"I was at home in the evening, around 6 PM, doing my usual chores when my son came to me, holding his phone, and said I had succeeded. I didn't quite understand what he meant at first, so I took the phone from him to see for myself. When I looked, I saw that it was the GiveDirectly transfers that had come through. I was so excited, I immediately went to tell my neighbor that the money had arrived! My heart was filled with joy because I knew that now I could finally replace the furniture that had been destroyed during the floods."

"I remember it was a quiet Sunday afternoon, and I was relaxing at home after church when I overheard my neighbors excitedly talking about receiving money from GiveDirectly. Curious and a bit anxious, I stepped outside the compound to check, as the network in my area is often poor. As soon as I did, my phone buzzed, and I eagerly opened the message. To my surprise and joy, it was the GiveDirectly transfer! My heart raced with excitement—I couldn’t believe it was real! That moment felt like a blessing, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude."

"My dream has always been to have a livestock rearing project, specifically focusing on goats, which are well suited to our local climate and survive well in our conditions, unlike cows, which need more grassy fields. To achieve this goal, my plan for this year is to set aside a portion of the transfers that I will be receiving from GiveDirectly and use it to buy goats every month. I am hopeful that these goats will multiply and increase in number and value so that in the future I may be able to sell them and use the proceeds to help my family as well as my younger siblings and children who are still in school. My goal is to have a sustainable stream of income that I will be able to rely on, especially when this program comes to an end. I am hopeful that I will be able to achieve my dreams despite the drought challenge that we are currently facing in our region."

"Currently we do not have any food in our stores, and my family is at risk of starvation. My plan for this year is to continue using a portion of the transfers that I receive from GiveDirectly to buy food for my family until we get good rains and have good harvests that can sustain us. Once we have enough harvests to sustain us, I intend to invest a certain portion of the transfers to buy more chickens, hoping that they will multiply and increase in number and value so that in the future I may be able to sell them and use the proceeds together with some portion of the transfers to help pay school fees for my children as well as take care of my family."

"The shop where I sell vegetables is made of mud and has a grass-thatched roof. Every morning and evening, I have to transport the produce to and from my house, which is very tedious. My goal before the end of this year is to save enough money to buy building stones, sand, and cement. I plan to construct a permanent structure and fix a door. To achieve this, I intend to keep on saving my transfers in a merry go round group so that once I receive the pooled funds, together with the help of my husband's financial inputs, I may use them to buy building materials and construct this permanent structure. This will allow me to store the products in the shop, eliminating the need to ferry them back and forth every day. Additionally, I am in poultry farming, which is quite profitable, and I still intend to gradually use a portion of my transfers to buy medicine for my chickens and make them healthy and more valuable."

"With my goal of starting a vegetable selling business in place, my next plan for this year is hopefully to build a house for my family. Living with seven children under one small roof has become increasingly necessary to create more space, especially as the children are growing and entering their teenage years. I therefore intend to gradually purchase building materials using a portion of the transfers I will be receiving from GiveDirectly to construct a new house. This will provide my children and the adults, i.e. my wife and me in the household, with the privacy we all need. I am hopeful that I can achieve this goal, as it will bring me great happiness."

"The current structure that we are living in is in a very bad state and on the verge of collapsing, which troubles me every day. In the coming months, my main focus will be on renovating my house, as it is a necessity. To achieve this, my plan is to keep on saving a portion of my transfers in our savings group so that when I receive my accumulated funds from the savings group, I may use them to buy building materials and do the necessary repairs needed for the house. The thought of my loved ones being at risk due to the deteriorating condition of our house puts a lot of weight on me and makes me very sad and full of stress. I am hopeful that I will manage to renovate the house and have my loved ones in a safe space. Once the renovation is complete, I expect to feel a deep sense of relief and peace of mind. Knowing that my family will have a safe and stable place to live brings me immense joy."

"I am very grateful for the financial help that I have been receiving from GiveDirectly. With a solid strategy in place, I have been able to save almost all my previous transfers and managed to enroll myself in a technical college to pursue a certificate in Automotive Engineering. This milestone has been such a great blessing in my life, and I thank God for this opportunity. My plan is to therefore continue using my future transfers to pay for my school fees, as there is no one else who can support my education. By the end of this course, i.e., March 2025, I am hopeful that I will be able to secure a job that will allow me to take care of myself and elevate my circumstances to become self-sustainable. I am hopeful that I will also be able to support my younger siblings so that they too can achieve their dreams and be self-sustainable. This opportunity from GiveDirectly has been life-changing, as I never imagined I would reach this point in my life. I am determined to make the most of it and build a better future for myself and my family."

"Becoming an entrepreneur has always been my dream, and I intend to venture into the Mobile Money Agency business. To make this come true, I decided to use different strategies. One is i used my previous transfers to buy goats and chicken so that they would multiply and increase in number and value so that by the end of the year I may be able to sell them and put the proceeds into my business startup. Another strategy is that I have been saving another portion of my transfers in a savings account. My plan for this year is to continue saving a portion of my transfers in my savings account so that by the end of the year I may use the saved money and the proceeds from the sale of the livestock to start the business. My dream is for the business to grow in value so that in the future, once the program comes to an end, I may have something to rely on that will sustain me and also enable me to help take care of my family."

"Currently, our one-room grass-thatched house feels cramped with nine children, causing some of them to sleep at their grandmother's. To address this, my spouse and I have decided to start saving diligently towards building a better house. We envision a spacious, comfortable house where all of us can thrive together. It's more than just having a house; it's about creating a condusive living enviroment, where our family bonds can grow stronger. Starting in January, I plan to use my share of the savings strictly to buy iron sheets. Our goal is to build a two-roomed house that will better accommodate our family and provide a more secure and comfortable living environment. With determination and teamwork, we are committed to making this vision a reality."