"I do not have a stable source of income and this has affected me. I am not able to invest in anything because I use the money I earn to support my parents and purchase food and clothing for myself. If I had consistent income I would have done livestock keeping to supplement on the casual jobs."

"Scarcity of food is the biggest challenge in my area. I do not have land where I can farm to get food meaning I purchase all the food stuff. It is difficult to ensure that my family of three gets three meals a day.If I had a fertile land, I would ensure my family gets enough and nutritious food."

"Financial constraints are the greatest challenge because i do not have a stable source of income. I depend on the fish business to earn a living, due to its perishable nature, I mostly ran at a loss for lack of cooling systems. If I had a stable income I would be able to meet my children's basic needs comfortably."

"I operate a small business of selling fish. After collecting them from fishermen, I deepfry and pack them for my customers in nearby towns. Due to economic strains, business has been poor this year and I did not make enough sales to sponsor my children's education. As a result, I have been forced to take loans to supplement my income in order to pay school fees. Since I have not repaid the loans, I am worried that my children's education for next year will be in jeopardy."

"I had gone to look after a neighbor's livestock when I received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. When I saw the promised amount, I knew it was from them, and I was so happy I almost forgot what I was doing. I hadn’t expected it, but I had held onto faith. I immediately called my wife, and she was just as happy. The next day, I went home, and together we budgeted the money for our most pressing needs. Indeed, GiveDirectly fulfills its promises. Thank you, GiveDirectly."

"When I received my transfer, I prioritized reducing my son's high school fees arrears, which had accumulated to $80. I managed to pay $40 towards this balance to ease the burden. For my daughter, who is also in high school, I gave her $10 for a special motivation program they were having at school and $7 for transport, as schools were closing. I also paid $8 for my younger daughter in primary school, as this amount was required for their food during the exam period. Beyond school needs, food was essential, especially since we relied on charcoal production. I spent $30 on maize, $7 on beans, and an additional $15 on other food items to last us for a while. I also bought clothes for the whole family, particularly for special occasions, as we didn’t have enough decent attire, spending $40. Since we were displaced due to insecurity, a kind person welcomed us into their village, and when I learned his father was struggling with kidney problems, I contributed $40 to support their family in gratitude for their kindness."

"I have always relied on both crop and livestock farming to support my family of nine, but due to insecurity in our area, we were forced to relocate, and I no longer have land to farm. With my children’s needs in mind, especially providing for them and our livestock, I knew focusing on my goats would help us survive this tough time. I managed to move with 37 goats, but I needed more to secure our future, so I bought two additional goats for $95. I also purchased medicine and a sprayer for $8 to keep the goats healthy. Food was another challenge after relocating, as I now depend on casual jobs. I spent $56 on maize, beans, and condiments to sustain us, and I set aside $10 for daily essentials like vegetables. My three children did not have shoes, so I bought them for $7. At that time, one of my children fell ill and was diagnosed with malaria, and I spent $15 on her medication. The remaining amount went towards transport costs from home to town. Thank you, GiveDirectly."

"I had just gotten home from looking after my goats when I heard a message notification on my phone. I checked and confirmed that it was my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I immediately called my husband to share the great news, but his phone was off, so I had to wait until he returned that evening from his motorbike riding job. When he came back, I shared the news, and we were both so happy. As a family, we felt a huge sense of relief, knowing that the funds would help us fulfill our plans."

"When we learned that we would receive money from GiveDirectly, we made plans on how to use it in advance. We decided to invest in goats and sheep, as we had two goats but no sheep at the time. This investment was important to us because, as they multiply, they can help us cover school fees in the future. With the transfer, I was able to buy two goats, each costing $50, and a sheep for $50. Additionally, our children had only a few clothes; they did not have any nice clothes, especially for special occasions, so I spent $20 on their clothing. Finally, I used the remaining money to buy food, including a bag of maize, which is our main staple food. This has been a relief because we still have that maize today, and it has made it easier for us to afford other essential food items like sugar. Thank you, GiveDirectly."

"I was out in the field looking after my goats when I heard my phone buzz with a message. Curious, I checked and saw that I had received my first cash transfer from GiveDirectly. I could not believe it! I was overwhelmed with happiness, and as I headed home that evening, I shared the good news with my family, who were just as excited as I was. With my love for goats, my first thought was to use the money to buy more goats and grow my flock, knowing it would help secure a better future for us."