"What stood out about GiveDirectly is their clarity in explaining their program to us. They communicated everything transparently, which helped me build trust in them and their mission. Because of this transparency and the smooth experience I had, I don’t have any recommendations for changes to the current program. In my view, it works effectively just as it is, without any issues."

"I am currently in school and have many aspirations, but in the upcoming year and beyond, I want to focus on my studies first so I can complete my secondary education with good grades. The poverty I have experienced motivates me to work harder so that one day I can change the future of my family. I hope to attend university. My immediate aim is to study diligently and achieve high grades that will enable me to get into a good college. I want to look back one day and remember that I succeeded in life because of these opportunities. There were times when I y like giving up due to financial struggles, but I am grateful that Give Directly stepped in to help. I often feel emotional when I reflect on where I started. I believe that with a strong education, I can secure a well-paying job that will better our family’s circumstances, lift us out of poverty, and help us achieve a better quality of life. My mother sells charcoal, and my father is a small-scale farmer, making it challenging to support my education along with my younger siblings. With these transfers, I am confident that I will achieve my dream."

"My primary objective is to make sure my children can pursue their education to higher levels, enabling them to have a brighter future. To reach this goal, I plan to allocate part of my transfers to acquire more goats while using other portions to cover their school fees. I am optimistic that by adding more goats to my resources, they will multiply over time. Eventually, I aim to exchange these goats for cows, which will also appreciate in value. When the opportune moment arises, I will sell the cows and utilize the profits to support my children's education, as they can yield a substantial return. I am very thankful to GiveDirectly for providing me with this chance to enhance my family's assets. This assistance will enable me to establish a sustainable approach to ensure my children can continue their education and achieve a better future."

"As a family of nine, one of the most significant challenges we face is securing the necessary funds to ensure my children can attend school. Unfortunately, I am not formally employed and rely solely on subsistence farming to provide for our basic needs. Given my age, I find myself unable to engage in more physically demanding jobs, which restricts me to lighter tasks, primarily related to farming. The emotional burden of this situation weighs heavily on me, as I often struggle to meet the essential needs of my family. There have been distressing instances when my children have been sent home from school due to outstanding fees, sometimes as little as $40. This financial strain has forced me to explore various coping mechanisms to keep my family afloat. The impact of these challenges is profound, as there have been times when my children have had to stay home for extended period over three weeks in some cases due to our inability to pay school fees. This situation is incredibly stressful, not only for me but also for my children, who long to learn and grow but are hindered by our financial constraints. It’s a constant struggle, and the weight of not being able to provide the education they deserve is truly heart-wrenching."

"Receiving transfers from GiveDirectly has motivated me to pursue the construction of a brick house. I have been setting aside part of these transfers each month through my local savings group. At present, my wife, three children, and I reside in an old two-room mud house. The transfers have enabled me to contribute to our savings and loan group, which has significantly improved our living conditions. Looking ahead to the next year and beyond, my goal is to build a three-room brick house. So far, I have obtained ten iron sheets for the construction and plan to acquire more using my group savings and extra income from my daily endeavors. Constructing my dream house will create a spacious and comfortable environment for my family, including an additional room that can function as a sitting area for hosting visitors. These transfers have been incredibly beneficial for my family, and I remain hopeful about realizing my dream of building our ideal home. Furthermore, I intend to open a small shop to generate additional income that will support my family's needs, including school fees for my children once I complete building my dream house."

"I was diagnosed with asthma about 20 years ago. I have to depend on fishing to make a living, and this livelihood has contributed to my health's deterioration. Standing in the chilly water for hours is not ideal for someone with my health condition. But I have to do it to sustain my needs and those of my 2 grandchildren. If I can't fish, there's no money and no food. So I continue to gamble between my health and sleeping on an empty stomach."

"Water is a basic need and every human being needs it survival. I am faced with adent challenge of accessing water not only in my homestead but even the entire village. I have piped water that is not running. I get access to water only two days a week and the taps run dry the rest of the week. This has negatively impacted our lives on the side of selfcare which water is basic. Besides, I keep livestock, 8 goats, which need atleast 40 litres of water per day. I am forced to walk a long distance to get water for my family use and also for the goats. Sometimes after working out on my daily casuals, I get back home late yet I am supposed to go and fetch water far away in the darkness of the night. This is really a challenge to me."

"I am a widow caring for my one grandchild since her mother left the village to find work and support us. Her daily income of $8.88 is not enough for both of us. I decided to start a small business selling doughnuts and vegetables with the money she had been sending me. However, my old age, coupled with various health issues, has made it difficult for me to run this business. As a result, I have had to rely on a kiosk to sell my goods, but this has reduced my revenue since I can’t reach as many customers as I used to. The limited income in my business is making my life even more challenging."

"Lack of any investments in life is the challenge I am facing in life. I do casual jobs selling palm wine in the village, making approximately $40 per month, which caters to school fees and food for the family. This job is seasonal, sometimes I can take even a whole month without any job. This has made my son, who is in form three at Ngerenya secondary, miss classes due to a fee balance of $50. Last term he stayed home for two weeks."

"As a motorcycle rider, I have encountered both advantages and challenges in my business. Often, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, especially considering the current economic situation. My home is about 5 km from the town where I operate, and while this distance is manageable, returning home in the evenings can sometimes be difficult. On occasions when my earnings don't cover fuel and food expenses, I find myself dipping into my savings, which disrupts my financial planning."