Access to finance/VSLA (Village savings and loan Association)
One of the Vital problems for small holder farmers is having sufficient cash flow throughout the year for emergencies or to fund new income streams.
Establishing VSLAs can be a way to pool resources and for individuals to take loans from groups. The loans are then repaid with interest and funds are slowly generated within a community. This is through evolving funds. The farmers through their groups are allowed to buy shares within their groups and then encouraged to meet every month to save and Loan money among themselves at affordable interest rates agreed up on by all members in that particular group. Over forty groups with an average membership of 50 people have successfully benefited from this empowerment initiative. We are still empowering more.