"Financial constraints have been the greatest challenge because I am raising my children single- handedly while depending on casual jobs. They lack school fees and they spend most of their school days at home thus missing out on school work. This affects their performance and it saddens me when I cannot change the situation."

"I currently live with my six grandchildren, all of whom are enrolled in school - one in high school and the others in primary school. My daughter used to take care of them and pay for their fees, ensuring they faced no interruptions in their studies due to fees. Unfortunately, she fell ill last year and has not been able to return to work, leaving me with the full responsibility. Being elderly, I spend my time at home looking after livestock and sometimes doing subsistence farming. Shouldering the responsibility of paying fees overwhelmed me, especially since I also rely on my other children for support. Because of this, fee arrears kept accumulating, and my grandchildren were frequently sent home because I couldn't raise the required fees on time. Receiving the transfer brought huge relief, as I was able to clear a significant portion of the hefty fee arrears. It gives me peace of mind to see my grandchildren comfortably in school, thanks to the support, for which I am grateful."

"I went out to carry some water from a distant source in the afternoon, leaving my phone at home to charge. When I returned and took a break, I noticed a notification on my phone. Unfortunately, I couldn't read the messages, so I called my helper for assistance. After checking, my helper confirmed that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was so filled with joy and relief, knowing that I could now pay my son's fees. This was especially important as my children had been sent home from school due to my inability to pay their fees on time."

"I have been residing in a small and dilapidated house for almost a decade without the means to upgrade to a better, more comfortable house. My long-cherished dream of living in an iron-roofed house seemed unattainable due to financial constraints. However, the support from GiveDirectly has been a game-changer for me. With the help of the funds I received, I was able to purchase 24 pieces of iron sheets, building materials, and nails, amounting to almost $400. This enabled me to start the construction of my new, spacious, and iron-roofed house. The financial support was crucial in making this dream a reality. In addition to using the transfer for housing, I also spent $100 to pay for my son's school fees, ensuring that he can continue his high school education without any disruptions. This has brought me immense peace of mind, knowing that my son's education will not be hindered due to unpaid fees. Furthermore, I spent the remaining portion of the funds on purchasing enough food supplies to sustain my family for some months, ensuring that we would not face any food shortages."

"My greatest challenge currently is the floods that wrecked havoc in our village. I had planted butter nuts on my farm and was about to harvest when floods came and destroyed it all. This has left me without money and I have difficulty providing for my family since the small amount I expected to get from the farm got taken by the recent floods. This saddens me so much and I have been left with worry and uncertainty about my family's future and survival."

"Currently, I'm facing a lot of challenges. However, the most pressing challenge I'm facing at the moment is the sickness that has made it difficult for me to work and provide for my family. I haven't been able to go to the hospital because of a lack of money which has made it even worse for me. I'm in a lot of pain which makes life almost unbearable."

"While my spouse Kazungu earns $10 a week as a cleaner, I operate a small business and make $1 per day.Our combined income is insufficient to educate our children and provide food for a family of eight. Consequently, the difficulties I am currently facing stem from not having enough money to meet my family's basic needs."

"I own a retail shop and a posho mill in the village, but the revenue from these businesses is inconsistent. One reason for this is that the prolonged drought in the area brought on by climate change has discouraged people from harvesting maize, which has decreased the number of people visiting the posho mill.Furthermore, the majority of customers in my retail store will purchase items on credit rather than paying cash because the majority of the local population does not have a reliable source of income. Due to the lack of revenue from these businesses, it has become increasingly difficult to provide for the majority of my family's basic needs."

"Once this financial aid comes to an end in the future, I want to be in a position where I will have financial security and can totally rely on myself. To achieve this, I want to keep on saving my transfers from GiveDirectly in our local savings group, and once they mature, I will use the money to buy more goats. I am hopeful that these goats will multiply and increase in number and value so that in the future, when I am faced with pressing issues in our family, I may be able to sell them and help my family out. I am glad about this envisioned future that I have, and I am hopeful that I will be able to achieve it so that I may have the financial independence that I have always longed for."

"My house is in a very poor state where the roofing is made of nylon covers, and this is really depressing. I want to improve the roofing from nylon to iron sheets. My plan is therefore to keep saving my transfers in a merry-go-round savings group where we pool funds together so that when it is my turn, I may use the pooled funds to buy the iron sheets and give my house better roofing. Having a better-roofed house will make me very happy, and I am hopeful that this will come true. In addition to improving my home's roofing, I also plan to keep using part of my transfers to buy more chickens and, if possible, goats with hopes that they will multiply and increase in number, and I can then sell them and use the proceeds to buy small cows. These cows will be a great source of income in the future, as once they grow and increase in size and value, I can sell them and use the money to provide for my family."