"Education is the key to life and every parent wishes the best for his/her children. Amidst many life challenges, raising school fees for my 3 children in grade 10 is a nightmare. My family of 7 depends on raising goats for a living. However, the flock is now reduced because I have been selling them to clear part of their school fees. I am uncertain whether I will be able to meet their education needs because the financial future is unpromised."

"Late last year, I made the decision to join a savings committee where we gave money to one individual each month so they could make a significant difference in their lives. When it is eventually my turn to receive the funds from the committee, I am hoping to use them to purchase a few farm animals, ideally goats, chickens, and possibly a cow as well, but I'm not sure because livestock is very pricey. After that, I'm also going to use the money I get from the charity to pay my grandkids' tuition since after their father passed away a few years ago, my daughter, who is also their mother, lost her job, and it's been incredibly difficult for her to support her children. I consequently made the decision to help her pay for her tuition because she is unable to accomplish anything on her own."

"Last year, I set up a goal of buying new iron sheets for building a house. The present house is relatively small, and my children are always uncomfortable. Since I never accomplished that goal, this year, it forms my primary goal. I shall strive through the transfers to buy the remaining 20 iron sheets to build a 30-iron roofed house. I will prioritize building a two-roomed house that is relatively spacious for my children. My other goal is to open a bank account for savings for my children. At the moment, I have four school-going children, and I always struggle to raise their fees. Building up a saving scheme for their education will ease my burden as they advance their studies."

"I currently have a lot of challenges. The housing issue, however, is the most urgent one. We were forced to relocate here as internally displaced people in 2017 when bandits drove us out of Arabal (IDP). Because I don't have a place of my own, I've lived in three separate places. My family and I have been profoundly impacted by this since we feel like outcasts who must rely on the kindness of others. I occasionally wish I could live on my own piece of land."

"Food security is a major problem that we are experiencing currently as a family. The rise in the cost of living has complicated matters for us, previously it was a bit better unlike at the moment. The cost of household commodities like sugar, and maize flour has skyrocketed and so putting food on the table is a huge struggle. Some other times we go to bed on an empty stomach when we are unable to afford food for the day since we live from hand to mouth.It saddens and breaks my spirit a lot because as a breadwinner of the family, I am being looked upon to provide for my family, a responsibility which at times I am unable to meet."

"Before the transfer, I was burning and selling charcoal. In a week I would produce six bags selling them at $3.5. This money has helped me buy food for my family. I have six children that need food and school fees, it has not been easy catering to the family's needs. My husband is a broker who sells livestock and he makes $5 a day. The money is used to pay school fees."

"Since there is drought in our area, there is nothing I can do to improve my economic status apart from poultry farming. Using my monthly transfers, I usually buy two to three chickens per month for income generation and investment purposes. This year, I plan to continue boosting my poultry farming to make it a more extensive business venture; I currently have six chickens and will add three more at $3 each using part of my subsequent transfers. When the chickens mature, I will sell them to raise funds to buy goats which I will also sell in the future to raise money for school fees for my four school-going children."

"I would like to open another business and sell new clothes, and fabrics. I would also like to buy a dairy cow that will help me sell milk and increase my sources of income."

"I am a farmer, I cultivate vegetables for domestic use. I help out with food in the house, and my husband who works at the construction site getting a wage of $3 a day helps out with school fees. The money has not been enough to cater to my family's needs and most days if I do not have produce on my farm, we sleep hungry even for two consecutive days. The other challenge is paying school fees for my three children who are in school, most days they are sent away which interferes with their studies."