"For a while now, I have had the plans to Invest in my farm especially by ensuring that I buy a couple of farm animals. I decided that I will be saving a portion of the money that I keep receiving so that I could eventually have enough to buy a couple of goats and poultry since purchasing cows is costly.Apart from that, I also intend to finish up with renovating my house because after I started receiving the transfers I began fixing it especially the roof since the iron sheets were old and worn out."

"The coordinated approach demonstrated by GiveDirectly in our village enabled the vast majority of beneficiaries to establish clear goals and collaborate with their relatives. We learnt the program details in the initial gatherings, which were led in a language understood by the residents. Since then we have been receiving a timely transfer in our accounts and spending them with no restrictions from GiveDirectly.    I believe a similar technique should be used in other areas that are still awaiting support from GiveDirectly."

"I run a maize-selling business that continues to grow with each additional funding. When I received the second transfer, I spent $200 to replenish the stock that was slowly depleting. As a result, my profit margin has increased because I have never run out of stock since then. I also spent $300 on a heifer that I believe will increase milk production to supplement the first transfer's purchased cow. In addition, I spent the remaining funds on food shopping for my family of six."

"When I first received the transfer, I used a portion of it to purchase land from a neighbor who was selling a parcel adjacent to mine. I paid the pending $400 because I had not cleared the total cost, and I am now the rightful owner of the parcel of land. I was living on my parents' tiny parcel of land, that I could not build anything on it. At the moment, I can plan to relocate my houses and build better structures on the new plot, as well as practice farming on it to produce more food and pay school fees for my six children using farm produce. I also spent $90 on two sheep that I intend to raise and sell their offspring. In addition, I spent the remaining funds on food for my family of ten, which we consumed over the course of a month. I am grateful for the generous support that has improved the standard of living for my family."

"I am delighted that the program was carried out in such a detailed manner that it allowed every household to enroll and earn a similar amount of money that transformed their families. The freedom to choose how to spend made the program appealing to every household because we could deal with our individual issues without being forced to spend in a certain way. Many people solve the water problem by purchasing large water tanks that are currently collecting rainwater and saving every household a lot of time that would have been wasted traveling to the dams to fetch water. If this could be replicated in other villages, I believe it would result in a significant transformation and an improved standard of living throughout the villages."

"The flexibility to choose how we spent GiveDirectly funds was the best approach because it ensured that each recipient addressed individual challenges. Many people worked hard to improve their lives, and the results are satisfying in that everyone is pleased with their choices. The program was well-executed and free of bias because everyone had the opportunity to interact with the staff during the initial stages of enrollment. No one was denied the opportunity to enroll because GiveDirectly applied the same criteria to everyone without consulting the village leadership."

"I had one lactating cow that I purchased with a portion of the first transfer and needed another in the field to keep her company. I spent $150 on a bullock after receiving the second transfer, which I intend to fatten and sell in order to purchase another good lactating breed in the future. In addition, I paid $300 to a neighbor who was selling a plot of land. Since my family of three had been living on a small plot of land, I thought it would be a good idea to keep buying plots of land on which I hope to soon begin the construction of rental houses and rent them out as an additional source of income in the future. I used the remaining $100 to buy food for my family, which we ate for nearly a month before replenishing."

"Since GiveDirectly arrived in our village, a lot has changed. Previously, many people lived in old structures with mud walls and grass roofs. Since then, housing conditions have improved, and every household now has a better house roofed with iron sheets. No one had a water tank, and we all spent a lot of time walking to the river to get water, but after the transfers, more than 80% of the population purchased water tanks and are now collecting clean rainwater from their newly constructed roofs. Most of our children, who had stayed at home due to a lack of school fees, are now back in school, along with other diverse spending patterns in every household since they gave us the freedom to choose our spending. The approach was flawlessly executed by the friendly field officers, who made certain that we understood everything from the beginning by explaining in a language that both the young and the elderly could understand."

"With the current projects and the monthly payment for the biogas installation, I hope to make timely payments every month in order to avoid penalties. Along with the installments I am making, I would like to begin the construction of a new kitchen, the materials for which are already on hand. I have been saving money for the construction and purchasing materials in bits, which I am glad are now all available. The construction will begin once I have saved enough for the labor costs, and hopefully, it will be completed within the next four months."

"This initiative gave a new face to every household and more so the whole village. We were given a chance to listen and decide on how to spend the transfer independently without being coerced. I don’t have anything to complain about, but to just encourage GiveDirectly to keep supporting other villages as well."