What Kenya can teach its neighbors — and the US — about improving the lives of the “unbanked”

A dollar sign forms one of the columns of a stately building

From Kelsey Piper / Vox: Mobile banking in Kenya has increased economic mobility for families living in poverty. The mobile money system is not connected to bank accounts, making it accessible to the overwhelming majority of Kenyans who don’t have bank accounts but do have cell phones. Mobile banking allows deposits and withdrawals as well as transfers, and has allowed families to save money to use when their income, often from farming, takes a hit thus creating a security net for themselves and allowing them to receive funds from friends and family. Savings allow families to meet basic needs and access medical care if necessary.

Read the original story here.

Read more articles about increased economic mobility.

More Resources:

From Diane Berard / Future of Good: Novia Scotia, Canada, created community economic development investment funds with a 35% tax credit to investors to help small businesses that need capital but don’t qualify for bank loans. The cooperative FarmWorks brings...

From Jackie Mader / The Hechinger Report: The $10 a Day initiative, which started in British Columbia and is now being expanded throughout Canada, subsidizes child care centers so that tuition for families can be capped at a more affordable...

From Laura Paddison / Huffington Post: The results of a universal basic income (UBI) program in Kenya show the positive ripple effect of giving everyone money on a consistent basis over the course of several years. Recipients have been able...

Luisa Fernanda Bacca Benavides is a Colombian lawyer specializing in human rights. She has over seven years of experience within the United Nations system, where she has developed strategies to prevent internal displacement and protect the territorial rights of indigenous...

Gary Cohen is co-founder and president of Health Care Without Harm, an organization that works on environmentally sustainable healthcare and was created in 1996 to help transform the health care sector support the health and climate resilience of the communities...

From Oscar Perry Abello / Next City: With funding from city governments, the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt acquires and cancels medical debt by negotiating directly with hospitals. The only requirement is being under 400% of the federal poverty line and...

We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. By continuing to browse, you agree to our use of cookies. For more details, please see our Privacy Policy.