In 2015, Birane was 19 and struggling to find work in his village on the outskirts of Nioro Du Rip in Senegal. He started selling airtime to other villagers and was spotted by a local businessperson who helped him to become a mobile money agent.

In 2017 Birane was introduced to InTouch, an aggregator of payment platforms and its app that allows to transact with multiple operators. Intouch received financial and technical assistance from the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) programme MM4P (Mobile Money for the Poor) to build its agent network in rural Senegal. Birane in one of the 550 agents deployed during the project that are now using the InTouch app on their smartphone to con¬duct transactions in rural Senegal.

Today, Birane facilitates the receipt of remittances and the transfer of money in the Nioro Du Rip area. Unlike many of his peers who left the village, Birane earns a living in the village and can take care of his younger brother’s school fees and pay for medical bills.