"This year we didn't harvest anything from our farm and this has brought about lack of food in our household which is a challenge we're currently facing. We only manage to have a single full meal a day, thus, supper. We use the money we are paid from our casual labour in Demeta, a company that deals in farm produce which is stationed in this area, to buy food, thus a bucket of maize at 2.5$. This happens once or twice a week for it is next to impossible to secure a piece work there nowadays as the demand is high by the locals."

"Currently there's only one thing affecting me and it's none other than hunger. My household needs 30 bags of maize for food yearly for our survival. As I am talking to you, I don't have a single grain of maize because I didn't harvest anything this year. We've resorted to boiling and eating mangoes lately. However, on good days my husband Papias brings home some money from his houses construction business, mostly it's 5$ which we use to buy 2 bucket of maize at 2.5$ each. This food lasts for a week."

"I have a number of challenges that my life harder. My deteriorating health renders me helpless and unable to provide for my grandchild's, Brandina Mpira, needs whom I stay with. I suffer from joint pains and sometimes general body pains and this affects my productivity. This is the only challenge I am currently facing. In turn, I have low food stock levels since I don't harvest as much from my maize field. For instance, I only got 2 bags of maize from my previous harvest."

"The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving these payments is that in the past I only ate once a day and sometimes slept on an empty stomach but with the cash transfer I am now able to eat at leat twice a day and I am so grateful..I also eat whenever I am hungry as compares to the past."

"I used my most recent transfer to procure agricultural materials such as fertiliser and seeds..I bought 3 bags of fertiliser to apply in my maize field and I spent an approximate amount $225 and an extra $8 on transport. Then, I bought 5 bags of maize since I had no food in my house..I stay with my husband and 1 grandchild so I feel for the next coming months I am secured when it comes to food. Lastly, I bought 1 livestock i.e. goat which I will be rearing outside my house since I have always desired to be rearing animals and this is a start."

"The moment when I received my cash transfer I was so excited and happy as I knew that some of the challenges will finally come to an end."

"The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving these payments is that in the past I could not afford to take care of my family in terms of buying food..Most times I used to sleep on an empty stomach and at times only ate once..But with the transfer, I am able to eat three times a day and the food is very delicious and healthy."

"The house in structure I am residing in is not conducive for my kids and I, especially during the raining season my younger son always coming down with strong cold that can sometimes lead to him spending a week or two in Fish town hospital. Therefore, if I am qualify to receive this grant, I will use huge portion of the transfer to build a comfortable dwelling place of my own. It has always been on my mind to build a house but; it is so difficult as a single mother, who is not capable of brushing farm to plan crops. I normally help my friends who are married to stratch their farm, and during harvest season they will call me to harvest rice."

"I am a motorcycle taxi rider and this is where we depend to earn a living as a family. This work can only get me an average of $3.50 a day and all our needs look up to this little income. The rising cost of living has worsened the situation and I have found myself in debt I did not intend to have. The food requirements take about $2 a day and usually the remaining $1.50 goes to cater for school fees for my child. In any emergency for example recently when my child fell sick, I was forced to borrow money. I have so far accumulated debts of up to $20 which am worried I shall not be able to repay as soon as they are needed."