"My house was carried away by the strong and fierce winds that struck our village, leaving me and my family homeless. In response to this, I constructed a small one-room structure where my husband, children, and I now sleep. For this coming year, I plan to build a two-room house where I and my family will live and have the space that we desire. To achieve this, I intend to use a portion of the transfers I receive from GiveDirectly to gradually buy building materials and eventually construct a larger house where my family can sleep comfortably. Currently, I have seven iron sheets, and I intend to purchase more sheets and other necessary materials as I can. This new home will provide us with peace of mind and privacy as my children grow. Once the house is complete, I plan to invest in more goats and chickens, hoping they will multiply. In the future, I aim to sell some of them and use the proceeds to support my family’s general welfare, including food, health care, and education. I am truly grateful for the opportunity that GiveDirectly has provided us."

"The financial support that I have been receiving from GiveDirectly has been constructive in my life, particularly when it comes to taking care of my family's well-being and educational needs. I have seven children in school, and their education is my top priority as it is the key to a better life in the future. My goal for this coming year and beyond is to ensure my children remain in school and continue their studies to completion. To provide my children with a pathway to a better future, I plan to use a portion of the transfers from GiveDirectly along with my earnings from my hustles to fund their education. As the breadwinner of our family, I don't have a stable job that provides a substantial income. Instead, I rely on making and selling charcoal, which yields very little. However, I'm grateful that the small earnings I do make help support my family. I am grateful for the transfers, as they have been helping me a lot to take care of my family because the earnings from the charcoal business alone are not enough."

"I used to work in a food-selling kiosk, and the experience I gained there enabled me to start my own kiosk using transfers I received from GiveDirectly. I was drawn to running a food business because I saw how profitable it could be. Currently, I earn a daily profit of around $15, and I’m genuinely happy with this venture. My goal is to expand my business, and I plan to use a portion of the transfers along with some of my profits for this purpose. Watching my business grow to the point where it can fully support itself and my family is my greatest desire, as I have always longed for financial stability. My children and I still live with my mother, and I have always dreamed of having our own home. To make this dream a reality, I've been saving part of my transfers and some of my business profits in our local savings group. Once the funds mature, I intend to combine them with the building materials I have already purchased to start constructing our house. This home will provide me and my children with a sense of belonging. I am truly grateful for the transfers, as they have allowed me to establish a business and will ultimately help me provide a home for my children."

"When I received the cash from GiveDirectly, it was truly life-changing. Before, my tendering business was limited to supplying just vegetables to the local school. It was barely enough, and I was making less than $500 a month. But with the money, I was able to invest in expanding my business to supply stationery as well. It’s something I had always wanted to do but just didn't have the capital for. Now, I have a steady partnership with the school for both vegetables and stationery, which has boosted my business. The biggest difference is the financial growth I’ve experienced. Before, I was constantly struggling to make ends meet. But now, with the expanded business, I'm projecting to make about $1500 in the coming month. It’s more than triple what I was making before. I can now meet my family’s needs more comfortably and even reinvest in growing the business further. It's incredible to see how a simple cash transfer has turned my business around and given me the confidence to plan for an even brighter future."

"When I received the cash from GiveDirectly, it was truly life-changing. Before, my tendering business was limited to supplying just vegetables to the local school. It was barely enough, and I was making less than $500 a month. But with the money, I was able to invest in expanding my business to supply stationery as well. It’s something I had always wanted to do but just didn't have the capital for. Now, I have a steady partnership with the school for both vegetables and stationery, which has boosted my business. The biggest difference is the financial growth I’ve experienced. Before, I was constantly struggling to make ends meet. But now, with the expanded business, I'm projecting to make about $1500 in the coming month. It’s more than triple what I was making before. I can now meet my family’s needs more comfortably and even reinvest in growing the business further. It's incredible to see how a simple cash transfer has turned my business around and given me the confidence to plan for an even brighter future."

"I was at home relaxing after lunch when I heard a message notification on my phone. Curious, I picked it up to check, and to my surprise and excitement, it was the GiveDirectly transfer we had been waiting for! I couldn’t believe it. I immediately called out to my husband and shared the news, and he was just as happy as I was. We had been talking about it for a while and already planned to use the money to buy furniture. It felt like such a relief like a door had opened to make things just a little bit easier for us."

"I had just finished washing clothes, and as usual, I picked up my phone to check for any messages or missed calls. To my surprise, I saw a message that I had received money from GiveDirectly! I was so excited. I immediately told my husband, who was right there with me, and he was just as happy. We had been waiting for this moment because we had already planned to use the money to boost his charcoal business, and now that the money was finally in our hands, we felt a huge sense of relief and gratitude."

"Before I received the cash transfers from GiveDirectly, life was tough. I spent most of my time burning charcoal just to make ends meet. I had to juggle between buying food and paying my child's school fees, and most times, there just wasn’t enough. I worried constantly about whether my child would be sent home from school because I couldn’t afford to pay on time. It was a never-ending cycle of stress and hard labor. But everything changed when I started receiving the transfers. With that support, I was able to pay my child’s school fees in full and still have enough left to buy food for the household. The burden of burning charcoal every day has been lifted, and I finally feel a sense of relief. I can now focus on other meaningful activities, knowing that my child's education is secured and we have food on the table."

"We have been living in a small, one-room iron sheet house that I built on my relative’s land after ours was submerged in the lake. It hasn’t been sufficient for our family of five, and managing in such limited space for the past six years has been challenging. With my second transfer from GiveDirectly, I bought half an acre of land and plan to build a three-room iron sheet house for my family on it. Currently, I have planted melon on an acre of land, which will be ready for harvest in a month, and I anticipate earning about $1,000. I plan to use the proceeds from the melon harvest, along with my final transfer, to construct the house."

"I was walking to an event in my neighborhood when a random message popped up on my phone. It was from GiveDirectly, and they had sent me $200. I was so happy; this news brightened my journey. After attending the event, I returned home early to share the news with my wife and children so that we could plan together. The first thing that came to my mind was to use the money to pay the school fee arrears for one of my children in secondary school."