VOA标准英语2011--In the slums of Kenya's capital, residents and aid groups are using new technology to send and receive money.

In the slums of Kenya's capital, residents and aid groups are using new technology to send and receive money.

Irene Okoth and her five children have been living on 50 cents a day in Nairobi's Korogocho settlement. That is what she earns recycling garbage from the nearby dump.

But now, her family will be getting some help from an aid group called Concern Worldwide International, through its "urban livelihoods¹" program. And Okoth will not have to travel to a bank or an aid center to get it.

The money will be put directly into her hands through a mobile telephone system called M-PESA, introduced in Kenya in 2007.

Okoth says it doesn't matter that she does not even own a phone.

"I will go to the M-PESA person. I will give her the SIM card to put for me in their phone. The secret PIN I will put it in myself and then I will remove the money," Okoth explained.

Through the M-PESA money transfer system, subscribers deposit cash through registered agents and notify recipients² by text message to collect their money at any one of hundreds of convenient locations.

In a place like Korogocho, one of Nairobi's informal settlements known for its grinding poverty and crime, M-PESA is also the safest option.

Emily Macharia, who started up a shop in Korogocho through funding from Concern Worldwide, says people are more vulnerable to theft if an aid agency representative delivers money to them directly.

"Everybody will know that, that woman, she has gone there, she is going to give her money. You see? The environment we are living in, it is not good for us to expose ourselves. It is good for having M-PESA with us," Macharia noted³.

Convenience is also a reason the program works well.

"It takes less than 15 minutes for us to move the money from our account to the beneficiary's account, less than 15 minutes. In terms of them being able to withdraw. There is a huge network of M-PESA agents, particularly in the slum. Every 10 steps you take, there is an M-PESA agent, so in terms of accessing their money, it's pretty easy," Amina Abdulla, one of Concern Worldwide's program managers, said.

Now Irene Okoth is one of M-PESA's newest customers. She received her payment, the local equivalent of about $20 (US), and has immediate⁴ plans for the money.

"As for now, I have arrears⁵ on my rent. For the first cash transfer, I will take 1,000 [shillings] and start the fish business," Okoth said. "I'll give 500 [shillings] and give it to the landlord, [and] will take the remaining 500 [shillings] and do the budget for my house."

Okoth says her first experience with M-PESA has dispelled⁶ the doubts she had about using mobile phone technology.

1 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

2 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 arrears   

n.到期未付之债，拖欠的款项；待做的工作

参考例句：

• The payments on that car loan are in arrears by three months.购车贷款的偿付被拖欠了三个月。
• They are urgent for payment of arrears of wages.他们催讨拖欠的工钱。

6 dispelled   

v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His speech dispelled any fears about his health. 他的发言消除了人们对他身体健康的担心。
• The sun soon dispelled the thick fog. 太阳很快驱散了浓雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》