"The main challenge that I'm faced with at the moment is a lack of money because of the tough economic times in our country. This has been made worse by the prolonged droughts which have led to the lack of casual work in the farms I used to work. Because of this, my children are chased out of school due to a lack of fees which stresses me a lot. In addition to this, I'm also forced to go hungry occasionally because of a lack of food since I can't afford to purchase foodstuff daily. This has made my life very difficult."

"My ultimate goal, both by the end of this year and beyond, is to ensure that my daughters complete their education without any interruptions. This will enable them to concentrate on their studies and achieve academic success. I am particularly proud of my daughter who is currently in her final year of secondary school. Thanks to the financial transfers, she has cleared all her school fee balances and can now sit for her final national exams without any financial burdens. I am confident that this will greatly enhance her chances of success and enable her to achieve her career aspirations."

"By the end of the year, my biggest accomplishment will be owning a dairy cow. This is because having the cow will provide me with an alternative source of income through selling its milk in the market. To make this happen, I plan to cash in my goats and use the money to purchase a cow. Over the next few months, I will strive to save enough money to buy more goats, which I can eventually sell to raise the funds needed to buy the cow"

"We solely rely on onion farming which is under irrigation to earn a living. It is very costly to pump water using a generator since the location of the farm from the river is 200 meters. Sometimes when we lack money to purchase fuel, the production from the harvest is affected hence we incur losses. Lack of enough money to sustain the cost of farming is a challenge."

"Financial constraints are the greatest challenge since it is difficult for me to raise school fees for my daughter in secondary school. I am a casual worker at a neighbor's house where I help look after livestock. I earn $40 a month, which is not enough to sustain all my needs at the same time school fees leaving me with arrears of $80. I am not happy when my child is sent to collect school fees and she misses up on school this affecting her performance."

"In addition to building a new spacious house, my primary goal is to venture into raising livestock. I hope to accomplish building my new house in the course of this year. It will save me from adverse weather conditions caused by rapid climate change. As a result, my family member will no longer be victims of colds during extreme weather conditions. Keeping livestock is a promising venture, and everyone from my community practices this. It is always beneficial during emergencies because we can often sell livestock to raise quick cash. Currently, I have seven goats, but I desire to add more. I value them as live assets that can help me in case of an emergency."

"Since I began receiving my monthly transfers, I am glad my family has witnessed a positive change. Because I have the assurance of my monthly transfers, I have been able to meet my family's nutritional and educational needs. Therefore, as I continue to receive my transfer, I hope to spend a portion on buying food and paying school fees for my children. I am so happy that my children often have ample time in school, even though I have a meager income. I had never thought that things would work for my good in that manner."

"Depending on a single source of income can be stressful and draining, and this has never been my wish. Although we wish for crop diversification in my area, the climatic conditions, market, and lack of knowledge are obstacles. At Saoset village, for instance, tea farming is not a go-to business since the soils are poor for such, but sugarcane and coffee farming can thrive. Unfortunately, the residents here are not knowledgeable, and for the markets to thrive, a reasonable number of people should have planted such crops on their farms. Since I cannot be a lone ranger in such a business, I hope to venture extensively into poultry farming to support my family of 5. I plan on using $500 to construct a poultry farm to accommodate over 100 chickens. I will be glad to earn from the sales of the eggs and chicken and, therefore, be financially stable."

"In the 21st century, having the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing is essential. I am glad to have achieved this for my family of six through the transfers. From the last transfers, I utilized $300 in completing the three-room brick-walled house that I commenced constructing in September 2022. We used to live in a two-room, mud-walled house that often leaked during heavy rains, thus predisposing my family to diseases such as pneumonia. In addition, I used $200 to add more stock to the retail business that my family depends on. From the business, I earn approximately $60 in profit a month that fully supports my family, including food, clothing, and education for my children. I am now hopeful, with the expanded business, that the profits will increase and my financial status will be upgraded."

"Givedirectly is doing extremely well for us, Things had improved in our community because of Givedirectly support. Most of us can feed on time and we are building decent houses for our family."