NAIROBI, KENYA; Seppo Piisola is thinking about Kenya again. Driving the quiet roads of rural Finland in his 1952 Volkswagen Beetle, he dreams of his adopted homeland.
Six thousand miles away, Jennifer Mwetarin folds her white stick, manouvers onto the back of a friend’s motorbike and begins the daily commute to college. Their worlds could not be more different, yet Seppo and Jennifer have, for more than 15 years, maintained a friendship that has changed both their lives. Seppo first met Jennifer when she was four years old. He and his wife were working as missionaries in a Maasai region of Kenya. They knew that being born blind, with difficulties walking meant that life promised only challenges for Jennifer. The Piisolas’ felt an immediate connection and knew that they wanted to help with her upbringing.
And help they did. Seppo built the first school that Jennifer attended, along with other local children. When the couple returned to Finland after 11 years in Kenya, they continued to send money – although they had to rely on slow, expensive banking services. Time passed and technology progressed, allowing Seppo to message and speak to Jennifer more regularly. Her Android smartphone with its text-to-speech feature lets her hear what she cannot see. But one problem remained - getting money to Jennifer meant sending her on regular excursions to remote pick-up locations with a potentially dangerous journey home carrying cash. It was on Facebook that Seppo spotted an advert for WorldRemit, an online service that would allow him to send international money transfers to MPESA, Kenya’s popular Mobile Wallet. Financial support now arrives instantly on Jennifer’s phone. She can use the money immediately at the many retailers that accept electronic payment via MPESA. And for those occasions when Jennifer needs to cash-out, there is the massive network of neighbourhood agents – kiosks, shops, supermarkets, garages and even butchers servicing MPESA users. There has been another powerful effect of switching to an instant, low cost money transfer service. Rather than sending a monthly lump-sum, Seppo is now able to pay for specific needs when they arise – a surprise household bill, a trip to the supermarket, or dinner for Jennifer and a friend. Those special moments and the conversations around them mean Seppo and Jennifer remain a vital part of each other’s lives.
Today,Jennifer excels at her studies and is living as independently as any other young person in her community. And for Seppo, so far from Jennifer his beloved Kenya, that treasured connection remains as strong as ever.
