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.

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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...

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com,...

Yuliya Panfil is a senior fellow and director of New America Future of Land and Housing program. Prior to joining New America, Panfil worked at Omidyar Network, where she sourced and managed property rights investments, and as a land governance...

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