Nairobi, July 1 -- Two days after leaving hospital, Hellen Atieno returns to her grocery stall in Mariwa trading centre in Migori County, with more than just the fatigue of a week-long illness. She is desperate to recover lost time.

The days she spent in the hospital meant no sales, no income, and no means of paying the Sh67 ($0.52) daily instalment for the phone she bought on credit about two months earlier, risking her ability to stay connected.

Then her phone buzzes. Sh7,000 ($54) has just been deposited in her mobile money wallet, enough to settle her debts for the week, restock her business, and begin again.

"I was not working for a whole week, so I didn't have any money when I left the hospital. The insurance money really helped ...