I had just arrived home from a church function at four o'clock in the evening when I heard my phone ring with a message notification. Since I could not read the contents myself, I asked my daughter to help check what the message was all about. She broke the news that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. Honestly, it was the best moment of my life. I remember screaming with so much joy that my daughter was concerned I would attract attention from neighbors and passersby and pull a crowd. Well, that was less of my concern! It was an incredible rush of joy because, to say the truth, I was not expecting money that day.

So much has changed in my life ever since I started receiving the cash transfer. However, the biggest difference in my life right now is the fact that I have gained financial independence, to say the least. For the first time in my life, I have stayed more than two weeks without knocking on my relatives' doors asking for financial assistance to either buy food or even medicine. Nowadays, I do not have to do that because I have savings from the transfers that I can use to buy medicine when my child is sick or buy food when we do not have any. This is a huge relief to me as a breadwinner. Thank you, GiveDirectly.

Before the transfers, life had pinned me against the wall; things were tough. As the sole provider for my three children, given that my husband and I had separated, I used to rely on casual jobs like working on people’s farms or at the quarry. The physical demands of these jobs were taking a toll on my body, and as days went by, it was increasingly becoming difficult to ensure the well-being of my family. Among many struggles, one was that I could not afford a decent house for my family. Our small one-roomed structure, which also doubled as a cooking space, would leak water through its grass-thatched roof during the rainy season. This forced us to move into my relative’s space. When I received the transfers, my priority was getting my family a house. So, I spent $450 to buy building materials like iron sheets, building poles, and nails. I also compensated the builder in advance using $70. Imagine now the satisfaction and joy I feel every morning witnessing the progress of the house being constructed; I still cannot believe it. Also, I used the remaining funds of $30 to buy food for my children. I am grateful because the money had just arrived in time when my household had run out of the maize produce we had harvested. The food that I bought is still serving us to date. I could never be more relieved and grateful for the transfer funds and God bless GiveDirectly.