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 Lee Suh-yoon / The Korea Times: The Youth Allowance Program in Seoul gives lower to middle-class residents (aged 19 to 34) a monthly stipend of 500,000 won ($418) for up to six months to ease the financial burden of...

Through the work of ethical land transitions, Cassandra works to transform conventional real estate practice in service to Land, cultural reunion, and reparative justice. Becoming a person of place is Cassandra’s orienting cosmology, and her activist real estate career is...

Sarah Quebaltin, a regenerative design strategist from the Philippines, has 15 years of experience in peacebuilding, cultural heritage conservation, environmental education, and humanitarian assistance. She specializes in designing collaborative ecosystems through innovation labs and learning journeys, transforming Disaster Risk Reduction...

From Duncan Agnew / Evanston RoundTable: Through a land trust, Community Partners in Affordable Housing sells homes to buyers at a fixed cost while maintaining ownership of the land they’re built on, allowing those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to...

Neil Vora, MD, is the senior advisor for One Health at Conservation International. He has also served for nearly a decade with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer and a...

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...

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.