I was at the farm tending to my crops when my phone beeped with a message. Curious, I wiped my hands and checked it immediately. To my surprise, there was money in my mobile money account from an unfamiliar sender. I stared at it for a moment, confused, until it clicked – GiveDirectly had promised to send us money! The amount matched, and a wave of relief and joy washed over me. I left the farm and headed towards the shopping center, where I spotted GiveDirectly staff confirming if we had received the money. We all confirmed with a lot of joy that the money had arrived. My wife was away at training, so I couldn’t share the news with her right away. I had to wait until Sunday when she could access a phone. But at that moment, I felt a weight lift – I could now pay my children’s school fees.

The biggest difference I have seen after receiving the unconditional cash from GiveDirectly is the relief I feel in paying my children's school fees. Before, I used to rely on my monthly salary to cover those expenses, and I never had any issues. I paid the fees on time, and my children were able to focus on their studies without interruptions. But after retiring, my steady income was gone, and I found myself unsure of how I would continue supporting their education. Thankfully, GiveDirectly stepped in just when I needed it most. The cash transfer allowed me to continue paying the school fees without delays, even though my income had dried up. It has made this transition into retirement so much smoother than I ever anticipated. My children have remained in school, and I have avoided the stress and anxiety of scrambling to find the funds. Honestly, I do not know what I would have done without it.

When I received the unconditional cash transfer, the first thing I did was use $30 to pay school fees for my son, who is in Grade 5. I didn't want him to be sent home because he would miss valuable lessons. I then set aside $70 for my daughter, who is in Form 3, to cover this term’s fees. Ensuring both of my children stayed in school was my top priority because, at the time, I had no other source of income to rely on. I also needed to handle the harvesting of my maize, so I used $60 to pay for labor and transport. Bringing the maize home promptly was important to avoid any post-harvest losses. With the remaining $40, I bought food for my household. I had just retired from my teaching job, and without a regular salary, providing for my family had become a challenge. The cash transfer allowed me to ensure there was enough to eat while I figured out the next steps for my family’s financial stability. It came at just the right time, and I’m grateful for how it helped us manage through the transition.