"Growing Sustainable Business."

DOING BUSINESS WITH THE POOR- SAFARICOM AND THE M-PESA SERVICE

Safaricom which is member of the Global Compact Network in Kenya, was recognized at the United Nations in New York on 24 September, for helping the poor to access critical banking services through mobile phone technology to increase their income and work their way out of poverty. With one of the fastest growth rates of mobile phone users in the world but less than 10 percent of the population with bank accounts, the Kenyan company developed the M-PESA service to bridge the gap, allowing rural and poor populations to use their mobile phones for money transfers and credit and savings services. Access the Safaricom website and also Read the press Release.

STATUS OF GSB IN KENYA
The GSB initiative in Kenya is actively facilitating innovative enterprise solutions to poverty in a variety of sectors. A joint launch of the Global Compact and the GSB initiative took place on 3 May 2005. Since then, six meetings of the GSB Coordinating Group have taken place, and 10 GSB projects have been officially endorsed by the Group, with several others in the pipeline. Seven of the ten projects are active .Detailed information can be read on the matrices below

2006 Celtel-Mobile phone company
2006  Porini-Gamewatchers
2006  Suera Flower farming
2006  Honeycare

2005   Macadamia Nut Processing
2005  CIC Insurance
2005  Farmer Information Platform
2005  Kevian Fruit Processing

Africa Investor Awards
GSB Kenya was a finalist of the Africa Investor Awards in the category "Best initiative in support of the MDGs". Click here to read the description of GSB Kenya's nomination in PDF.

Growing Sustainable Business-GSB In the Local Media

On 10 August 2006, newcomers to the GSB initiative, Suera Flowers limited and Celtel GSM were able to showcase their profiles at a Nairobi hotel. There is growing demand in Kenya for this brokerage service, and a consultant Mr. Stefan Engels is available at stefan.engels@undp.org.

Click here for news articles July 6, 2006: Kenya Times clip 1, clip 2.

Daily Nation newspaper clip