The Safaricom Initiative Bonga For Good came to an end on June fourth. In the two months that it was running, Kenyans redeemed 1 Billion Bonga Points either to shop with them or to help other Kenyans in need. This has shown the solidarity that Kenyans can muster when it comes to coming together in times of not only financial short falls, but also in the face of a common enemy like the one we are currently facing.
COVID-19 has had a massive economic impact on Kenyans of all walks of life and with Bonga For Good, people were able to save on some much-needed cash. Among the items that people used their Bonga points on were food and household, entertainment, and interestingly but most certainly understandable, solar lighting solutions.
In a show of goodwill, Kenyans also donated their points by transferring them from one person to another to a tune of a collective Ksh150 Million. Over 600,000 customers donated points equivalent to over KES 330 million at over 40,000 Lipa na M-Pesa merchants across the country.
As much as the Bonga For Good initiative came to an end, Safaricom recognizes that there is still demand from Kenyans who want to access goods and services using Bonga Points. For that reason, redemption of points at Lipa Na M-PESA merchants will remain a permanent feature of the loyalty scheme.
People can therefore continue redeeming their points at the Lipa Na M-Pesa merchants countrywide at 20 cents per point. They can also use their points to access a range of devices and accessories at any Safaricom shop or dealer outlet as well as airtime and data bundles available on the *126# USSD.
Among the many success stories that demonstrated the success of the initiative, here is one of Compassionate Hands For Disabled Children where a partnership with Safaricom saw the home raise Ksh.155,000/- with which they were able to shop for food for the children, a juicer to enable them prepare food for the severely disabled children, and a cooler for medication.