought of them being sent home when I'm not there, especially since they stay at their aunt's. But after receiving the cash, I was able to pay the school fees, and that burden was lifted. Now, I can rest easy knowing my children are in school, learning without interruptions."

"I remember attending a prayer day for my cousin who was about to sit for his final exams, and during the event, I overheard some of my fellow villagers talking excitedly about receiving money from GiveDirectly. I hadn't checked my phone yet because it was out of charge, so I tried not to think too much about it, but the curiosity nagged at me. As soon as I got home, I immediately plugged in my phone and waited anxiously for it to charge. When I finally switched it on, to my utter surprise, the money was there! I was so overwhelmed with joy because I finally knew I could buy goats and some furniture. The relief that washed over me in that moment was indescribable; I felt like a burden had been lifted, and I could finally plan for a better future."

"After the floods, my family faced a severe food crisis. We stayed in a camp for a month, and when we returned home, it was difficult to adjust to our old life. There were no opportunities to earn money, and our farm was gone, so we had no food. When I received $200 from GiveDirectly, I decided to allocate $150 to buy enough food to last us for two months. Before receiving this money, we could barely afford one meal a day, but now I enjoy three meals a day. This has greatly improved my mental health because I no longer have the stress of finding food. I used the remaining money to buy a bed and mattress, as the floods had swept away our bedding and I had been sleeping on the floor, which was very cold. Now, I sleep comfortably and with dignity. I am happy and grateful for this timely support, which prevented us from facing starvation after the floods."

"I attended a prayer day for my neighbor’s son, who was in form four when I received $180 from GiveDirectly. I was with several other recipients, and my heart was full of joy and gratitude. During the event, people began whispering for us to check our phones because GiveDirectly had sent the money. As we were coming back, we sang throughout the journey in celebration. It was a day full of joy, made even more special by the fact that it happened during a prayer day that brought many people from my village together. It was truly memorable. My first thought was to go home and plan how to use the money properly so that I could do something that would make me remember GiveDirectly for a long time."

"The biggest difference since I started receiving cash transfers from GiveDirectly is the ability to have rest days from the tiring casual and odd jobs. This is because I now have enough food to eat, which allows me to rest and recharge. I can also spend more time with my kids, which has greatly improved our family life. I am happy and grateful for GiveDirectly's support because, without it, I would never have had the chance to take a rest day in my life."

"I was at home with my neighbor, who also happens to be my helper when a message popped up on my phone. Since I was older and couldn’t read the message myself, I asked my helper to check it. It was at that moment that he informed me I had received $180 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy and full of gratitude to GiveDirectly. My immediate thought was about how I could transform my life. I had been sleeping on the floor with makeshift bedding, so I decided to buy a mattress and a comfortable bed so that I could finally enjoy a good night's sleep."

"After receiving the $200, I was excited and thankful to GiveDirectly. Since I was expecting the money, I had already planned how to spend it, and I stuck to my plan. I have two children in secondary school, but one has a scholarship, so my main concern at that time was paying school fees for my other child. I used $50 to clear this term's fees, which means I don't have to worry about school fees until the next term. I also used $82 to buy iron sheets to build a new house. During the floods that hit our village, my house was severely damaged, and I'm currently living in a temporary shelter. I hope to use the next transfers from GiveDirectly to buy more construction materials to complete this project. Additionally, during the floods, there were no jobs, and our farms were swept away, leading to a big problem with food in my household. I used the rest of the money to buy food to ensure we had enough at home. Now, we have food, and this has brought a lot more joy to my family’s life"

"Every mother strives to work hard and provide the best life possible for their family. Unfortunately, this is not the case for me. I am currently struggling to put food on the table and buy my family other basic needs such as bedding and clothes. This is embarrassing and it is slowly killing my ambition as a father. I was optimistic about having a bumper harvest last season on my one acre of land. My crops were not spared by the April flash floods. I managed to harvest one bag of maize and this was the biggest loss that I had experienced."