"In the upcoming year and beyond, my primary goal is to fully pay off the solar panel, a significant milestone that ensures consistent lighting and phone charging capabilities in my home, all made possible by the financial support from the transfers. Additionally, I plan to prioritize purchasing food for my family, especially considering the uncertainty surrounding our farming prospects due to the lack of rains. As we await favorable weather conditions to cultivate maize and secure our food source, I'll allocate funds towards food purchases to ensure my family's well-being. I am profoundly thankful for the financial assistance provided by the transfers, which has significantly improved our quality of life and lifted us out of poverty."

"My primary focus in the coming year and beyond is to save up enough funds from the transfers to acquire essential building materials like sand, building stones, and cement. Our makeshift house has been struggling during this rainy season, with serious leaks posing a significant challenge for us. By investing in these materials, I aim to address the structural issues and ensure a more comfortable living environment for my family. I am deeply grateful for the support from the transfers, as it has enabled me to tend to my personal needs without having to rely excessively on relatives. This new found independence is empowering and allows me to take proactive steps towards improving our living conditions."

"For years, I have held onto the dream of owning a home. After my previous house collapsed in the rain, I have been relying on my son's shelter. Now, that chapter is ending as I have finished constructing my new two-room house with iron sheets. The only thing left is to install the door, which I plan to do in the upcoming months, marking the final step before I can move in. The financial transfers have played a crucial role in making this dream a reality, and I could not be happier with how they have transformed my life for the better."

"As an elderly woman, my health has been a primary concern, but thanks to the financial support from Give Directly, I have been able to access necessary medical care, leading to significant improvements in recent months. This support has been invaluable in ensuring that I can address health issues promptly whenever they arise. Looking ahead, I intend to invest further in livestock, providing a source of income and stability even after the financial assistance ends in the next three years. I am grateful for the support from the transfers, which has had a positive impact on both my health and financial security."

"My priority for the upcoming year is to address the dire condition of my house. The aging iron sheets covering the roof are in poor shape, allowing rainwater to seep. To remedy this, I plan to allocate a significant portion of my transfers towards purchasing new iron sheets to replace the entire roof. This renovation is essential to prevent further deterioration of the house and ensure the safety and comfort of my family. I am grateful for the financial support provided by the transfers, which enables me to address this pressing need and better care for my family."

"After enduring a prolonged period of waiting for rain, we finally received some precipitation, which brings relief to our farming activities. With this blessing of rain, my goal for the subsequent transfers is to use them to plow my 1-acre land. This will enable me to cultivate crops and ensure an abundant harvest, reducing our reliance on purchasing food from shops and contributing to greater food security for my family. I am immensely grateful for the financial support I have received, as it has played a crucial role in improving the quality of my life and providing opportunities for self-sufficiency."

"Subsistence farming which has been our only source of food, has proved unreliable for the past 5 years. With 3 consecutive failed seasons due to progressive drought, my family of 6 has had to face the wrath of food insecurity. Last year's enhanced short rains sparked some hope, only for flash floods to wash away my farm. I am now back to default and I have to engage in charcoal burning to feed the family. The cumbersome nature of this job does not align with my strength, hence I am less productive. On average I make $11 in a month which cannot sustain us and skipping meals is a common occurrence."

"I have been surviving by selling vegetables in my village, which has been my main source of income. However, I am a trained tailor, and my goal has always been to start my own tailoring shop, stock it with textile materials, and have a stable source of income. I was not able to go past primary education, and I had to find ways to survive as a single parent at only 22 years old. Also, I was not financially stable to start the tailoring shop immediately since the business of selling vegetables was not paying well. I am very grateful for the support of GiveDirectly, which has fulfilled my dream of starting a tailoring business. With their help, I was able to purchase a new sewing machine and some textile materials and I am currently constructing my shop. I am thrilled that through this shop, I will be self-employed and self-reliant, earning a better income than I was by selling vegetables. I can now take care of my sick parent and pay for my child's education. Additionally, I am in the process of building my own house after being housed by my aunt for years. I own a piece of land where I am building the house, and part of the space will serve as my tailoring shop, as it is close to our trading centre. I am glad I will not have to rent a place for my tailoring business."

"I work as a tailor and also engage in subsistence farming with my husband. Farming has always ensured we have enough food in our household. For this reason, I recently acquired an acre of land near a river where I can comfortably do some irrigation. I had previously made partial payments for this piece of land but still had a huge outstanding balance. I was paying through the little savings that I was making from my tailoring business. When I received the transfer, I paid off the remaining debt which amounted to $500 and gained full ownership of the land. I now possess the land and I am planning to plant fresh vegetables and maize crops and some irrigation using the available water. I hope to get good produce for consumption and sell the surplus thus earning some income as well. In addition to the land purchase, I also spent $20 in purchasing a new door for my home. The old one was broken, and I was concerned about the safety of my family as well as my household items. With the new door in place, I feel much more secure. Finally, I bought two chickens which I am currently keeping, and food for my family with the remaining amount."

"I have made several attempts to save money with my husband to build a decent house with an iron roof, but I failed every time. This was because I could not afford to buy the necessary building materials such as iron sheets, timber, and nails. All the income my husband earned went to food and other needs, such as fees for our two children. Due to financial constraints, I had no choice but to live in our small house that was thatched with old and leaking palm tree leaves. You could even see the outside while inside the house, and I could only feel the comfort of living in an iron roofed house when I visited neighbors who owned one. However, we still had to live in it as we hoped for a better life. My dream of building an iron roofed house was rekindled when I was enrolled in the GiveDirectly program and received my first transfer. I used the whole amount to buy the necessary materials such as poles, nails, timber, and iron sheets, and built a two-room iron roofed house. Owning and living in an iron roofed house has made the biggest difference in my daily life. Without the support, it would have taken me years to fulfill this dream, but now I no longer have to worry about the rains."