Women Enterprise Fund has partnered with Safaricom Limited
to provide easier, faster, efficient and secure loan repayment method through
the use of M-PESA.
The Fund is the only institution in Kenya that gives its
financial services to women in all the 210 constituencies through the CWES Channel. Since it’s establishment, women have been
making payments to a collection account in Kenya Commercial Bank which has the
widest branch network in Kenya. However,
the bank is only located in the major towns. And for a majority of WEF
customers, taking a trip to the bank to make loan payment can take one or even
two days.
According to WEF’s Regional Credit Coordinator for North
Eastern Region Mr. Muteti, “Our volunteer who is based in Rhamu in Mandera
Central would spend Kshs.1,200 to and from Mandera Town, more than 100KMs away
on lorries that ferry animals between these towns, not to mention that he would
have to spend the night in a lodging in town, of course at an additional
cost.” In another case, the District
Gender and Social Development Officer based in Elwak Town, would travel to Mandera
Town, more than 200KMs at a total cost of Kshs.1,600 on behalf of our women
beneficiaries,” “In both instances,” Says the Co-ordinator “our beneficiaries
would give their money to our volunteer or the DGSDO to bank to our collection
account in KCB since they were not in a position to make these trips, because,
first it was too costly and would eat up any profits made, secondly, they have
to spend the night out due to the unreliable transport this would mean a night
out which requires permission from their spouses, and thirdly being mothers, they
naturally have a lot of responsibility in their households.”
He goes on to add that, “with this MPESA payment system, all
the women have to do is be guided only once by the volunteer and the DGSDO and
subsequent payments will be made with no hustles”. Our beneficiaries had for a long time been
requesting us to adopt this technology, for most of them the nearest major town
could be between 30 and 300 kms away from their homes.
