Why Ksh100 Note is Worth Twice as Much to a Woman as it is to a Man

I recently watched a Kenyan podcast that featured a celebrity couple whose marriage was on the rocks. They had a marriage counselor on set.

The couple’s major differences originated from managing their finances. Or, more accurately, the husband mismanaging their finances.

The husband was a career musician and the family’s breadwinner. The wife had paused a career in media to be a stay-at-home mum, raising their twins. 

The husband was doing well, apparently - cashing in handsomely from shows every other weekend, corporate endorsements, and online streaming.

The problem was that he was also a major spender! The wife was up in arms. She confessed to spending a substantial chunk of her day scolding him for spending recklessly. 

The marriage counselor - advising the husband to entrust the wife a portion of their money - would make a statement that became the highlight of the show.

He said: A Ksh100 note is worth twice to a woman, as it is to a man. ‍

What? I was floored. 

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The man said:

“A woman doesn’t think of herself only. It’s natural. If a man and a woman both earn Ksh100 each, the man will most probably spend it on a mug of beer or a piece of Mutura on the roadside.‍

To the woman, that Ksh100 is a whole meal right there. She’ll split it up into a bit of flour, some greens, bread and milk for her family. The Ksh100 will feed a family of five - including the husband who spent his on a mug of beer.”‍

I agreed, totally.

That statement fired up memories of my mother - and how her multiple Chamas brought in an income that literally covered every financial aspect of our family. 

Most of Mama’s Chama were the local type - christened Merry Go Rounds. She, alongside a tight circle of friends, had a Chama for everything.

As an adult decades later - with a decent job, family, and all - I’ve realised just how resourceful the women were. None had any formal employment, and most had husbands unemployed as well. 

That notwithstanding, the women would achieve weekly contributions religiously. They’d raise chicken on their yards, perhaps a dairy cow, casual jobs - they’d be making savings with multiple Chamas. 

Funny, that not once did I hear father say: Ah, we have a Chama meeting tomorrow….‍

The Chama thing was purely a feminine affair!

Men gave little thought to such associations. Father, though, would often fund mothers’ weekly contributions - amidst lots of grumbling! 

A ‘Back to School Chama’, planned to mature in January. It was the most important - man, it paid off our annual school fees! The father’s role was buying the extras, like shopping.

He’d often wonder why the Chama didn’t cover all as he had contributed most of the money the previous year! 

A ‘Planting Season Chama', this matured end of March - at the beginning of the long rains. It purely handled planting expenses like fertilizers and seeds. 

Then, she had these lower tier Chamas’ that catered for what Father called ‘Women Stuff’ - basically, household things that made home better. It provided him with a lot of humor at the dinner table. 

“Do we really need a Chama to buy new plates and dishes?” ‍

“Why does the entire village have identical curtains? Oh, it is the Chama!” ‍

Well, the women would send an envoy to scour Eastleigh malls for a discount sale on an item. They would set a weekly target, guided by the price of the item.

This can be, for instance, a set of curtains or cutlery. Every week, they’d raise the amount and purchase it for a member - on a rotating basis. 

It was a simple system, yet deeply influential.

Now, the most influential Chama was their Christmas Week Chama, which matured just around then. Man, what we’d have done without this Chama!

Unlike Father, who viewed new clothes as a useless indulgence, Mama would deck us in matching outfits. I wouldn’t blame him - he had one beloved leather jacket for the entirety of my childhood!

He’d say: Son, clothes are a girl’s thing. Not us, man.‍

In the present day, as adults living away from home, we are regularly seeking help from Mama’s Merry Go Round Chamas.

The Chamas have evolved into table banking, where members not only contribute but also loan each other money with minimal interest, creating a micro-financing system.

These setups have empowered our rural women financially.

Mama and her peers are easing into retirement well, as they’ve managed to invest in businesses and agricultural projects - all thanks to their little Merry Go Round Chamas. 

It's hardly hyperbole. Women, indeed, run the world.