To do a project in Kenya (or anywhere else), if you get work done through the informal economy (which represents the majority of economic transactions) you need cash. In Kenya we set up a workshop in the Juacali district. This whole sector of the economy is cash based. If we had wanted to pay our guys with a check they would have run into expensive check cashing fees. But how do you anticipate the amount of cash you'll need for a 6-month or a 12-month project? And how do you properly account for the use of this cash so that you can show your project's books to a donor or board member? Showing up in a foreign country with a money belt stuffed with Benjamins is absolutely the wrong way to go. I think we can all understand why. It's unsafe, and it will immediately effect the way that you handle yourself to know that you have this precious asset on you (or even back at the hotel / apartment. You shouldn't be carrying more than will make you nervous. We used ATMs heavily on our Big Boda project. ATM's charge a fee, of course, but all finance services do. The typical $5 ATM fee isn't so bad if you withdraw the maximum amount (usually $200-$300.) So, how to account for project expenses when that same ATM card may need to be used for personal expenses like food and lodging? We used plastic accordian folders to sort receipts into different categories, and insisted on getting receipts for all purchases. If a vendor or employee isn't able to generate a receipt, just write what was spent on a scrap of paper and file it. Of course, ATMs are only available in the cities, and you may not be working in or near a city. Dealing with cash in a more rural location (for an extended period of time) would certainly be more difficult. But fortunately, bicycle related projects are often located in or near cities. If you're planning your first one, this reason alone may be good enough to help you decide. Another way to finance a project in a developing country is to establish a partnership with a company that can cut checks and pay invoices for you. The partner would be a fiscal sponsor or fiscal conduit. You would provide them a budget as a lump sum, then draw from that budget to make payments as you conduct your project. We found this approach to be more cumbersome than cash for  95% of purchases. But there were a couple of larger purchases, such as a welder, for which this approach was invaluable.