"Due to the persistent rains and recent floods that have ravaged the village, my grass-thatched house has become unsafe, as it is heavily affected by both the floods and rainwater. I cannot afford to build a more secure home for my family. With no steady source of income, I also struggle to provide enough food for the family because of financial constraints."

"Financial constraints is the greatest challenge. I depend on charcoal burning to make a living but due to rains and flooding it is not viable. As a result of loss of income, I strain to provide for my children and this saddens me."

"Financial constraints are the biggest challenge because I depend on casual jobs to earn a living. Due to its uncertain nature, I hardly save up any amount for future use. My children lack enough school utilities like school uniform and books and this makes me feel bad."

"I am very thankful and appreciative of GiveDirectly. I have a testimony that the money has positively impacted my life. When I received my second transfer, I used it for farming to plant green grams, which yielded $600 when I sold them. I then used that income as capital to plant tomatoes and watermelons, which are currently growing on the farm. I am expecting to earn $12,000, a significant profit for me. I had always dreamed of planting these crops but never had enough capital. With my last transfer, I allocated $100 to support these two crops.Additionally, I have a posho mill that helps me pay bills. I decided to add more stock of maize to the mill, spending $200 on it. To ensure I didn’t take profit from the posho mill and to allow it to grow, I used the remaining $150 to pay for the school fees of my four children. My wife helps run the posho mill business while I focus on agriculture."

"I have some pending bills that need to be paid by the end of the year. My plan is to use the income from my tomato harvest to complete the plot of land I initially bought but haven’t finished due to a lack of funds. Once that is done, I will use the remaining amount to start constructing rental houses on the plot. This will lead to better and greater investments in the near future."

"My husband passed away a long time ago, leaving me with four children and one grandchild to take care of. Fortunately, he left me with many goats, which I used to sell one by one to pay for my children’s school fees. However, since I received my last cash transfer from GiveDirectly, I stopped selling the goats and allocated $200 specifically for my children's school fees. Previously, I used the second transfer to purchase some building materials, and with the third transfer, I spent $120 to complete the house. The house was in poor condition, with mud walls that often cracked and leaked when it rained. Additionally, I used $80 to buy foodstuffs. I used to make charcoal to make ends meet, but with the cash I received, I was able to stock up on food. Lastly, I spent the remaining $50 on new clothes for us so that we could feel like the wealthier people out there. Thank you so much, GiveDirectly, for making this possible."

"The biggest difference in my life now is that I am planting crops like other farmers, and I expect a substantial maize harvest by the end of the year—around 60 bags. When I sell them, it will definitely transform my life. Capital was previously hard to come by, but now I have it, and I thank GiveDirectly for making this possible."

"I am very sad to tell you that all the money I invested in farming has been lost. I used the entire $450 to invest in agriculture, planting tomatoes. This included buying seeds, planting them, spraying, and weeding. Unfortunately, the entire crop was swept away by floods, leaving me back at square one. I had hoped to earn a profit and reinvest in other ventures, but now I’m left without capital. My husband and I are both farmers, and we have three children to take care of. We were very grateful when we received the money from GiveDirectly, and it is heartbreaking to see it all lost."

"My husband passed away last year, but fortunately, my children were old enough to manage. I have four children: two are married, and the other two are in their final year at university. At home, I only have three grandchildren, all of whom are in boarding school and only come home during holidays. I try to cover their school fees and food with the income I earn from my grocery business in town.When I received the money, I used all of the $200 to purchase 14 plastic chairs, a mattress, and kitchen utensils. As someone who regularly hosts church visitors, I wanted to make sure I would never have to borrow chairs or sleeping arrangements. Thank you for your support—it truly makes a difference."

"I have a passion for helping those in need, but I am currently living in poverty and have nothing to offer them. However, my dream of helping others will never fade. With the proceeds from my farm, I plan to purchase a tailoring machine and grow that business until it becomes very successful. Once it's big enough, I will employ people to work with me and save little by little to help those in need and improve my own life as well."