"The testimonies from the neighboring villages, which emphasized the program's authenticity and the significant improvements they experienced after receiving their transfers, fueled our excitement after enrolling in it. We were so excited, we could not wait for our turn. My concerns and trepidations started to fade when I got the confirming alert on my phone that afternoon, and the following morning, I started using the money. Given my reliance on scarce and low-paying casual jobs within the village, obtaining a sustainable source of food was paramount. Therefore, I spent $70 to purchase a sack of maize, which has been a valuable food reserve for my family of 10. Following that, my priority was paying the school fees for my two secondary school children. Despite them being frequently sent home due to unpaid tuition charges, I could not afford to settle the dues. In agreement with my spouse, we dedicated $100 to cover a month's worth of tuition charges, with plans to make the subsequent deposit when we receive the second transfer. Additionally, the remaining $29 was utilized for various household essentials such as toiletries, sugar, cooking oil, and kitchenware that were missing. While we do have livestock, we tend to rely on them only during extreme conditions, leading to the sale of one or two. I am genuinely grateful that GiveDirectly intervened, generously offering support not only now but also with the forthcoming transfers."

"One of the challenges we are facing as a family is poverty.Most of the time I can't afford to pay school fees for the children and provide for their personal needs since the landslide also made me relocate to a new place which am even renting. The rain is a big issue to us because its a threat to life and property including crops"

"Currently I have two goats, my goal is to expand the herd and also capitalize on the surplus chicken feeds available after the maize harvesting season. This will expand my poultry farming project and lead to an increased source of income. With the growth of my family in mind, I'm planning to enlarge my house, making it more spacious."

"At the moment, I am not at peace because I am yet to clear my children's school fees for the previous terms and am scared that the debts will spill into next year which would be unmanageable for me as a single parent. I hope to clear the pending amounts for all three of them before the end of the year so that I can lessen my burden for the coming year. Starting a new year with no debts gives me courage that I will manage to somehow pay their fees and keep them in school. The tough times I faced over the past few months have also taught me to have an emergency plan for such times. My most ideal plan is to have savings that can cushion me during such times, but since this has proven impossible due to low income, I want to invest more on long time investments such as having more goats. Yes I do have a few goats at the moment and if was forced to sell them all, I would be devastated as the thought of having no livestock would make me feel even more vulnerable. My aim is have a good number of goats so that when I have to sell some of them during emergencies, I would still have some left. Having 3 children in secondary school and the forth one almost joining them, I have to find a means that can help me raise some decent amount fast when need be and goats fit the bill in this case."

"I have had a long term dream of owning goats as they seem to thrive better around here and also require very minimal care. They are also a good investment as they can easily be sold in times of need and can also fetch a decent amount compared to other easy to rare livestock such as chicken. For this reason, I have been saving part of my monthly transfers($10) in a local savings groups since the beginning of the year and when I finally receive my share at the end of the year, I believe I am finally going to achieve my dream. Having these goats will be a sure way of cushioning me against any financial emergencies especially now that I do not have a job. I as previously teaching at local private school, but when I went my maternity leave, I was replaced an has not succeeded in securing another job. The little amount I earn from the small business I do is not enough help much in serious situations where huge amounts of money is required fast."

"In the upcoming year and beyond, my aspiration is to acquire a dairy cow to ensure a regular supply of milk for my family's daily consumption. To realize this objective, I intend to allocate my third transfer towards this endeavor. I hold a positive outlook that this dream will materialize, and I believe my future will shine brighter with the combination of hard work and dedication."

"The support provided by GiveDirectly played a significant role in enhancing our living conditions. We were thoroughly briefed on the program's objectives and granted the freedom to decide how to utilize the funds. From my perspective, the organization's aid has played a vital role in elevating the quality of life for individuals within my community. The absence of strings attached allowed individuals to allocate the money to their specific needs. To date, I have not identified any shortcomings or areas that require correction."

"We are old now and our health is failing us, I have had a persistent chest problem while my husband is battling high blood pressure and he is on daily drugs, as a result, we are not able to fend for ourselves adequately. This has weighed us down a great deal and made our lives unbearable since we are not able to engage in meaningful economic activity that can generate disposable income for use. Sometimes we struggle to get money for medication since we frequent hospitals because of our conditions and feeble health that needs medical attention from time to time. This has further worsened and made our health conditions deteriorate even more."

"The cows that I bought out of my transfer will multiply and this will enable me acquire land in a safer place than this one where I am currently staying"

"We are faced with numerous challenges and it has made our lives difficult and unbearable. We are blessed with bright children, 4 of them are in University and another one is in form 4 and he is also excelling in his studies, raising school fees has been an uphill task for us. We depend on farming as a source of livelihood but the rain has failed for 3 consecutive season and subsequently stifled our livelihoods. We have resorted to selling farm animals and they have significantly reduced in number. The schools are at the verge of opening in a week's time and it gives us sleepless night since we are yet to raise the needed fees for the semester."