From Financial Inclusion to Financial Health: A Technological Journey to Social Transformation - Part 1

Carla walked alone on a cold Friday night. She was relieved: it was payday. With her salary in her purse, she made plans: pay rent, buy food and – if there was any money left – bring her three children to McDonald’s! Suddenly though, her relief turned into tragedy. She was punched and stolen. Her monthly income was gone.

Like Carla, many others in Brazil and other developing countries have similar stories to tell.

What if she had a bank account?

It turns out that Carla, like 68% of Brazilians, has a bank account. However, this is of almost no use to her: she pays all her expenses in cash and does not have a credit card. Electronic transfers are prohibitive, too expensive – better to withdraw money from her bank and deposit it at the payee’s bank. The same goes for bills – they are paid in cash at the lottery outlet, after waiting in a long line. In any case, she always ne ...