The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
LETTER | Lynn Nasirumbi | Being a first-born daughter, I have always been an errand girl for my parents. Whether it is grocery shopping, taking my siblings to school or even making financial transactions. They trust me to get things done.
But also, being typically African, it is harder for us to embrace technology especially when it comes to our money, and for as long as I can remember, I have always done banking for my mother.
An avid banker with Centenary Bank, my mother once sent me to deposit money on her account. This one time, to quicken my errand time, I chose to use an agent. She was besides herself.
It took me three hours, assurance calls and actual messages of successful deposits to convince her the banking world was evolving.
Now banking has had interesting changes over the years, for a tech survey youth like me, lining up in bank halls seems like an outdated concept. ATMs came to save our lives, Suddenly, a 24/7 bank was at our disposal. It was a small yet significant step towards a more accessible banking experience.
However, the real game-changer was the advent of banking agents. These friendly faces brought the bank closer to the people, allowing us to perform basic transactions without having to endure the long queues. It felt like a breath of fresh air, liberating us from the time constraints of traditional banking.
But the true revolution in banking convenience came with the rise of smartphones and mobile banking applications. My phone turned into a digital bank branch, right at my fingertips. I was initially skeptical like my mother and her Gen X crew, wondering if I could trust such technology with my hard-earned money. But as I took the leap of faith and embraced mobile banking, I realized how intuitive and secure it was.
Installing the Cente mobile app on my mother’s phone was no hustle. The actual fight came when I had to actually convince her to send figures reflected on her phone to her mother’s care taker in the village.
Needless to say, we have come a long way. ‘Our’ journey to online banking has grown and we are moving to a more comfortable place.
With just a few taps on my phone’s screen, I can transfer money to friends, pay bills, and even apply for loans. The power to manage my finances is now in my hands, quite literally.
Over time, banks enhanced their mobile applications, incorporating advanced security measures and a wide range of services. The ease of access grew exponentially, and new features were constantly being added. It was like witnessing banking enter a new era of innovation, making life simpler for customers like me.
Today, as I glance back at my journey through the banking landscape, I can’t help but marvel at how far we’ve come. The transition from banking halls to mobile apps has been a delightful one, smoothened by technological advancements that prioritize convenience and security, if youths can take up the mantle and assist the older generation, then we are surely headed in the right direction.
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The writer is a Kampala based Public Relations Executive
