"Before 2020 we used to live in Marigat town but because of old age, we were forced to move back to the village. Since then, the main challenge we are facing is a lack of money for food and other basic needs. Old age has made it difficult for us to do menial work which has led to a lack of money. Because of this, we are forced to eat wild fruits. Life is very difficult for us since we are forced to go without food occasionally."

"Hunger is our biggest challenge. We have harvested nothing from our farm for the last 3 years. The drought has been persistent. This has led to zero productivity. To get food we must sell our livestock. This has led to reduced numbers. The drought has affected our ability to feed ourselves. At times we may be forced to have a single meal due to a lack of food. It's very hard sleeping hungry."

"I hope to become a great farmer by dividing my land into four sections. The first section will have coffee planted in it, the second section will have beans planted in it, the third section will have maize planted in it, and the fourth section will have potatoes planted in it. These will assist me in determining which yields the most and which generates the most profits in comparison to another, allowing me to determine what is the best I can do through farming. Based on the outcomes, I'd like to lease more farmland to accomplish this."

"Even in my old age, the desire to live a better life has never faded. I've always imagined myself living under a better roof than the one I currently have, a grassed thatched rocket house. What I didn't realize was that GiveDirectly would help make this a reality sooner. I stay with my two grandchildren, where we make the best of life by appreciating and being happy with what we have, but this has been made even better by seeing all of the building supplies gathered, for which I spent $14. I'm looking forward to the workers starting work tomorrow; I've budgeted $40 for both labor and roofing materials. I know I'll be enjoying my stay in my ideal home in a couple of weeks. I've also been dealing with health concerns that come with getting older, and GiveDirectly transfers have come in handy. I normally go for checkups every two months and am given medication to take until the next visit, which costs $3. Normally, I would sell eggs or chickens from my poultry farm to fund my medication, but this time was different and simpler."

"My greatest accomplishment this year will be to improve the condition of my home. Specifically, I want to focused on repairing the roof of the house. Once this is complete, I plan on building concrete pillars around the house to make it even safer and more secure. Moving into a renovated home will bring me peace of mind and a sense of security. It will also make me proud to live in my own home and put an end to my reliance on relatives for accommodation."

"Venturing into livestock rearing is a goal I am passionate about. It will not only allow me to raise animals but also open up opportunities for buying and selling livestock. With this new business, I am optimistic that I will be able to earn a good income to support my family. Currently, we are heavily reliant on a single source of income, which has been a struggle. I plan on dedicating myself fully to this new venture and test the waters. Hopefully, it will pay me back handsomely and provide the financial stability my family needs."

"Food insecurity is the greatest challenge in this area due to prolonged drought. With age I am not able to fend for my family hence we rely on our children to provide for us. This makes us look like we are burdening them because they too have families to take care of. We mostly take two meals a day and in small portions so that whatever we have can last us long. This has affected our health because we lack nnutritious food."

"The lack of a stable source of income is my biggest challenge. My wife and I rely on casual jobs to earn a living and with inconsistency in rain, we hardly get work to do forcing us to sell the goats we have to raise school fees for our children. Sometimes, they stay home for lack of money and this has greatly affected their studies and I feel embarrassed about it."

"Paying school fees for our five children in secondary school and university has been an uphill task. My husband has taken up loans that we have not been able to repay for the past two years making us strain financially. If we had a stable source of income, we could have settled all the arrears."

"The challenge I'm facing at the moment is the lack of money. I used to own a kinyozi business (Barber Shop) in a center near our village and since electricity is not available I was dependent on solar power. However, it's unfortunate that my battery got spoiled which put me out of business. This has led me to do menial work Since I don't have money to purchase a new battery. Because of this I don't have enough money to meet my daily needs which makes life very difficult for me."