Agnes

Women are better able to protect their savings when digital products let them keep money in places that others cannot easily see or access – so they don’t have to argue, explain, or fight every time they try to save.

How She Uses the Phone 

Agnes has always had a habit of saving money. When she was younger, she kept whatever little she could in a small lockbox. Now, at 28, she saves with M-Shwari. Agnes doesn’t have a steady job, and the household largely depends on her electrician husband’s income.

Every year she finds some seasonal work on local farms, and she tries to save as much as possible. For the first few years after her marriage, she used to share her M-Pesa account details, including her PIN, with her husband. But he often dipped into her savings whenever his finances were tight. Over time, she grew particularly frustrated by his tendency to go on drunken binges financed by her savings.

A couple of years ago, Agnes learned about M-Shwari and started saving there instead. Eventually, her husband found out she was transferring money from M-Pesa to M-Shwari and demanded that she share her account details.

“I am saving this money for our children, and I refuse to let you throw it away on alcohol.” This led to a huge fight. Her husband pushed her around and threatened to beat her. Agnes left and stayed with her parents for a few months, still refusing to disclose the account details. Eventually, her husband apologised, and she returned home. Since then, he has not asked for her account details again.

Her Ecosystem of Learning and Facilitation 

Agnes used to save with M-Pesa but would lose her savings whenever her husband decided to withdraw from her account. About two years ago, she was at an M-Pesa agent’s shop when she overheard someone talking to the agent about M-Shwari. She waited until the crowd had cleared and then asked about it. The agent explained that M-Shwari was like a bank account — ideal for savings — and that it would also help her build a credit history, which could later unlock formal loans. Agnes described her situation with her husband. The agent gave a wry smile: ​“Isn’t this the problem everywhere? Women save and their husbands drink away the money. But that’s the point of digital - you can keep your savings safe. Just because he is your husband doesn’t mean you have to share your PIN.”

He also showed her how to check her balance and transfer money using USSD codes on her feature phone. Agnes repeated each step to make sure she understood. After opening her account, she continued visiting the agent for a while whenever she had any issues. Over time, she learned to operate the account on her own.