M-Transfers as a way out of poverty
M-Transfers as a way out of poverty
- December 10, 2009
A post written by Indi Samarajiva from LIRNEasia on December 10, 2009
IMTFI Researcher Harsha de Silva:
I’m looking at mobile payments from an economics angle. The idea here is to understand
the volatility of cash flow of the poor. Then the prevalence of m-commerce to smoothen
consumption. Then finally how to increase use of m-commerce solutions.
As a logic for this, you’re looking at people with irregular income streams. They
have work some days, don’t other days. These guys have volatile cash flow and it’s
very dissimilar to the people sitting in this room. We’re trying to see if mobile
2.0 services can be used to smoothen the expenditure.
The idea here is, look at the poor people here, sometimes they skip meals. Is it
possible to use the service, the phone such that they don’t have to skip a meal.
We’re looking and males and females, 18-50, with irregular income streams.
For the full story, please visit: http://lirneasia.net/2009/12/m-transfers-as-a-way-out-of-poverty/
For a related post by Halik Azeez on December 9, 2009, "Mobile Money: Harsha De Silva"
Understanding the volatility of cash flow of poor people is important in assessing
the mass appeal of Mobile Money. M transfers must be used to smoothen consumption
and expense. We need to consider how a poor person who skips meals can use technology
to avoid it.
For the full story, please visit: http://lirneasia.net/2009/12/mobile-money-harsha-de-silva/
Share on:
Related News Items
- Multi-university study maps link between explicit and implicit antisemitic content that circumvents online censorship, social stigma
- Hitting the ground running
- 'A problem:' Americans 'concerned' about Elon Musk's visit to the Pentagon
- War-Making as Worldmaking: Kenya, the United States, and the War on Terror
- Croese named to LGIU list of top 25 thinkers
connect with us: