Buy it together, share it together
Pool mobile money with friends, neighbours or your office to buy something once and use it together. One link, every contribution visible, no surprises.
About Individual or Group Purchases & Shared Goods fundraising in Africa
Some things are easier to buy when everyone chips in. A chama saving for a plot of land, an office that wants a proper fridge instead of fetching cold sodas from the shop, neighbours splitting the cost of a water tank, or a family sharing an ng'ombe for a celebration. The item gets bought once and used by the whole group, so it only makes sense for the money to come from the whole group too. SenteMe is built for exactly this kind of everyday pooling.
The way it works is simple. One person, usually the coordinator or the chama treasurer, creates a campaign and gets a single shareable link. Everyone who wants to contribute sends mobile money to that link from their own phone, no bank visit, no cash changing hands in a meeting. Every contribution shows up on a public running ledger that the whole group can see, and so does every withdrawal. Nobody has to ask the treasurer how much has come in, because the number is right there for everyone.
This matters most with group purchases, because trust is the whole game. When ten people are putting money toward a generator or a second-hand vehicle, the fastest way to sour a friendship is a foggy account. A transparent ledger means the office knows the fridge fund is real before anyone walks into the appliance shop, and the chama knows the land deposit is fully covered before signing anything. You can see who has paid, who still owes, and what the running total is, all in one place.
Creating a campaign is free. Contributors pay nothing extra to send their share. SenteMe takes a flat 7.5 percent fee only when the coordinator withdraws, so the cost is predictable and there are no hidden charges along the way. To be clear, this is contribution based pooling, not an investment. People are clubbing together to buy a shared item, not buying shares or expecting a financial return.
Whether it is a bulk grocery order for a residents association, a microwave for the staff kitchen, equipment for a savings group, or a shared goat for a wedding, the pattern is the same. Set a target, share the link, watch the money come in, and withdraw to make the purchase when you are ready. SenteMe works across 12 African countries with the mobile money everyone already uses.
How to raise money for individual or group purchases & shared goods
01
Agree what you are buying
Get the group on the same page first. Decide the item, a fair share per person if you want one, and who will hold the money as coordinator. Writing it down before you collect anything saves a lot of back and forth later.
02
Create the campaign and set a target
Set up your pool in a few minutes and enter a clear target, for example the full price of the fridge or the land deposit. A real number tells everyone exactly when the group is done contributing.
03
Share the one link
Send the link to your WhatsApp group, the office channel, or your chama members. Each person contributes from their own phone with mobile money, so you are not chasing cash at the next meeting.
04
Let everyone watch the ledger
As contributions arrive they appear on the public ledger. The group can see the running total and who has paid, which keeps the pressure light and the trust high without you having to send reminders.
05
Withdraw and buy the item
Once you hit the target, withdraw the funds to mobile money and make the purchase. The 7.5 percent fee is taken at this point, so what you withdraw is exactly what is left for the buy.
How to support individual or group purchases & shared goods causes
Open the link and send your share
Tap the campaign link, enter your amount, and pay with the mobile money wallet you already use. It takes under a minute and you do not need an account to contribute.
Check the ledger anytime
Your contribution appears on the public ledger straight away. You can come back whenever you like to see the running total and how close the group is to buying the item.
Nudge the people who have not paid
Share the link again in your group chat. Because everyone can see the ledger, a gentle reminder is usually all it takes to get the last few shares in.
Frequently asked questions
How does a chama collect money for a plot of land using SenteMe?
The chama treasurer creates one campaign with the land deposit as the target and shares the link with all members. Each member contributes their share by mobile money from their own phone, and every payment shows on the public ledger so the whole group can confirm the deposit is fully covered before signing anything. When the target is reached the treasurer withdraws the funds to complete the purchase.
Can my office split the cost of a fridge or microwave?
Yes, this is one of the most common uses. One colleague sets up a pool for the appliance, shares the link on the staff channel, and everyone chips in what they agreed. Because the ledger is public, the team can see the fund is real and complete before anyone heads to the shop.
What is the fee for a group purchase?
Creating the campaign is free and contributors pay nothing extra to send their share. SenteMe charges a flat 7.5 percent only when the coordinator withdraws the money. So if your group raises the full price of an item, the fee comes out at withdrawal and there are no other hidden charges.
Is this an investment where contributors get a return?
No. SenteMe is contribution based pooling, not an investment platform. People club together to buy a shared item and then use it together, so contributors are not buying shares and should not expect any financial return.
How do contributors know the coordinator will not misuse the money?
Every contribution and every withdrawal is recorded on a public running ledger that the whole group can see at any time. There is no private pot that only the coordinator can view, which is exactly why pooling for a shared purchase on SenteMe is safer than handing cash to one person at a meeting.
Can we share a goat or cow for a celebration?
Yes. Sharing an ng'ombe or a goat for a wedding, a holiday or a family gathering is a classic group purchase. Set the animal's cost as the target, share the link with everyone joining the feast, and withdraw to pay the seller once the contributions are in.
Do contributors need to download an app or create an account?
No. A contributor just opens the shared link, enters an amount, and pays with the mobile money they already use. Only the coordinator who creates and manages the campaign needs an account.
How long does it take to get the money out to buy the item?
Once your group has reached the target, the coordinator can withdraw to a mobile money wallet. Withdrawals go to the same mobile money rails everyone uses, so funds are typically available quickly to complete the purchase the same day in most cases.
Can we keep contributing after we hit the target?
Yes. Targets are a guide, not a hard stop. If the price of the generator went up or the group decides to buy a slightly better model, members can keep adding to the pool and the ledger keeps showing the new running total.
Which countries and mobile money services does SenteMe support?
SenteMe works across 12 African countries and connects to the mobile money wallets people already use in those markets. Both the coordinator and the contributors transact in their local currency through their usual mobile money provider.
Example scenarios
What individual or group purchases & shared goods fundraising looks like
Hypothetical, composite examples. No real person is named.
An office in Nairobi buys a fridge
A team of twelve is tired of warm sodas, so one colleague creates a pool with the price of a mid-size fridge as the target. Everyone contributes a fair share over a week, the ledger shows the fund filling up, and once it is complete the coordinator withdraws and buys the fridge for the staff kitchen.
A chama in Eldoret pays a land deposit
A twenty-member savings group is buying a plot together. The treasurer sets the deposit as the target and shares one link, members pay in by mobile money, and the public ledger lets everyone confirm the full deposit is in before the group signs with the seller.
Neighbours in Kampala share a water tank
Three households on one compound want a larger shared water tank. They agree to split it evenly, one neighbour opens a campaign, and after the third payment lands on the ledger the coordinator withdraws and the tank is delivered the same week.
Resources for individual or group purchases & shared goods
- State Department for Cooperatives (Kenya)
Government department overseeing cooperatives and SACCOs, useful for chamas formalising group purchases.
- Business Registration Service (Kenya)
Where groups register as a business or society before buying assets together.
- SACCO Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA)
Regulator for deposit-taking SACCOs, helpful background for savings groups pooling for big buys.
- Competition Authority of Kenya
Consumer protection guidance worth knowing when a group makes a large shared purchase.
- Central Bank of Kenya
Authority on mobile money and payments in Kenya, the rails most group pools run on.
- Kenya Revenue Authority
Tax guidance relevant if a registered group buys equipment or vehicles.
- Uganda Revenue Authority
Tax authority to check before a Ugandan group buys assets like vehicles or machinery.
- FSD Kenya
Independent trust researching financial inclusion, including how groups save and pool funds.