"As I said the drought made it impossible for me to target my funds into building an emergency fund. My plan is to buy more animals to ensure I have an emergency fund. Animals easily propagate and one goat today can be four goats in a few months. Having harvested I have some spare cash in my transfers that I can redirect to saving for buying animals. They will help me deal with emergency situations and upcoming financial needs that I haven't planned for."

"I started receiving my transfers before I got into college but since that was a possibility I was pursuing started saving little by little to have enough to ensure I could pay my admission fees and do some shopping whenever I would join school. I was able to meet this goal when I finally got the chance to get into school. My dad helped start me off with school fees but with the burdening responsibilities on him I saw this cash transfers as a great way to ensure I helped in reducing my school fees debt. My plan is to continue using this cash to pay for rent and school fees to ensure I finish school in 2025 so I am able to pursue opportunities that in turn will help my family and community at large."

"I am engaged in livestock farming, primarily raising goats and sheep with a total herd of around 20 animals. Given our recent successful harvest that will provide food for my family in the coming months, my primary goal is to continue providing essential care to my livestock and growing the herd. Ensuring they receive proper medical attention, regular deworming, and maintaining a clean environment is crucial to their well-being. Losing my animals due to a lack of veterinary care would be devastating. Furthermore, I aim to expand my herd as a means of wealth creation to support my wife, seven children, and myself with household needs such as food and tuition for our children. My long-term vision is to create a stable and sustainable source of income through livestock farming to provide for my family's needs and secure a better future for my children."

"My primary goal is to build a new house. My husband, as the main provider, has numerous financial obligations, especially concerning our seven children's school fees. With his income from carpentry, most of it goes towards education and food expenses, leaving nothing for other needs such as building a better house. Our current dwelling structure is in poor condition, with decaying tree poles at the foundation, posing a risk of collapse. I intend to build a new mud-walled house with an iron-sheet roof. To achieve this goal, I plan to accumulate wealth through goat farming. Currently, I have six goats acquired through the cash transfers, and the herd has grown to 10 due to successful breeding. I aim to sell some of these goats and use the proceeds for building the new house. The cash transfers will also play a vital role in realizing this goal, providing the necessary financial support for construction."

"My main goals revolve around supporting my children's education to ensure they never miss tuition due to a lack of fees. Additionally, I aim to initiate the construction of a more stable house in the coming year. The structure I currently reside in has faced continuous deterioration as it is made of tree poles and mud, which can barely withstand strong winds. However, with the high cost of living and recurring droughts affecting farming, it has been hard for me to afford a brick-walled house as all the money I earned from my house construction job went towards basic needs like food and school fees. Am happy that food is not a concern now that the recent planting season was a success. Having the necessary masonry skills, I am happy that I will not have to hire labor to help with the construction. Instead, all I need are building materials, including bricks and iron sheets, whose cost I estimate to be around $1000. I plan to accumulate these funds through the incoming cash transfers and the income I earn as a house construction worker."

"The challenge I am facing is I don't have enough money to enable me participate in large scale farming because I need to buy seeds, and pay off laborers to dig. And from the farming is where I am also able to get food for my family yet I don't have what it takes for start off with the farming."

"Feeding is a challenging because overtime my legs pain, I have no enough strengths and chest pain due to making of waragi locally so that my grand children can be able to study since my husband past on, he left me with 6 grand children together with the children of my late son who was poisoned and passed on."

"Providing a decent shelter for my children has always been my top priority. Every parent wishes for that, and I am no different. I want to complete our three-room iron-roofed house to give my family of seven a comfortable place to call home. Also, with my passion for hairstyling, I plan to enroll in a hairdressing college, graduate, and open up a salon business to support my family. I will take on casual jobs, such as collecting firewood and burning charcoal, to earn the income needed to complete this house and fund my education. I will also apply for bursaries and scholarships to facilitate my studies. I will be happy that my family's financial burden will be eased."

"My family and I resided in a dilapidated house that barely provided adequate shelter from the elements. With four children attending school, there were school fees to pay, and ensuring they had enough to eat was a daily concern. I had tried to make ends meet by selling sisal and charcoal, but it was far from an ideal source of income. The sales were irregular, and the returns were meager. There were days when we could barely afford a decent meal, let alone cover other essential expenses. Then one evening, a notification on my phone signaled the receipt of the tranfers from GiveDirectly,a lifeline we desperately needed. The most pressing need was a better home. We allocated $450 to building a good, we wanted a safe and comfortable place to live, one that would shield us from the rain and wind. With $30, we ensured that there was enough food on the table. No longer did we have to worry about our daily sustenance. The $30 set aside for school fees meant that our children could continue their education without disruption. It was an investment in their dreams and aspirations. And then, there was the $40 we saved for an uncertain future. This money represented a safety net, a buffer against unexpected challenges or opportunities that might come our way. Gone were the days of inconsistent income from sisal and charcoal."

"After finishing my studies in 2010, I returned home and launched my garage business, specializing in repairing and selling motorcycle and bicycle spare parts. My main ambition is to expand my inventory and improve my family's quality of life, so I'm determined to save up for this goal."