I was busy at my farm, preparing the land for planting tomatoes, holding onto faith that GiveDirectly’s transfer would come soon. I did not know the exact date, but I trusted it would arrive as promised. I suddenly heard a notification on my phone. I quickly checked and was overjoyed to see that the first transfer had arrived. Later, when my husband returned home from herding, I shared the exciting news with him, and we were both so happy. We knew that finally we could plant our tomatoes. Thank you, GiveDirectly!

For ten years, my husband and I struggled with casual jobs, just making enough to survive. We always wanted to do crop farming, but we never had enough money. Earlier this year, after saving for a while, we planted maize, hoping it would help us, but floods destroyed everything, and we felt hopeless. When GiveDirectly gave us money, it was like a new beginning. We used the cash to plant tomatoes, and now they are growing well. We hope to harvest in less than two months, and if all goes well, we expect to get about two tons, which will give us enough money to address our needs, continue crop farming activities, and finally stop doing casual jobs.

For many years, I had dreamed of moving away from the casual jobs my husband and I had relied on for over ten years. We always wanted to engage in crop farming, but financial constraints and our limited income kept that dream out of reach. Earlier this year, after saving for some time, we finally tried crop farming. We planted maize on an acre of land, hoping it would bring us some relief. However, things didn’t go as planned. Heavy floods destroyed all our maize, leaving us devastated. Just as we were thinking of giving up, GiveDirectly came to enroll us, restoring our hope. We decided to give farming another try. As I waited for the first transfer, I began preparing the land. I plowed and made ridges, determined to succeed this time. When I received the money, I didn’t waste any time. I bought tomato seedlings worth $180 from Naivasha, where I knew I could get the best quality, and spent an additional $10 on transport costs. It was exciting to start planting again, and my entire household, including my four boys, my husband, and even my husband’s brother, helped with the planting to cut down on costs. Managing the crops has not been easy. I have had to sell some of my goats to cover the costs of irrigation, herbicides, and pesticides. Despite the challenges, my crops are now doing well, and we expect to harvest in less than two months. Additionally, we have faced difficulties with food, especially after losing our maize crop to the floods. However, with the remaining $10 from the transfer, I bought essential food items like sugar, maize flour, and other necessities to sustain us. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for making this possible.