Como consecuencia de los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos inducidos por el clima, grandes poblaciones de Kenia están sufriendo inseguridad alimentaria aguda. To protect lives and livelihoods, the Kenya Red Cross Society has been distributing cash among affected communities so they can meet their needs autonomously and with dignity. With the continued use of cash assistance as a tool for providing timely humanitarian aid, the National Society is looking to channel digital technology to make this response modality more efficient. This is where the Netherlands Red Cross’ data and digital initiative, 510, comes in: to enhance the delivery of cash assistance in a user-friendly and data-responsible way, the Kenya Red Cross Society has partnered with 510 in implementing the 121 Plataforma para entregar dinero en efectivo a más de 8.000 hogares de los condados de Turkana, Baringo y Pokot Occidental.
El objetivo de 121, una plataforma de pago integral desarrollada para el sector humanitario, es hacer que la asistencia en efectivo sea más fácil, segura y rápida. Desarrollada cuidadosamente por el equipo 510, 121 entiende el espacio humanitario (digital) y tiene en cuenta las especificidades del funcionamiento del Movimiento Internacional de la Cruz Roja y de la Media Luna Roja, proporcionando servicios receptivos a sus usuarios en diferentes Sociedades Nacionales y otras organizaciones.
Compatible con diversas herramientas
An example of 121’s ease of use is its compatibility with Caja de herramientas de Kobo, a survey tool popular among many humanitarian organisations for being free of charge and simple to navigate. The Kenya Red Cross Society uses Kobo as the preferred digital data collection tool for all kinds of crisis response, utilising a form to register people affected. The form contains a list of questions pertaining to, for example, household composition or income to determine eligibility for humanitarian support. Whereas previously, the data collected by the Kenya Red Cross Society were documented in an Excel sheet and then manually added into a cash tool, 121’s integration into Kobo made this intermediary step redundant, expediting the processing of information and ensuring that those in need receive their cash faster. With Kobo already familiar to many organisations engaged in this field, its combination with 121 holds immense potential in accelerating cash assistance to unprecedented speeds.
“Previously, making payments required exporting data from Kobo and multiple manual verification steps by different officers, raising security concerns. With the 121 Platform, we eliminate these manual processes, streamline data handling, and enhance data security.”
Kelvin Njenga, ICT Officer – Digital Transformation at the Kenya Red Cross Society
Dentro de este proyecto, la Plataforma 121 se integra a la perfección con el operador de red móvil keniano Safaricom through its financial service provider M-PESA. The Kenya Red Cross Society has a longstanding relationship with Safaricom, and utilises its M-PESA services for cash disbursements to people affected. Now, the National Society and 510 are extending this partnership by including the direct integration of 121 with Safaricom to streamline payments to people affected, enhance efficiency, and minimise manual errors. 121’s enhanced interoperability with telecom giants around the world underscores the platform’s potential to transform cash assistance delivery by ensuring faster, more reliable, and secure transactions across diverse communications networks.
“The integration of the 121 Platform with a local mobile money vendor was a game-changer. Now, with just a click, payments can be made directly through the platform, making 121 a seamless end-to-end solution from registration to payments.”
Kelvin Njenga, ICT Officer – Digital Transformation at the Kenya Red Cross Society
Un firme compromiso con la rendición de cuentas
Another strong advantage of 121 is its focus on accountability: when information on an affected person’s profile is changed within the system, a justification for changing the data needs to be given. Those changes, and their reasons, are then reflected in the platform to keep it accountable and ensure a detailed overview for those navigating it. This level of accountability is crucial in maintaining the integrity of the cash assistance platform, generating trust among users, and ensuring that funds are allocated and used transparently. By requiring explicit reasons for any modifications, the platform not only promotes transparency but also discourages fraudulent or unauthorised changes, safeguarding the interests of all parties involved.
La plataforma de efectivo preferida en África
Gracias a la plataforma 121, la Cruz Roja de Kenia ha podido abordar algunos de los obstáculos más comunes a los que se enfrentan las operaciones de asistencia en efectivo en el ámbito humanitario, manteniendo al mismo tiempo las directrices de protección de datos. La Sociedad Nacional espera ampliar el uso de la plataforma integrándola en todas sus operaciones de asistencia en efectivo.
El éxito global de este programa de dinero en efectivo, impulsado por la Plataforma 121, convierte a la Cruz Roja de Kenia en un brillante ejemplo de asistencia en efectivo a escala mundial y, en concreto, en la región africana, con réplicas que ya se están aplicando en la República Democrática del Congo, EtiopíaSudáfrica y Zambia. Como tal, 121 innova la asistencia prestada en forma de dinero en efectivo mejorando la rapidez, eficacia y transparencia de este proceso para las organizaciones humanitarias comprometidas con operaciones de ayuda eficaces y receptivas.
We’d love to hear from you!
¿Está interesado en incorporar la Plataforma 121 a sus programas de asistencia en metálico? Póngase en contacto con
Jefe de producto, plataforma 121: Tijs Ziere tziere@redcross.nl