What does a widow in rural Kenya need with a cell phone? I know, it sounds a little crazy at first but we are really excited about the poten- tial for this new project and its multiple uses.
Use 1: Check in and Emergency Contact
When the pandemic hit, we had to find a new way to check up on the widows. Many live in remote places that are hard to find and hard to get to. It was unfeasible to try to visit each one in person every month. Using cell phones, we can easily check on them, and so can their families and communities. Also, in case of emergency, the widow can call for help.
$43 each x 100 = $4,300 Total
Use 2: Audio Bible & Teaching
Many of the widows struggle with reading due to both poor eyesight and lack of education. Being able to listen to an audio Bible on some type of device, in their own tribal language, would be ideal. With a cell phone which includes a speaker phone and a memory card, we can not only put the Bible in their native language and make it easy to navigate, but we can also include teachings of various sorts to help them understand even more!
Use 3: Bank Account
In Kenya, pretty much every business can accept MPESA, in which your phone account basically acts like a bank account. In exchange for a tiny transaction fee, you can buy and sell just about anything. If one of our widows needs food, medical supplies, or anything else – we can transfer money to them at the touch of a button, from anywhere.
