It was around 4:00 PM, and I was in my neighbor's maize field irrigating his land to earn a living. As I hurried to finish before sunset, my phone buzzed with a message notification. Pausing my work, I checked my phone and was overjoyed to see a Mpesa notification confirming that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. While almost everyone in my village had received theirs the previous month, I was not worried since I trusted GiveDirectly to keep their promise. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for the support!

The biggest difference in my life since receiving the transfer is finally being able to farm my own land. I've always admired my friends who farm, as it seems very rewarding. It usually pains me to lease out my land due to a lack of money for farm inputs. I do casual work to make a living, but the income from this is too little to provide for my two children and meet other expenses. Thanks to GiveDirectly, I used part of the recent transfer to buy vegetable seeds that I plan to plant. This will help me earn an income and better provide for my children.

I had been looking forward to improving my sleep because the bed and mattress I was using were very old and worn out, making it uncomfortable and risky for falling. When I received the first transfer, the first thing I bought was a new bed and mattress for $60. I am super happy that since replacing the bed, I eagerly look forward to the evening, knowing I will have a comfortable and restful sleep after a tiring day. I also bought new uniforms for my two children using $30. Their old uniforms were torn, which made them feel embarrassed and excluded. With new uniforms, they now feel more confident and included. In addition, I usually lease out half an acre of land due to a lack of funds for farming. However, with the transfer, I was able to farm the land myself. I spent $15 on vegetable seeds, planning to cultivate them for commercial purposes. I used the remaining amount to buy food for my family of four, ensuring we had enough to eat.