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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Tariq Al-Olaimy is the co-founder of Recipes for Wellbeing, a non-profit dedicated to fostering the wellbeing and resilience of impact organizations worldwide. Through his work at the intersection of the Systemic Sacred, Tariq integrates faith, sustainability, and systemic change to...

Andrew Schwartz is a Senior Advisor at The Common Initiative, working within a collective of experts on biodiversity, climate, human rights, and economic reform. Previously, as Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Earth Ethics, Andrew led efforts to...

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