"My main goal for this year is to buy sheep. Currently, I own three goats, and I am determined to expand my livestock by purchasing sheep. I plan to save a portion of my transfers once school closes so that I can afford to buy them. Sheep are a wise investment because they reproduce quickly, allowing me to sell them and provide for my family's needs. Additionally, I have aspirations to start my own kiosk where I will sell essential items like flour, sugar, and other goods to my neighbors. This venture not only aims to generate income but also to create employment opportunities for myself."

"As a mother of eight children, my main source of income comes from burning and selling charcoal. My greatest ambition is to provide all my children with a quality education so they can achieve their dreams. I strongly believe that education is crucial for securing good jobs and building a successful future. By ensuring my children receive a good education, I hope to break the cycle of missed opportunities that I experienced by not attending school myself. This focus drives me every day, knowing that education will empower them to support our family in the years ahead."

"The biggest difference in my life since I started receiving money from GiveDirectly is how they helped me recover from the shock of the floods. During that time, I was just coming back from the Eldume camp where I had sought refuge. At home, all my household items had been swept away. I had no place to sleep, no mattress or bed, no food, and one of my kids in secondary school couldn't attend because of unpaid fees. Receiving the transfer from GiveDirectly allowed me to address these urgent needs. I bought a bed and mattress, which gave us a place to sleep. I paid the school fees and sent my child back to school. I also bought food to alleviate the hunger crisis we were facing. This support made a huge difference, helping me recover and get back to the life I had before the floods happened. I am immensely grateful to GiveDirectly for their assistance. Their help has been a lifeline for me and my family, allowing us to rebuild and move forward."

"I was in town, sitting alone in a hotel, trying to figure out how best to navigate the problems I had. At that moment, floods had hit my village. I had two acres where I had planted tomatoes, which were swept away just as I was about to harvest. This brought many challenges because I was counting on the farm produce to pay school fees. One of my children in secondary school had already been sent home because of unpaid fees. Suddenly, a message popped up on my phone, informing me that I had received $200. Initially, it didn't show who sent it, but after scrolling further, I confirmed it was from GiveDirectly. Overwhelmed by joy and gratitude, I walked out of the hotel immediately. I went straight to deposit my son's school fees and started making preparations to restore my farm. This timely support lifted a huge burden off my shoulders and allowed me to get back on my feet."

"With $350, I was able to kickstart a tailoring business, something I had always dreamt of. I already had a sewing machine, so I used the money to buy fabric and pay the rent for a small space to operate my business from. This gave me a stable base to work from and allowed me to start taking on more clients. It was a huge step up from hawking pastries, which never brought in enough money to cover our household expenses. My primary motivation for growing my business was to ensure that my daughter, who is in pre-school, gets the best education possible. I used $100 from the transfer to buy a new mattress, some essential food items, and new utensils for the household. Before this, I used to sleep on a mat, which was uncomfortable and not ideal for my health. Additionally, I used $30 to pay my daughter’s school fees, ensuring her education continues uninterrupted. With the remaining money, I bought clothes and other essentials for my newborn son. These purchases have relieved some of the financial pressure on me and allowed me to focus on expanding my business."

"I plan on starting a small kiosk that will help me make money as a sustainable venture. This is really important to me because I have three children in school, and I hope to be able to take them through their education without any financial strain.To gather the capital for this business, I will tend to my goats. Once they have multiplied, I plan to sell some of them to get the money I need to start the kiosk. I'm really glad that one of the goats has already given birth, and I'm looking forward to seeing more kids in the near future."

"First, I used $200 to pay the school fees for three of my husband's siblings who are all in high school. My husband had been struggling to cover their fees, as their single mother could not make ends meet on her own. This financial relief was essential to ensure that they continued their education without interruption. I then used $60 to repair our house roof. The old iron sheets were leaking badly, making the house almost uninhabitable whenever it rained. Fixing the roof was a priority to provide a safe and dry living environment for my family. I then spent $150 on household food items to support my mother-in-law, her three children, and my three kids. Even though I do door-to-door hairdressing, the dream of opening my own salon had to be put on hold due to financial constraints. Finally, I gave $20 to my husband to cover some essential documentation that he needed. With $30, I bought clothes for myself and the children, ensuring that we had something decent to wear. I also managed to save the remaining amount for emergencies. This cash transfer has truly made a difference in our lives, allowing us to address immediate needs and plan for a more stable future and I am very grateful."

"I own an oxen-driven disc plough, but I don't have any cows to attach it to when I want to plow my land. As a result, I usually have to hire cows to do the plowing for me. Buying cows is expensive, and it's not something I can currently afford. My plan is to use my transfers to buy more chicken in the hopes that they will multiply and increase in number and value so that I may sell them in the future and buy goats. I'm hoping that the goats will multiply and increase in number over time. Once I have a good herd of goats, I can sell them and use the proceeds to buy cows. Having my own cows will allow me to plow my land without having to hire them out. I may even be able to hire out my cows to plow other people's lands, which could provide me with some additional income. I also intend to get a female cow, which will give me milk for my family. The milk will provide us with essential nutrition. If there is excess milk, I can sell it to earn some extra money to support my family's income. In addition to investing in livestock, I plan to save part of my transfers, sell some of the goats, and add the proceeds to my savings to start a small kiosk. This kiosk will provide my family with a daily income stream to help sustain us. I'm optimistic that these plans will help me achieve greater financial stability and independence."

"My current top priority is addressing my health condition. I plan to use some of my transfers to continue the monthly treatment I require. Once my health is fully restored, I will shift my focus to saving more of my transfers in our local savings group. When the savings mature, I intend to use the funds to purchase goats. I'm hopeful that the goats will multiply and increase in number over time. Eventually, I can sell the goats and use the proceeds to support my son's transition to higher education. Having this financial security is crucial, especially as this project comes to an end. I'm optimistic that these plans will come to fruition, as they will provide me with the means to care for my family and invest in my son's future."

"I am in the charcoal selling business, and I have been using a bicycle to transport the charcoal to another town, which is quite exhausting. My plan for this year is to keep saving my earnings in our merry-go-round group so that I can use the pooled funds to buy a motorcycle which will significantly ease the transportation process. Once I have the motorcycle and my business picks up, I want to use the profits to buy more goats. I hope the goats will multiply and increase in value, and then I can trade them for cows. The cows will also multiply, and I can sell them and use the proceeds to buy land in another place that is more fertile. I plan to plant trees on this new land, as our current land is very dry and has not yielded good harvests. Owning a motorcycle will improve the efficiency of my charcoal business and allow me to transport more product with less effort. This, combined with diversifying into livestock and acquiring fertile land for agriculture, will help strengthen my family's financial security and resilience."