Friends of Ngong Road

We empower Nairobi children living in poverty to transform their lives through education and support, leading to employment.

  • Our Work
    • Our Story
    • Our Impact
    • Board of Directors
    • Kenya Staff
    • US Staff
    • Financials, Tax, and Policies
    • Careers
  • Program
    • Our Program
    • Education
    • Health and Well-Being
    • Supportive Community
      • Camp
      • Employment Programs
    • Karibu Loo
  • Login
  • Support

November 15, 2021 By Carole Patrikakos Leave a Comment

M-Pesa

Ever used Venmo, Apple Pay, Cash App, PayPal or Crypto? 

By 2021, digital currency seamlessly integrated. Curious about its origins shaping deep-rooted connection in our lives? What steps and precursors did we need to take to reach where we are today? In large part, one answer to these questions is M-Pesa.

Around 2000, developed nations’ banks embraced digital expansion, exploring financial technology and new financial mediums for global transformation. Kenya, on the other hand, encountered a reluctant central bank’s response to the new ways of the world. A largely unbanked population found an opportunity to respond creatively due to this.

Enter: Telecommunications giant Vodafone and Safaricom, Kenya’s leading mobile network operator.

Thanks to a grant from the UK’s Dept. of International Development, the Pilot launched in 2006, primarily as a means for micro-lending.

However, users quickly discovered a feature that allowed for peer-to-peer transactions. They had identified one of Kenya’s biggest needs almost completely by accident. Kenyans required quicker, cheaper money transfers than costly bank options due to poverty, prompting a demand for improved solutions.

The demand for this service reared its head in the first year of M-Pesa’s launch. Safaricom set a goal for 350,000 users on their micro-finance and loaning program, which grew to the tune of over 1.2 million users. Most of which were largely utilizing the user-to-user transfer function.

M-Pesa identified service demand, aiming to offer accessible ATM features due to its expanding user community’s rapid growth. Without the time or resources to open branches at such a large scale, Safaricom utilized what already exists in Kenya; small mom-and-pop stores and even smaller specialized commerce stands. These micro-businesses were weaponized as hosts for M-Pesa Kiosks across Kenya and allowed for its meteoric rise to a significant market share of Eastern Africa’s economy. 

M-Pesa has achieved an almost unmatched market penetration in any industry worldwide. Over 96% of Kenyan households are utilizing the service. Today, Sub-Saharan Africa boasts over 150 million active mobile money users thanks to M-Pesa and other similar services, accounting for nearly half of the world’s active monthly mobile money users. 

print

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

FRIENDS OF NGONG ROAD &
NGONG ROAD CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat.

our work

Our Program & Impact
Education
Health & Well-being
Supportive Community
Camp
Employment
Karibu Loo

our story

Our Story
Financials, Tax, & Policies
Our Team
Careers

get involved

Become a Friend
Wepowerment Legacy Circle
Friend Portal & Login

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

contact us

Friends of Ngong Road
100 1st St S #581308
Minneapolis, MN 55458


(612) 568-4211
info@ngongroad.org


EIN: 20-4690846

Ngong Road Children's Foundation
PO Box 1765-00502
Karen, Nairobi, Kenya


0792-745-612 (Mobile)
info@NRCFKenya.org


Covenant Guest House Road, gate no.9

© 2025 · Friends of Ngong Road, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Subscribe to our newsletter