"I was very elated, since I had no money for food, debt"

"My objective for the upcoming year and beyond is to invest a portion of our monthly funds in purchasing and raising livestock to supplement both my husband's and my income. As the livestock herd expands, I plan to sell a portion of the animals, using the proceeds to support my two grandchildren's education even after the cash program concludes."

"Having gained extensive experience in the field of livestock farming, I consider myself highly knowledgeable in this domain. Given the downturn in the market for selling livestock, I plan to utilize my monthly transfers to expand my livestock holdings. I maintain a positive outlook, anticipating a future when livestock prices will rise significantly, presenting an opportune moment for me to sell my animals and generate substantial profits. At present, my livestock inventory consists of 146 sheep and goats, along with 20 hens. My main objective revolves around augmenting this count and fostering the growth of my herd."

"In the years ahead, my foremost aspirations are centered around securing a prosperous future for my two children through the successful financing of their education. Witnessing my children receive a quality education brings me immense joy, as it ensures they will be equipped with the necessary tools for a promising future. Additionally, I have a strong desire to expand my livestock herd to a substantial size. This endeavor will not only enable me to amass wealth, but it will also provide a safety net during unforeseen circumstances, allowing me to sell a portion of the livestock to attend to any emergencies that may arise."

"My goal for the upcoming year is to continuously pay off these arrears using the monthly transfer from Givedirectly and any money I can earn from doing part-time jobs, making sure I have paid off the whole amount owed. This will enable me to acquire the secondary school certificate that has been on hold due to outstanding arrears. I've always wanted to take an electrical course, and having this certificate will allow me to do just that."

"In the coming year and beyond, I plan to purchase additional goats as well as renovate my kitchen. Because I do not have a source of income, owning livestock is a good investment for me. Having them will also help me save for my five children's education in the future. They are currently in primary school, and raising their fees may be difficult if I do not have any income. So far, I have been saving $20 every two months to purchase a goat. I am glad that I now own ten goats. I know that as they reproduce and multiply in number, I can easily sell them if I need money to settle my expenses, like fees. Apart from that, I intend to renovate my kitchen, which has been in bad shape, nearly collapsing, with weak walls and a grass-thatched roof. When it rains, it becomes uninhabitable, and I have to find another place to cook my meals. For this purpose, I intend to purchase 12 pieces of iron sheets and building poles to rebuild the kitchen."

"I'm faced with the big challenge of lacking money. There has been an increase in the cost of living within our country which has seen household commodities and food staffs have high prices. Since we depend on casual labor for sustenance it has been very difficult to purchase food. The situation had been made even worse by the prolonged drought that has affected the productivity of our farm. The food we take is not enough for our family and we are forced to skip 1 or 2 meals occasionally to survive."

"I consider my life hard because of the lack of food and water. I live at the furthest end of the village where getting water is a challenge and I have to walk for about 10 kilometers to fetch the water. In addition to this, food has also become hard to get which has led me to go hungry the majority of the time. I have to look for menial work to be able to survive and since there is an increase in the cost of living purchasing enough food has become a challenge. I also do not have good clothes since I can't afford to purchase new ones. I sometimes feel that I have to wear torn clothes in this century of civilization. All these three aspects combined make my life quite difficult and I wouldn't wish anyone to live this kind of life."

"During the time that I will be in the program, I intend to educate my children. I have four children, two of whom are in high school and the other two in primary school. Paying fees hasn't been a problem because I know I'll get a transfer every month, allowing all of my children to continue their education. I also sell palm wine in the village, where I earn about $18 in a good week, despite only selling twice a week. With this income, it would have been difficult to adequately support my family while also paying children's fees. Since the transfer sorted out my children's fees, I can easily provide food for my family, unlike when I had to rely solely on my income. My main goal is to see my children achieve their academic goals, as I am a single parent with no other support from my husband, who left me to care for the children."

"We are grappling with the challenge of school fees at the moment. We have a girl in University and 2 children in Patkawanin Secondary, a son and a girl in Form 4 and Form 1 respectively. Both of them have been sent home for fees and they have been at home for 4 days now, we do not have the money to pay for their school fees at the moment. It worries us a lot since we want the best for our children but our inadequacy does not allow. We are faced with a myriad of challenges, even putting food on the table is a tall order leave alone raising school fees. As parents, we try to give the best to our children but sometimes it is not possible and it breaks our hearts, we feel like we have failed in our responsibility bestowed to us by God."