I  was at the farm, busy weeding my tomatoes, when I suddenly heard a message notification on my phone. My neighbor was with me at the time, and just as I was wondering what the message could be, her daughter came running over to tell us that her mother had received the transfers from GiveDirectly. I quickly checked my phone, and there it was—the money had come through! I was overjoyed, and we celebrated right there in the field, laughing and thanking God. I already knew exactly what I was going to do: buy stakes for my tomatoes to keep them upright and finally pay the dowry for my wife.

When I received the unconditional cash from GiveDirectly, the biggest difference it made was that I was finally able to pay dowry for my wife. This was a huge relief for me because, before that, things weren’t as smooth. Whenever my wife would go back to her parent's home, it used to feel difficult for me to follow her there since I hadn’t officially fulfilled that obligation. But now that the dowry is paid, our relationship with her family has also improved. I have gained more respect from my in-laws, and there is now a real sense of connection between us.  My wife is happier too, which makes life at home much easier and more fulfilling. With that stress gone, we can now plan better for our future together, and it feels like we are really on the same page. All this became possible because of GiveDirectly, and I am deeply grateful for that.

The first thing I did when I received the transfer was buy sticks for staking my tomatoes. I have half an acre of them, and it was the rainy season, so the plants needed immediate support to keep them from lying on the wet ground. I spent $50 on the sticks and another $20 on labor to help with the staking because it’s such a time-consuming task, and I couldn’t manage it alone. That felt like a good investment because, without proper staking, I could have lost a lot of the crop.  I then used $30 to buy clothes for my two children. It’s important to me that they look good and feel happy, and they haven’t had new clothes in a while. Seeing them excited in their new outfits brought me so much joy—it reminded me why every little effort we make for our children counts. I spent $20 on fuel for the generator we use to pump water to irrigate the tomatoes. With the remaining amount, I topped up my savings to buy a cow as part of the dowry for my wife. She has lived with me for five years, and I hadn’t fulfilled that obligation, but this was my chance to make the first step. I was excited to finally show my in-laws that I’m serious about doing things the right way.