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A personalized, interactive WhatsApp chatbot provides micro-retailers with practical guidance on digitizing operations and borrowing responsibly
Strive Community has partnered with Arifu, a digital content and interactive learning platform, to support micro-retailers in sub-Saharan Africa to digitize their businesses and build resilience to future economic shocks. Arifu offers learners bite-sized, interactive training content on a range of topics, including how to build digital confidence, manage money, secure a business, grow a business, and start a new business.
Content can be accessed by sending a message to WhatsApp +254 701 716962 or Arifu’s WhatsApp Open Marketplace at +254 735 040081, or via SMS by sending the word BIZZ to 22744 within Kenya By leveraging both SMS and WhatsApp channels to deliver content, Arifu meets micro-retailers on the digital channels they are already accustomed to using; the inclusion of the SMS option is particularly important in light of the fact that data constraints deter some users from WhatsApp. This illustrates the importance of both content design and the choice of delivery channels in driving uptake of training programs.
Several design and delivery features will be tested through the program, including:
This program builds on Arifu’s previous work with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth that provided 18,000 micro-retailers in Kenya and 20,000 micro-retailers in Nigeria with access to financial and business training content to complement the Jaza Duka digital credit offering.
Jaza Duka, Swahili for “fill up your store,” enables micro-merchants to access short-term working capital based on historical sales data from Unilever. Merchants use Jaza Duka credit to purchase products from distributors, enabling them to keep their stores better stocked and diversify the products they can stock in their shops. To further support merchants, Arifu rolled out a training program for merchants to encourage responsible use of credit and to build other critical business skills.
As a result of Arifu’s training, Jaza Duka learners reported larger monthly revenues, greater financial resilience, more extensive usage of formal bookkeeping, and a better understanding of financial concepts.
With Strive Community, Arifu has been able to expand the offering to cover a larger range of relevant topics and improve its content by integrating learnings gained from earlier work. Through additional partnerships to be announced soon, the program will also reach more merchants in more countries across the region.
About Arifu
Arifu has worked with banks, Mobile Network Operators, and digital platforms to help over 1.5 million individuals and small businesses improve their financial, business, and digital skills.
“I had problems stocking my shop before because I lacked the knowledge on how to apply the loans. Through Arifu, I have learned many things.”
Francis Kivathi Mahatia
Arifu Learner in Nairobi
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Training that is delivered to small businesses through digital channels is increasingly promising. It can integrate techniques that increase knowledge retention and user engagement, leading to positive impacts for small business capacity building.
Micro retailers are connected to new market opportunities and a thriving community of peers and mentors for guidance and encouragement
Kenya
