I remember it was around 2 p.m. and I was doing my afternoon routine chores when I heard a message notification on my phone. I went to it so I could open and read it to see who it was, or maybe it was even Safaricom sending their advertisement messages. I was overwhelmed with happiness to see that the transfers from GiveDirectly have been received. I could not believe it was becoming a reality that I was going to handle such an amount of money in my lifetime. And the first thing that I could think of was how to use this amount of money in a way that it will generate income and not just consume it on things that, once they are done, I get back to my position of lack again.

There are noticeable changes after the transfers, such as having to farm on the entire piece of land, which was impossible in previous years due to financial constraints and also a persistent drought. However,  this time we are hopeful because it has rained generously and the farms all over the village are green. Another notable difference is that my child is wearing a school uniform today, as opposed to every other day, when she would wear her home clothing and be sent home frequently due to tuition arrears. We brought lots of food with us, which was not always the case; occasionally we would go an entire day without eating anything.

I bought four goats for $15 and one dairy cow for $15, knowing that with animal products in my home, I will be covered financially because I will sell one and keep the rest as they multiply. The dairy cow I purchased was still a young one, but in no time it will be mature and will be able to begin producing milk, which will be extremely beneficial in that I will cut on the amount of money spent buying it and also sell the extra to earn some income. I also had to spend $4 on planting 2.5 acres of land where I planted maize, and I am hopeful that I will reap as much as I planted. This time, I purchased plenty of food for $5 in order to save time and money. Food is expensive at our village's small kiosk, so I decided to go to a nearby center and buy it in bulk so that I could spend less money. I was also able to pay school fees and buy a uniform for my child, who had been going to school in home clothes due to my inability to buy the uniform; she is happy since she is no longer the odd one out, and she will no longer be sent home for school expenses. Aside from that, I was able to save $10 from the transfers, which will assist me in managing my daily needs in the house and maybe when an emergency arises.