Like the BOP mobile use being counter-intuitive, and as illustrated in the technology appropriation work that Francois Bar is doing (see http://abaporu.wordpress.com/abaporu/), remittances take many different forms and there are some creative solutions for getting the money back home more quickly and more cheaply.

In the Americas – In Ecuador, there is a remittance project in which remittances are made to a local credit union – thus building up savings/resources for investment in the community as well. And, a recent study in Uruguay found that lots of remittances were being effected via the online purchase at Uruguayan store websites (such as La Tienda Inglesa – which sells everything from groceries, to appliances to electronics) paid for remotely and delivered locally. This minimises transfer and exchanges costs – and I suppose gives the remitter more control over how remittances are spent.