Contigo comes to Nairobi

June 16th, 2023

(Nairobi, Kenya) In honor of the International Day of Family Remittances (https://www.un.org/en/observances/remittances-day) S-FGlobalHolding, a 15-year-old leading innovator in financial inclusion technology company (based in Venice, CA) is announcing its next-generation of products and companies at the UNFCCC GFRID Summit 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Contigo is the brand name that will be utilized in bringing bank account and remittances cards to a wide range of constituents around the world. (https://www.contigo-global.com/)

Contigo is currently structured into three divisions: Contigo Americas, Contigo Africa and Contigo Asia. The Contigo African card will launch in East Africa and be focused on bringing online banking to the Masai tribesmen. The Contigo Asia card will start with the diaspora communities of Bangladeshi and Pakistani immigrants residing in the US. Both of these programs will expand to further target communities and regions – over time.

Contigo Americas is a collection of 6 different agreements; ranging from branded corporate cards, to non-profits, local and national governments and commercial enterprises focused on Latinx families (in the Americas) and immigrant communities around the world.

In all cases, Contigo bank account card programs sit “on top” of a partner Neobank named Neofie, which is based in Atlanta, GA (https://www.neofie.com/.) Neofie has programs in place with Mastercard, a bank and the payment processing,KYC and banking infrastructure vendors required to run a safe and secure closed loop bank account card system.

Neofie and Contigo also provide low to no cost remittances via these card programs.

Neofie takes care of all the back-end operations, while Contigo operates various partnerships, brands and non-profits programs which will touch the customers (on the front-end.)

The Contigo Card

Contigo bank accounts cards are designed for the unbanked, immigrants, homeless and disadvantaged population, but anyone can use them, Contigo cards carry no fees, feature low-cost remittances, and do not require US ITIN or Social Security #'s.

All Contigo customer interaction occurs from within an App, which is available from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Account signup, KYC (know your customer), all transaction and bank account balance info - are all available on the App.

A Contigo debit and remittances card can be thought of as a virtual bank account, giving the card holder all of the features, control, flexibility and functionality of a US deposit bank account and a Mastercard card, except is has no fees, extra costs and does not require an ITIN # or Social Security #. Contigo cards are also compatible with a network of 8,500 no fee ATMs around the US. Over time Contigo cards will also enable the loading of cash, via photographing a check, and cash payback programs.

Contigo Americas Joint Ventures, Licensing deals and Partnerships

#1: Contigo is working closely with the Dolores Huerta foundation(https://www.doloreshuerta.org/doloreshuerta/) to offer bank account cards to the California migrant Farmworker community. Contigo is also working with the Huerta Foundation in its efforts to reduce Social Inequality and protect Human Rights. Contigo also has an agreement with the United Ways of California to distribute funds to Farmworkers through the Contigo Dolores Huerta card.

#2: Contigo has been working with AMUCSS (https://www.amucss.org/) for years in establishing a network of community owned micro-banks, which will offer saving accounts and green migrants savings Bonds to remittances recipients in Mexico. The AMUCSS green migrants savings Bonds are designed to address the root causes of migration and climate change. AMUCSS is a network of 140 banks and micro-enterprises in Mexico.

#3: Contigo and AMUCSS are in a joint venture called the People’s Clearing House which aims to bring banking infrastructure to small banks and credit unions throughout Mexico. This association between Contigo and the People’s Clearing House means that all Contigo remittances will now also run through a rural remittances system that will touch another 13.2m indigenous and unbanked Mexicans. This group will subsidize the costs of remittances, so that recipients do not have to pay anything to get their money.

#4: Contigo has been working on City ID Card programs, since its inception (under the name S-FGlobalHoldings (see below.) Contigo is in final discussions with several large American cities – to provide a hybrid: ID Card + Debit Card, to homeless constituents, the unbanked and various disadvantaged populations.

#5: Contigo has a branded card agreement in place with a company named Justo, which is a partnership with a retail brand catering to Mexican and Central American immigrants. This branded Contigo Justo card will be distributed directly at the stores and from their online website.

#6: Contigo is in negotiations with the El Salvadoran government, which would have its Payments Wallet tied into the Salvadoran financial inclusion products.

Background

The origin of today’s Contigo can be found in S-FGlobalHolding, LLC - a 15-year-old company which produced a City ID Prepaid Mastercard program for the cities of Oakland, CA and Richmond, CA in 2014. Those ID cards were focused on providing disadvantaged, unbanked citizens and residents a card which combines a City ID and a debit card. That card program was awarded two awards - “Best Prepaid” program award by the NYU Wagner School of Public Policy, the Center for an Urban Future in 2013 and an “Innovation award” from Harvard University in 2014.

About Dr. Raul Hinojosa. DR. Hinojosa is a Professor at UCLA and the founding Director of the NAID (North American Investment and Development) Center. Dr. Hinojosa is also a Fellow at the Institute of the Americas and on the Board of several non-profits. Dr. Hinojosa is a frequent guest on many media outlets including Univision and Telemundo, the leading Spanish language networks in the US. Undergraduate and Phd from the University of Chicago. Dr. Hinojosa is the author of several books, including “the Trump Paradox 2021” and the “North American Development Bank – historical trajectory and lessons learned.”

-------------

Please go to Contigo-global.com for further information and/or to contact us at: raul@sfglobalholdingllc.com