Mens groups

A few nights ago my friend collin and i went to our friend sara's house to hang out. At her house we got to talking with her host dad, a kikuyu by the name of peter. Peter is the husband of Mama Kenya's best friend, Mama Sara (you are referred to as Mama and then the name of your first born, or in this case Mzungu).
I can't remember how the conversation came about, but during our time at sara's house Peter gave us a very informative talk on mens groups in Kenya. He is apart of three groups, one of which is comprised of kikuyu elders. The elders in ones community observe the lifestyle of the men in their community. When a man has reached a certain point in his personal maturity he is asked to be an elder (join the group). As an elder they have the power to intervene in any issues going on in their community, whether it be their neighbors marital problems, or in aiding another family in need.
The second group he is apart of is simular to the women's groups i spoke of in my previous post. There are twenty-three members in his group (he only belongs to one, he has his job as a networking device). Each man gives 1,000 shillings a month, this money goes to a stock the group collectively decides to invest in. The meeting does not end until the entire group is in accord on what to invest in. I personally think this process and group itself are extremely progressive, i can't think of anything like it in the U.S. I am really interested in starting a group like this, an investing group such as this one would be very beneficial for students my age.
The last group he described to us is comprised of his family members. Each month one of his family members, cousins included, hosts a meal/meeting at their house. Each family gives 6,000 shillings to the family that is hosting the feast that month.
Kin relations in Kenya are stronger than anything in the U.S i can draw from, the family is the center of Kenyan life. The fact that people here seem to trust each other enough to give money to a group and trust that it will come back to them, seems foreign to me. I wouldn't be surprised if groups such as these exist in America, but i have never seen such a large scale sense of community and trust.
The vast majority of Kenyan economy is comprised of subsistence, it is as far from a consumer economy as one can be. For centuries Kenyans' main priority has been supporting their families. Historically Kenyans' have been living in communal environments for far longer than westerners. I think this history and the tradition of community explain why groups such as the men's and women's groups i have described are so plentiful in Kenya.