"Life has become so unbearable because the cost of living has gone up. The cash I usually earn from engaging in casual jobs is hardly enough to meet my daily demands. I separated from my wife sometimes time in 2017 due to irreconcilable differences and so I have been left alone to fend for our two children, the burden of providing for them is an uphill task, it breaks my heart when I fail to provide adequately for them. Caring for children is the most reassuring and rewarding endeavor but at the same time it can drive someone nuts especially when there is not enough-ness of money."

"Despite my limited financial resources, my ambition is to ensure that my six children receive the best education possible. Personally, I never had the opportunity to enrol in school, and I do not want my children to experience the same. Though raising the fees for all six has been difficult, the transfer has been a huge relief, and I am grateful that they have been able to continue their studies without interruptions due to fees so far. As I continue to work casual jobs that pay as little as $3, I can comfortably take care of other needs, such as food, knowing that fees have been covered by the transfers. I am hopeful that by the end of the program, they will have accomplished some of their academic objectives."

"What I hope to accomplish in the coming year and beyond is to ensure that my seven children feel comfortable in school and are able to achieve their academic goals. I rely on the transfers to pay their fees on time in order to avoid being sent home. Raising fees for them would have been difficult if it hadn't been for the transfer. My brothers usually help me out, but it's limited because they all have large families to look after. I also plan to buy some goats with any extra money from the transfer. Owning livestock, such as goats, is a good investment for those of us who live in rural areas and rely primarily on small-scale subsistence farming. I can easily sell to raise funds for my children as well."

"The aspect that is making my life harder at the moment is lack of work and hunger. Because of the prolonged droughts in our area which have taken about three years, it has been hard to get menial work on the farms. This has led to a lack of money and a lack of food. I'm forced to sleep hungry about 2 to 3 times a week whenever I don't get work. This makes my life difficult since I don't have the energy to work the following day because of hunger."

"Our biggest challenge as a household is my disability. I have a leg problem. I need to change my walking feet yearly. It costs $250. I have used the one I have now for more than a year due to a lack of funds to change it. We cannot raise the amount as a family, hence making my life very difficult. This has also affected my ability to walk properly and also assist my husband in doing simple tasks."

"The biggest challenge here is food insecurity. The drought made it hard to grow my small farm. Getting food is hard because of the high cost of living. I depend on casual jobs which pay $2.50. It's very little, sugar costs $2.50 a kilogram, and maize flour $0.90. This is very high compared to the previous years. It was half that. This means I must budget well from the few casual jobs I get lest we go hungry with my grandchild."

"Amafaranga yambere naguzemo umurima uteyemo ishyamba wa 300,000 Rwf (300$), ayasigaye mpahamo ibyo kurya. amafaranga ya kabiri nayo yamfashije kwishyura amatara y'umurasire wa 70,000 Rwf (70$), kwishyura amadeni ya 15,000 Rwf (15$), ubundi nkuraho 300,000 Rwf (300$) yo gusana inzu, ayasigaye 150,000 Rwf (150$) ndayizigama."

"Iyo ndebye ibikorwa bya GiveDirectly byose mbona ari byiza birasobanutse, rwose byadukuye mu bukene, twari dushonje, turyama habi ariko ubu impinduka ni zose."

"In the coming year and beyond, my objective is to venture into the avocado and mango farming due to their potential for higher profits. By doing so, I hope to alleviate the financial burdens in my life. To fulfill this aspiration, I intend to allocate the funds received from GiveDirectly towards this endeavor. I am confident that, with time, I can transform this vision into a tangible reality. Overall, I am grateful for all that I have accomplished thus far."

"My aim for the next few years is to purchase at least four cows. These cows will serve multiple purposes, such as assisting with plowing exercises on our farm and potentially being hired out to others for additional income. I also aim to expand my business further, focusing on buying and selling chickens. I have six children, five of whom are currently attending school. Unfortunately, one of my children has been unable to join secondary school for the past two years due to financial constraints. By growing the business, I hope to earn more and be able to enroll my son in high school, as I support his siblings. "