Why did we start M-Changa? By Dave Mark

As the Chief Technology Officer of M-Changa, I get asked all the time, so what exactly is M-Changa and what are you solving?  So here’s a quick attempt to explaining our purpose, and what’s we’re addressing!

Initially, Kyai and I envisioned a loan application that let users borrow and repay money via SMS.  But we found a greater flaw in the market - East Africans wanted to send money to friends and family in need, but they did not want or need to be paid back!

For critical everyday life expenses such as weddings, education fees, funerals, medical bills, and community rehabilitation, East Africans were eager to simply donate funds, as they have been doing through traditional practices of “Changa” and “Harambee” for centuries.  What we found is that there is a unique philanthropy culture in Kenya, and no technology innovation existed for this market.

So today, M-Changa exists for three reasons:

·    Expand African Citizens’ access to the benefits of mobile technology

·    Integrate unique aspects of African culture with technological innovation

·    Enable transparency for everyday giving, through the digitization of traditional checks and balances

Have questions, have comments, or want to know more about the history of our technology?  Contact us here!