"Every successful man has a mission to accomplish in life. Being such an ambitious one, I hope to purchase an additional 0.1 acres of land in addition to the 0.4 acres we currently own. We have constructed a house here, and thus we have no land to cultivate but only lease from the neighbors for $140, and therefore we wish to cut short on such expenses. I plan on using the $30 savings from the merry-go-round chama as well as the income from the maize sales since I will pay in installments until completion."

"Kubera ko nsanzwe ncumbitse, amafaranga ya mbere angezeho nahise ntangira kwitegura kubaka inzu yanjye, nahereye kukugura amabati ampagarara 75,000 Rwf (75$), nari nanakeneye korora mpita nguramo inka ya 150,000 Rwf (150$) hanyuma asigaye nguramo ibikoresho byo mu rugo nari nkeneye nk'amasafuriya nama basi ubundi ndanahaha ibyo kurya. Inkunga ya kabiri nayo yaraje nkomereza muri gahunda y'ubwubatsi ngura ibiti byo kubaka bintwara 70,000 Rwf (70$), nanaguze sima yantwaye 122,000 Rwf (122$) nongera no guhaha ibyo kurya byaguze 20,000 Rwf (20$), asigaye ngi gukomeza ubwubatsi bwanjye."

"I spent my most recent transfer to buy Planks and cartoons of zinc nails for the construction of my house."

"So far, I have some of the things I desired to have, like the carpentry tools. This has opened another great opportunity for my skills and financial growth. I will also be in a position to buy livestock, as I have always wanted to, because in this community of ours, respect is accorded in terms of how many cows or goats you have. I might even find myself among the elders in the community discussing issues hitting our people, which will bring me so much joy."

"Immediately I received the transfers, I went to buy stock for my business that I had but was closed down due to lack of finances to add on stock after selling most of the foodstuffs on loan to the people of the community, which later became difficult for them to pay having to know the struggles that they go through each and every day to put food on the table. Putting back the business took me $30, and as of now things are running well for us. Our children are happy now that they get three meals per day, which was a long story since drought hit our area and we could not even plant anything on the farm because there was no rain and scorching sun, which dried up the soil to an extent where no water could be retained in it. Another thing that was disturbing me was the state of my house. My house is standing on a rocky hill where the wind blows so strongly, and it has been falling bit by bit. My worry was that it might fall down fully, leaving us homeless. So without wasting any time, I accumulated all the materials needed to build another house and called the person who will be doing the construction, and all this took me $25. Right now, our house has been completed, and we are living happily. GiveDirectly came in so timely, just when I thought we would lose everything and end up being homeless."

"What can an elderly woman ask for if not comfort and food? At 71 years old, I already shed my energy and cannot fend for the family through starving jobs but rather easily accessible jobs such as livestock keeping. I currently have 10 cows, of which I expect 3 to give birth soon and produce milk for my family of 1. I currently live alone, with frequent visits by my grandchildren, who live in the neighborhood. Since I live alone, I thought of stocking my house with food to last until the next harvest. I spent $90 on purchasing 1 bag of maize and 12 kilograms of beans. In addition, I spent $25 on a chair so as to sit comfortably, unlike before when I had none to even welcome my visitors to sit on. I saved the rest of the transfers for emergencies and upkeep, and now I will not have to bother my children for provision."

"Finances make something impossible possible. For instance, I understand that without cash, one cannot move a thing, let's say an investment. I am glad that GiveDirectly has made life easier in the community by uplifting lives through unconditional cash transfers. Many families have acquired food as well as assets. I therefore wish the organization would expand this to other parts of the country."

"What fascinates me about the transfers is that they are not loans but grants. Because of this, people do not fear to invest, for they are assured of their safety as there is no payback. If this was a loan, personally, I could have run away from it and still be in the same spot. I am glad the change in the community is visible as people have invested fully in their families, and morale has been boosted."

"Since the climatic conditions look favorable lately, I am regaining some hope in maize farming. For instance, lately the rains have been constant, and farmers look forward to a great harvest. Because of this, my plan for the next year is to cultivate maize on my 2-acre piece of land so as to produce food for my family of four as well as earn the household income through the maize sales. As a result, I will not only borrow food from neighbors but also donate some to my children when they need it. I hope to accomplish this by using the profits from the milk sales alongside assistance from my children since I am elderly and can no longer fend for the family fully."

"I applaud GiveDirectly for the endless support of unconditional cash transfers. I am glad this is not a loan, and therefore one is lifted out of poverty through the financial support. If you make a trip to the village, then one easily realizes the change as people have constructed houses, children have gone to school, and families have put food on the table. I am also happy that the enrollment was done without discrimination, and so far everything is amazing about the organization."